The NCAA Tournament regional semifinal is the farthest Indiana volleyball has advanced in program history.
It’s a stark difference to the University of Texas at Austin, which the Hoosiers played on Friday at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas, in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals. Ahead of Friday’s match, Texas had 35 regional semifinal appearances compared to Indiana’s one, which came in 2010.
Texas has one of the most prestigious volleyball programs in the nation. Along with its 35 regional semifinal appearances, it’s also had 29 regional championship appearances, 15 tournament semifinal appearances and four national championships before its contest against Indiana. The Longhorns never dropped below No. 4 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s poll throughout the season and earned one of the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament.
The discrepancy in the program’s experience was clear in the Hoosiers’ 3-0 loss to the Longhorns on Friday afternoon. Indiana struggled to generate offensive power, which has typically been its strong suit throughout the season, against a relentless Texas’ block.
“I think experience is something you get right after you needed it. Does that make sense?” Indiana head coach Steve Aird said after the match. “So, at times we’ve got four and five or six freshmen out there. I thought they all played well. I thought they all competed.”
The Hoosiers’ young roster was another element where Indiana had a disadvantage against the Longhorns. Against Texas, six total freshmen saw time on the court for Indiana, compared to the two who saw time on the floor for the Longhorns.
And even for the Hoosiers veterans, the NCAA Tournament is a new place for them, as this season marked Indiana’s first appearance since 2010. While the coaching staff has experience to lean on from other jobs or playing careers, the environment and excitement of tournament matches is new for the players.
“I think with the top teams that are used to playing deep in the tournament, they're a little bit more at ease with the environment and the event,” Aird said.
The quality of the Hoosiers’ opponents, Aird said, gave the team confidence heading into the match. The Hoosiers went 14-6 in the Big Ten this season, which saw nine teams make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
However, even Aird admitted that his team hasn’t had the best showing in those road conference environments, citing the youth and inexperience of the Hoosiers.
Despite the differences in experience, Indiana still came into the match confident it could knock off Texas in the Longhorns’ home gym. In a press conference before the match, Aird, freshmen outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and middle blocker Victoria Gray exuded a belief that their squad was qualified enough to beat Texas. They packed their bags for a weekend of matches they expected to win. They trusted their game plan.
It was a confidence the entire staff and players felt ahead of the match, but it didn’t translate against one of the winningest programs.
“We would have had to been really spectacular, and they would’ve been down a peg for us to try and steal it,” Aird said. “But there wasn’t one person in the entire program that didn’t believe that we were gonna do that, and I think that’s why it hurts more.”
The loss to Texas dropped Indiana to a 25-8 overall record and ended the Hoosiers historic season. And while Indiana’s inexperience hindered its performances at times, the returning players now all have a whole season of experience to build on.
That fact combined with the Hoosiers’ “connectivity” instilled confidence in senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles, who played her last match for Indiana on Friday, for the future. A future where Indiana can win a national championship of its own.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball offseason.
