Indiana volleyball’s historic season came to an end Friday against the University of Texas at Austin in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals. The Hoosiers were swept by the Longhorns at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas, to finish their season with 25-8 overall record.
Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles led Indiana’s offensive efforts with 13 kills in the match off a .195 hitting percentage. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager recorded nine kills, while freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray had eight.
While Texas claimed the opening point in the first game, Indiana kept it close in the starting moments. The Hoosiers had a serve to tie the game at five points, but the Longhorns responded with a kill from freshman outside hitter Cari Spears.
Texas then went on a run to take a 9-5 lead over Indiana. The Hoosiers continued to chip into the Longhorns’ lead, but Texas overpowered Indiana, going on a 4-0 run later in the set to take a 14-8 lead. Junior outside hitter Torrey Stafford had a hand in each of the four points during the run.
Indiana pulled within two points after a 6-2 run in the first game put it behind Texas 16-14. While the Hoosiers stayed within reach of the Longhorns until late in the set, they couldn’t gain enough momentum to swing the game in their favor. Indiana struggled to stop Stafford, as she scored eight points off six kills, two blocks and a service ace in Texas’ 25-20 set win.
In the second set, the Hoosiers once again kept it close until the Longhorns were able to string together a 4-1 run in the middle of the game to take a 12-8 lead. Texas’ defense was suffocating for Indiana’s typically powerful offense, as the Longhorns recorded five blocks in the second set.
Texas extended its advantage to six points, and while Indiana pulled within two points after a 5-1 run, it wasn’t enough to overturn the Longhorns, who won the set 25-22. Through two sets, Texas held Indiana to just a .177 hitting percentage compared to the Longhorns’ .365 hitting percentage.
The Hoosiers fell behind early in the third set, allowing the Longhorns to get off on an 11-5 lead. However, Indiana dug into the deficit. A 6-2 Indiana run later in the set tied the game at 18 points, leading Texas to call a timeout.
Following the timeout, the Longhorns scored two straight points to regain their lead and carried their advantage to the end of the set, picking up another 25-22 win.
Indiana struggled to contain Stafford throughout the contest, as she recorded 22.5 points off 19 kills, four blocks and a service ace. She ended the match with a .679 hitting percentage.
With the loss to Texas, Indiana finished its season with a 25-8 overall record with a 14-6 mark in the Big Ten. It marked the most wins and fewest losses in a single season in program history for Indiana.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
