In its last time on the court, Indiana volleyball picked up back-to-back sweep victories to kick off Big Ten play. The Hoosiers defeated UCLA, which is receiving American Volleyball Coaches Association votes, and Maryland at home on Sept. 24 and 26, respectively.
Now, the Cream and Crimson will hit the road for another pair of games. Indiana will first travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to face No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday before heading to Piscataway, New Jersey, for a match against Rutgers on Sunday.
The Hoosiers enter the weekend with momentum in their favor. Indiana holds a seven-game winning streak and just added another explosive piece to its offense.
Opposite hitter Avry Tatum made her return in the Hoosiers’ victory over Maryland. The fifth-year senior, who was recently granted eligibility, was a key piece in the Hoosiers’ offense last season and recorded 10 kills and six blocks in her first game back.
Now with added depth to the roster, Indiana’s ceiling has risen.
Meet the Badgers
Wisconsin enters the matchup 8-4 overall and 2-0 in the conference. The Badgers have battled a plethora of injuries and a difficult schedule to start the season. Wisconsin has pivoted to several different starting lineups to adjust.
But still, the Badgers have picked up multiple notable wins. In nonconference, Wisconsin earned victories over then-No. 7 University of Louisville, then-No. 17 University of Florida and then-No. 19 Texas A&M University.
Since, Wisconsin has defeated then-No. 20 Oregon and No. 10 Purdue on Sept. 24 and 27, respectively, to start conference play 2-0.
Freshman outside hitter Audrey Flanagan and senior outside hitter Eva Travis lead the Badgers offensively. Flanagan has 126 kills, while Travis trails closely with 119.
The fueler of the offense, junior setter Charlie Fuerbringer, leads the conference in most assists per set. Last season, Fuerbringer earned All-Big Ten first team honors and was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on four separate occasions.
Wisconsin is led by head coach Kelly Sheffield, who is in his 14th season with the program. Since taking over the team, Sheffield has put the Badgers among the nation’s elite.
In Sheffield’s time as head coach, Wisconsin earned a 2021 NCAA Volleyball Championship, six Final Four’s, 13-straight NCAA Sweet 16 or better tournament finishes and have ended the last 13 seasons ranked in the top 12 nationally. Wisconsin has become a premier name in NCAA volleyball under Sheffield.
A win over Wisconsin would be the first for Indiana since 2012. The Hoosiers have lost 19 consecutive matchups to the Badgers. Indiana will look to snap that streak when the two programs face off at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Meet the Scarlet Knights
Rutgers currently hold a 9-5 overall record and 0-2 conference record. The Scarlet Knights have not faced a tough schedule thus far, having only played one top 25 opponent. Rutgers fell to No.1 Nebraska in three sets in its conference opener on Sept. 25.
Rutgers is currently on a two-game losing streak, falling in its first two conference matches. Prior to facing the Hoosiers on Sunday, the Scarlet Knights will compete against Ohio State on Thursday.
Freshman attacker Malia Romes headlines the Rutgers offense. Romes leads in kills per set with 2.52 and total kills with 136. As a team, Rutgers hits .242. Comparatively, Indiana hits .268, despite having gone up against a tougher schedule.
The Scarlet Knights are led by Caitlin Schweihofer, who is in her seventh year as head coach. In her time with the program, Rutgers has established itself as a program on the rise. In 2025, Rutgers surpassed its six-win season from the previous year in the first nine games.
Indiana has controlled the all-time series between the two programs with a 20-1 record. The Hoosiers’ only loss to Rutgers came in January of the 2020-21 season. The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights will face off at 2 p.m. Sunday in Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Both matches will be streamed on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
