Trailing 23-16 in the third set, Indiana volleyball needed a point quick.
Indiana junior opposite hitter Ella Boersema tried to be that answer for the Hoosiers but was immediately denied and blocked by University of Tennessee sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Rogers.
Now with the score 24-16 and set point lingering for the Volunteers, the Hoosiers had one last opportunity to extend the game.
But that hope quickly dissipated.
Rogers made her force known once again, jumping and tooling the ball off the Hoosier block to end the set and game.
Rogers was an offensive and defensive force the Hoosiers could not contain in their sweep loss (25-23, 25-23, 25-16) to Tennessee on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
In the first set of the match, Indiana led from the start. The Hoosiers got out to an early 11-5 advantage and held a five-point lead heading into the 15-point media timeout.
But right out of the break, the Volunteers went to Rogers for offense.
She delivered.
Tennesee’s next three points came from Rogers’ kills, giving the Volunteers life. Just two points later, Rogers served a five-point run to go up 19-17 and take its first lead of the game. This forced a Hoosier timeout.
The run gave Tennessee momentum, and the Hoosiers were unable to regain the lead, falling 25-23. Rogers finished the set with six kills, a block and an ace.
But Rogers’ efforts didn’t end there. The 5-foot-10 attacker was always there to give the Volunteers a striking play and help generate a run.
In the final stretch of the second set, Rogers was the Volunteers' main point of offense. Tennessee’s final five kills of the match all came at Rogers’ hands, including the set-winning point.
But Indiana didn’t let this take its energy. In the final set of the match, the Hoosiers came out strong, starting with a 4-0 run and holding a lead until midway through the set. However, like she did all through the night, Rogers came through when her team needed her most.
Tied 14-14, Rogers earned a huge solo block, as she jumped up in a 1-on-1 situation with Boersema. The block gave the Vols their first lead of the set and all of the momentum. Indiana was never able to recover, falling 25-16.
The Hoosiers led in all three sets by at least four points but never sustained their lead or found an answer for Rogers. The Missouri City, Texas, native finished her night with 19 kills, three blocks, two digs and a service ace. No other player on the Tennessee roster tallied more than seven kills.
Indiana’s offense was held to a .179 attacking percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager was the only Indiana hitter to tally double digit kills as she finished with 10 and a .269 hitting percentage. Fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry performed well against her former team as the Tennessee transfer hit .308 with six kills and two blocks.
While the Hoosiers competed with the Volunteers, they weren’t able to find a solution for Rogers or the Tennessee runs. The loss moves Indiana to 2-2 on the season.
Indiana will look to bounce back in its short turn-around contest with the University of Southern Indiana at 4 p.m. Monday in Evansville, Indiana. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
