No. 21 Indiana volleyball made a statement its last time on the court.
The Hoosiers bounced back from their season-opening sweep loss to the then-No. 7 University of Louisville with back-to-back victories over the University of Georgia and No. 12 Texas A&M University in the Big Ten/Southeastern Conference Volleyball Challenge Week.
But since Indiana’s last win, the Hoosiers picked up a win off the court.
On Friday, opposite hitter Avry Tatum was among eight athletes granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, allowing them a fifth season of collegiate eligibility during the 2026-27 season.
Tatum was a key piece of the Hoosiers’ squad last season. She recorded the third-most points for Indiana in 2025-26 and was named an All-American honorable mention.
And now, the fifth-year senior will be eligible to join the Hoosiers when they play back-to-back games Sunday and Monday.
Indiana will first take on the No. 22 University of Tennessee at 3 p.m. Sunday in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The matchup is the second of a doubleheader in the Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party. The Hoosiers and Volunteers will take the court following a noon game between No. 6 Louisville and the No. 9 University of Texas.
Meet the Volunteers
Tennessee enters the matchup with a perfect 4-0 record, having yet to lose a set this season. The Volunteers most recently swept Illinois on Sept. 1 in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge.
Tennessee sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Rodgers leads the team in kills with 49, as well as kills per set, averaging 5.44. As a team, the Volunteers are hitting .381, while holding opponents to an attacking percentage of just .114.
Indiana holds a 3-3-1 record against Tennessee all time. The first matchup was played in 1977, before women’s college volleyball was fully recognized as a varsity sport and resulted in a 1-1 tie. The two programs last met in 2010, when the Hoosiers lost a five-set battle in Bloomington.
While Tennessee and Indiana haven’t met in over a decade, there will be some familiarity on both sides of the net Sunday.
Indiana fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry transferred to the Hoosiers from Tennessee in the offseason. The Winter Garden, Florida, native spent her first four seasons with the Vols. Granberry was sidelined for much of her senior season with an injury but made a significant impact for Tennessee in her sophomore and junior years.
In her sophomore season, Granberry ranked second in the SEC in attacking percentage, hitting .356. That number grew her junior season, as she averaged a .455 attacking percentage, ranking second nationally and first in the SEC.
Granberry has started to find her footing with the Hoosiers. She’ll enter Sunday off an eight-kill, four-block night against Georgia and a six-kill, seven-block game against Texas A&M. The 6-foot-2 Granberry will look to continue her production into the matchup with her former squad.
Shortly after Indiana faces Tennessee, the Hoosiers will travel to Evansville, Indiana, to play the University of Southern Indiana at 4 p.m. Monday at Liberty Arena.
Meet the Screaming Eagles
The Hoosiers and Screaming Eagles will meet for the third time since Southern Indiana transitioned to a Division I program. Indiana swept Southern Indiana in 2023 and 2024 in Bloomington.
The Screaming Eagles are 2-4 to start the season and will enter Monday’s match on a three-game losing streak. Southern Indiana went 2-1 in its season opening invitational, defeating Murray State University and Northern Illinois University, but falling to Eastern Michigan University.
The Screaming Eagles most recently went 0-3 in the Georgia Tech Classic on Friday and Saturday, losing to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Campbell University and Xavier University.
Southern Indiana is coached by Jeffrey Aucoin, who is in his fourth season with the program. In 2025, Aucoin led the Screaming Eagles to their most successful season in program history. The team tallied its most D1 wins with 19 and most conference wins with 14.
Southern Indiana will look to snap its losing streak and pick up a signature win over the Hoosiers. Meanwhile, Indiana will look to continue its early season success.
Sunday’s matchup will be streamed on ESPN2, while Monday’s can be found 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.
