After its biggest win of the season, No. 21 Indiana volleyball faced another opportunity to knock down a top 25 team Sunday against No. 22 University of Tennessee.
The Hoosiers defeated No. 12 Texas A&M University — the defending national champions — in five sets Wednesday, and the Lady Volunteers offered Indiana a chance to build momentum.
However, Indiana was swept by Tennessee (23-25, 23-25, 16-25) in Nashville, Tennessee, despite holding at least a four-point lead in all three sets Sunday afternoon. Sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager had 10 kills for the Hoosiers, but it wasn’t enough to offset Tennessee sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Rogers’ 19 kills.
Indiana was the first team to 15 points in the first set, holding a five-point lead over Tennessee at the media timeout. But the Lady Volunteers began to chip into the Hoosiers’ advantage following the break.
Rogers recorded two kills after the media timeout, which sparked a 9-2 Tennessee run and gave the Lady Volunteers a two-point lead. Indiana tied the match at 21, but Tennessee continued its momentum to a two-point win in the first set.
The second set once again looked promising for Indiana, which took a 12-8 lead over Tennessee with a kill from junior opposite hitter Ella Boersema.
However, the Lady Volunteers came storming back.
Tennessee junior middle blocker Chelsea Sutton scored twice to spark another 9-2 run, which allowed the Lady Volunteers to take a three-point advantage. While Indiana made a late 3-0 push to try and stave off Tennessee, it wasn’t enough. The Lady Volunteers recorded another two-point set win.
The Cream and Crimson took another early lead in the third set, this time, with a 4-0 run off a block, kill and two Tennessee errors. But the Lady Volunteers immediately started to break down the Hoosiers' advantage and eventually took their first lead at 15-14.
Then, Tennessee's offense was relentless, and the Hoosiers’ errors kept piling up.
After taking the lead, the Lady Volunteers outscored Indiana 10-2. Rogers played a part in five of Tennessee’s final 10 points en route to her 22-point performance.
The loss was another setback for Indiana, which is now 2-2 this season. Its nonconference schedule is just under halfway done, which, as of now, does not include any more contests against ranked opponents.
Ninth-year Indiana head coach Steve Aird has continuously said that after his squad’s NCAA Tournament run last season, he wanted to schedule a more challenging nonconference slate, even if that means the Hoosiers’ record isn’t as good as it was in 2025.
“I don't want to dodge anyone,” Aird said Aug. 20 in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. “I want to play the best. And if you're not good enough, you get back in the lab the next day and you go to work.”
Aird once again emphasized that mindset when the Hoosiers lost their season opener to then-No. 7 University of Louisville on Aug. 28. While Indiana was swept by the Cardinals, Aird said the contest was an opportunity to learn where his squad needs to improve and the areas where they can grow.
And if there was a lesson to be learned against Tennessee, it was the importance of not letting a lead slip.
While Indiana has played against all the ranked opponents on its nonconference schedule as of now, the Hoosiers still own opportunities to compete against high-level competition before their conference slate starts against UCLA on Sept. 24.
The Hoosiers still are set to face top team in California Polytechnic State University, which received votes in the most recent AVCA rankings released Aug. 30. The two squads will meet in the Hoosiers’ home opener Sept. 10 in their first match of the Indiana Invitational.
But until then, the Cream and Crimson will have an opportunity to bounce back from their Sunday loss against the University of Southern Indiana at 4 p.m. Monday in Evansville, Indiana.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
