With just over a month before Indiana volleyball’s 2026 season officially begins, the Hoosiers are already gaining preseason recognition.
Indiana ranked No. 6 in the Big Ten’s preseason poll, according to a press release Thursday. Sophomores outside hitter Jaidyn Jager and setter Teodora Kričković were selected to the 2026 Preseason All-Conference Team.
The Hoosiers were ranked behind Nebraska, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota in the preseason poll after finishing 2025 ranked fifth in the conference standings with a 25-8 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the Big Ten. Last year was the first time since 1999 that Indiana finished in the top five of the conference standings at the conclusion of the season.
The Hoosiers’ 2025 season ended in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, which marked just the sixth time in program history that Indiana made the NCAA Tournament. After earning back-to-back home games in the first and second rounds, Indiana swept both the University of Toledo and the University of Colorado Boulder. Then, the Hoosiers were swept by the University of Texas at Austin in the Round of 16.
Kričković played an instrumental role in helping Indiana achieve the fifth-best hitting percentage (.281) and the fifth-most kills per set (13.68) in the Big Ten last season. The Novi Sad, Serbia, native accumulated 1,212 assists last season, which was third overall in the Big Ten.
Along with her assists, Kričković also contributed to the Hoosiers’ aggressive scoring. She recorded 54 kills, 50 total blocks and 38 service aces throughout the 2025 season. Defensively, Kričković recorded 201 digs, which ranked third among her teammates.
At the end of her freshman season, Kričković was awarded a First Team All-Big Ten bid, along with an American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention All-American nod, making her the first freshman in program history to receive both honors.
Jager earned the preseason honor after a dominant freshman season in 2025. The Carlsbad, California, native recorded 383 kills on a .243 hitting percentage last year playing alongside two of the most storied duos in program history: outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles and opposite hitter Avry Tatum. Both Alonso-Corcelles and Tatum exhausted their eligibility following 2025, meaning Jager will have a more elevated role as a sophomore. Jager also contributed to Indiana’s defensive efforts with a team-high 249 digs.
Jager was a Second Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection last year following her maiden season with the Hoosiers.
The Hoosiers officially begin their season against the University of Louisville on Aug. 28 at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena in Louisville, Kentucky. Before then, Indiana will take on the University of Notre Dame in a preseason exhibition Aug. 14 and will play the Cream and Crimson Scrimmage on Aug. 21. Both the preseason exhibition and scrimmage will be at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
