When Kiki Granberry took the floor against Rutgers on Sunday afternoon, she hadn’t played in No. 15 Indiana volleyball’s previous two sets.
But from the first serve against the Scarlet Knights, the fifth-year middle blocker was dominant.
Granberry tallied 14 points, off 11 kills and four total blocks, in the Hoosiers’ four set win (25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 26-24) over the Scarlet Knights on Sunday in Piscataway, New Jersey. Her 14-point mark was just half a point shy from her season-high, which she recorded Sept. 18 against Coastal Carolina University.
Rutgers took the first two points of the match with a kill and service ace, but Granberry responded with kill of her own to grant Indiana its first point.
The two squads continued to go back and forth in the first set. Neither team held more than a three-point lead until a 7-2 run gave Indiana the first-set win. Granberry had three kills and a solo block during the Hoosiers’ run.
Indiana dropped the second set, in which Granberry had just one kill. Then, Granberry recorded three kills and two block assists to help the Hoosiers to a third-set win.
While each game Sunday afternoon was close, the final set was the only one taken with more than 25 points. Granberry opened the fourth set with a kill and a solo block to give Indiana an early 2-0 lead, which helped the Hoosiers to the match-deciding win.
Granberry’s dominant performance came just three days after she struggled against No. 6 Wisconsin. The Winter Garden, Florida, native had five attack errors and no kills on seven attempts. She also held a -.714 hitting percentage in just the first set of the Hoosiers’ loss to the Badgers. Granberry entered the contest in the third set, but didn’t record a statistic, and didn’t appear on the court again.
After the setback against Wisconsin, Granberry was back to being a dominant force for the Hoosiers.
Indiana has depth at middle blocker. Before opposite hitter Avry Tatum was granted her fifth season of eligibility, junior middle blocker Ella Boersema filled that position. Granberry and sophomore Victoria Gray were the primary middle blockers.
With Tatum back, Boersema moved back to her original position, giving the Hoosiers three highly productive middle blockers.
For the nights when Granberry isn’t playing her strongest, Indiana has other options. Gray stepped up when Granberry went to the sideline against Wisconsin, recording 8.5 points for Indiana, while Boersema had 12 points.
However, Granberry could move the needle for Indiana, like she did against Rutgers.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, Granberry’s 1.26 blocks per set ranked eighth in the Big Ten. She’s Indiana’s third highest point-getter, with 113.5 total points this season.
Even before joining the Hoosiers, Granberry, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, was a significant part of the Lady Volunteer’s rotation.
As a sophomore in 2023, Granberry ranked second in the Southeastern Conference with a .365 hitting percentage, while her 1.15 blocks per set were the eighth most in the conference. Her hitting percentage rose to .455 the next season, which was the second-best mark nationally and ranked first in the SEC among qualified players.
Then, three matches into her senior year, Granberry sustained an injury that kept her out for the rest of the season. When the 2025 season ended, she entered the transfer portal and committed to Indiana on Dec. 17.
Thirteen games into the season, Granberry is still trying to find her place in the Hoosiers’ system. On Aug. 20, Granberry told the Indiana Daily Student she thinks Indiana is the program to help her achieve her lofty goals of getting drafted and becoming an All-American.
She’s been impactful for the Hoosiers so far, but her consistency — like in 2023 and 2024 — could be the difference for Indiana as its Big Ten schedule continues and the postseason approaches.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
