On Thursday, No. 15 Indiana volleyball welcomes No. 1 Nebraska to Wilkinson Hall, marking the first top 15 matchup ever held in Bloomington.
In their four regular season matches in Bloomington, the Hoosiers haven’t dropped a set, with sweeps of California Polytechnic State University, Eastern Illinois University, UCLA and Maryland. However, keeping their perfect record at home will be a tall task against the top-ranked Cornhuskers, which are undefeated through 15 matches.
First serve between Indiana and Nebraska is slated for 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Then, the Hoosiers will take on USC at 2 p.m. Sunday in Bloomington. Both contests will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
Indiana is 10-3 overall this season, with all its losses coming against ranked opponents. Most recently on Oct. 1, the Hoosiers fell to then-No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets, but defeated Rutgers in four sets three days later.
After its 1-1 weekend, Indiana remained at No. 15 in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, which was released Monday. The Hoosiers are among 10 Big Ten programs ranked in the poll, while two others, including USC, received votes.
Sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager has led Indiana throughout its first 13 matches this season, ranking sixth in the Big Ten with 3.81 kills per set. Behind Jager, fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum averages 3.17 kills per set with a .302 clip. Since returning to the floor for Indiana against Maryland on Sept. 26, Tatum has been dominant, picking up where she left off last season when she was named an All-American honorable mention.
However, Nebraska and USC will present a difficult task for Jager, Tatum and Indiana’s other pin hitters, as the two squads are the best blocking teams in the conference.
Nebraska averages 2.90 blocks per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally. The Cornhuskers’ blocking unit is led by two-time All-American Andi Jackson. The senior middle blocker's 1.38 blocks per set ranks third in the conference among qualified players.
Jackson, a top candidate for national player of the year this season, is also an offensive threat with 2.74 kills per set on a conference-leading .497 hitting percentage.
Nebraska's offensive efforts are led by two other senior All-Americans: outside hitter Harper Murray and setter Bergen Reilly. Murray’s 3.21 kills per set is the best of any Cornhusker, while Reilly’s ability to set up the offense has helped Nebraska be so successful in recent seasons.
Reilly was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and AVCA Setter of the Year a season ago. She recorded 1,099 assists in 2025 and set Nebraska to a nation-leading .351 hitting percentage. Reilly averages 10.82 assists per set this season.
Indiana is just 5-151 all-time against top 10 opponents. Three of those wins came in Bloomington, but the Cream and Crimson will have to slow down the Cornhuskers' dominant offensive and defensive efforts in front of a sold-out crowd.
While Nebraska’s blocking unit ranks second in the Big Ten, USC is first in the conference and sixth nationally.
The Trojans average nearly three blocks per set this season. Those efforts are spearheaded by Mia Tvrdy. The junior middle blocker averages 1.40 blocks per set — the second-best mark in the conference.
But while the Trojans are the best blocking team in the conference, they also allow the third most blocks per set in the Big Ten — an area Indiana could take advantage of. Fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry leads the Hoosiers with 1.24 blocks per set, followed by junior middle blocker Ella Boersema’s .92 blocks per set.
USC received votes in the most recent AVCA poll, as the Trojans are 7-7 overall this season and just 1-3 in Big Ten play, with their lone win coming against Northwestern on Sept. 24.
However, USC will be without their head coach when it travels to Bloomington to take on Indiana. The program announced Monday that seventh-year head coach Brad Keller would be on “indefinite personal leave.”
Megan Moenoa will take over head coaching responsibilities in Keller’s absence. The fourth-year associate head coach was USC’s acting head coach last weekend when the Trojans lost to both Michigan and Michigan State.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
