With just six regular season games remaining, No. 18 Indiana volleyball has its eyes on its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010. The Hoosiers hold a 19-5 overall record and a 10-4 conference record.
But first, Indiana must keep its focus on finishing its remaining schedule on a strong note. The Hoosiers’ final regular season stretch begins this weekend as they are set to face Oregon and Maryland at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers have fared well at Wilkinson Hall this season, only succumbing a loss to then-No. 20 Minnesota on Oct. 24.
Indiana has been an offensive powerhouse all season long, holding a top five spot in the Big Ten in kills per set and overall attacking percentage. Indiana’s trio of pin hitters in freshman Jaidyn Jager and seniors Avry Tatum and Candela Alonso-Corcelles lead the offense with 299, 288 and 271 kills, respectively.
In addition to the offense, the Hoosiers’ defense has stepped up as of late. In the last four matches, the Hoosiers are averaging 14.36 digs per set, led by freshman libero Avery Freeman, who is averaging 2.79 digs per set through the stretch.
Oregon Ducks
The matchup with Oregon will serve as just the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The Ducks and the Hoosiers first met in September 2024, resulting in a four-set loss for Indiana. The Hoosiers will look to flip that script and even up the series this season.
Oregon holds a 14-10 overall record and just a 5-9 conference record. While the Ducks’ record is not one at the top of the Big Ten, Oregon has shown it can play with elite teams this season.
The Ducks took a set off then-No. 12 Wisconsin on Oct. 26 and have notable wins over then-No. 18 Minnesota on Oct. 17 and then-No. 25 UCLA on Oct. 22.
To beat Oregon, Indiana will need to slow down and limit the impact of junior pin hitter Valentina Vaulet and freshman opposite hitter Alanah Clemente. Vaulet holds 299 kills this season and is averaging 3.25 kills per set. Clemente is close behind, with 291 total kills with an average of 3.55 kills per set.
Maryland Terrapins
Sunday’s contest will be the second time Indiana and Maryland face this season. The Hoosiers and Terrapins’ first meeting resulted in a 3-0 Indiana victory in College Park, Maryland, on Oct. 31.
In the first game, Indiana started slow and in a substantial deficit. However, the Hoosiers battled back behind efforts from Alonso-Corcelles to secure the sweep victory. Indiana was able to hold Maryland to just 24 kills and an overall attacking percentage of .099.
The Terrapins have struggled so far this season, with an 8-16 overall record and just one conference win over Rutgers on Oct. 15. Indiana should look to take advantage of the Terrapins’ struggles before having to finish the season with two top 10 opponents in the last four games of the season.
Indiana’s first matchup will be played at 7 p.m. Friday, before it faces Maryland at noon Sunday. Both games will be streamed on Big Ten +.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
