In the short fifth set of volleyball, every point matters and every error is magnified.
So, when No. 15 Indiana volleyball managed to win back-to-back sets against No. 6 Wisconsin and forced a fifth set, both teams would need their best.
But the Hoosiers’ best did not come to fruition when it was needed most in their final set against the Badgers in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday.
In a short game played to 15 points, Indiana committed 10 errors, falling 15-8. And while the errors compiled in the final set, they plagued the Hoosiers throughout the five-set loss.
Ahead of Big Ten play, Indiana head coach Steve Aird emphasized the importance of service pressure.
“I think it’s an incredibly important skill,” Aird said following the Hoosiers’ victory over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 11. “I think it’s something that if you’re gonna be relevant nationally, you’ve got to be a great serving team.”
When the team had the chance to go against one of the top teams in the nation and to prove themselves among the top, Indiana committed 14 service errors. The Hoosiers were serving aggressively, which did pay off at times — as they tallied eight service aces — it also cost them in critical moments.
In the fifth set alone, Indiana committed four service errors. In such a short set, each serve and point is critical, and the number of errors wasn’t something the Hoosiers could afford.
Despite losing the first two sets to the Badgers, Indiana showed fight halfway through the match. The Hoosiers showed they had the composure to come back from being down and signified they could beat a marquee Big Ten program.
But the margin for error was small against a team of such magnitude, which is something the Cream and Crimson had to learn the hard way.
Sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum and graduate student middle blocker Kiki Granberry accounted for 12, seven and five attacking errors, respectively.
While Jager and Tatum led in errors, they also led in kills with 16 apiece. They fought and came up with big plays, regardless.
The Hoosiers had moments that overshadowed mistakes, especially when sophomore middle blocker Victoria Gray came off the bench to give Indiana a huge boost.
Gray tallied eight kills and no errors to complete her night hitting .571. With the addition of Tatum to the rotation after a judge granted her collegiate eligibility on Sept. 23, junior attacker Ella Boersema was moved from opposite hitter to middle blocker. With the change, some players like Gray have seen limited time on the court.
But in her time, she did exactly what she needed to do for her team, and it represented the depth and ceiling the 2026 Indiana squad has.
Indiana was so close to doing something they hadn’t done since 2012 — beat Wisconsin. They showed they could battle with a top team but let errors get the best of them.
The loss moved the Hoosiers to 9-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference. Indiana will look to rebound when it faces Rutgers at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Piscataway, New Jersey. Streaming will be available 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.
