After three consecutive losses in the heart of Big Ten play, No. 18 Indiana volleyball entered Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle on Sunday needing a win to end its skid.
The Hoosiers broke their losing streak in dominant fashion against the Huskies with a three-set win (25-22, 25-18, 25-21). Indiana recorded its second ranked win of the season and first in Big Ten play behind a complete and balanced performance across its roster.
The match started slow for Indiana, as it didn’t record a kill until seven points into the first set. But after fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum scored on her attack to put Indiana ahead 4-3, the Hoosiers’ offense started flowing.
Washington took a 10-8 lead in the first set before Indiana went on a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead, which propelled it to the three-point first set win.
After the first game started close, the Hoosiers grabbed a significant lead early in the second set, going up 12-7 and prompting a Huskies timeout. Indiana continued to increase its advantage throughout the set, leading to a dominant 25-18 win.
In the third set, another 6-0 run gave Indiana a hefty lead. The Cream and Crimson carried it to the four-point win to complete the sweep Sunday evening.
While Indiana’s offensive attack was led by junior outside hitter Izzy Clark, who recorded 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage, the scoring efforts were balanced among the Hoosiers.
Behind Clark, sophomore outside hitter Jaidyn Jager tallied 10 kills on a .381 clip, while Tatum had nine kills with a .286 hitting percentage. The middle blockers contributed seven total kills, and sophomore setter Teodora Kričković recorded two.
“I think we were just really alive today and all trusted each other and that overall brought us victory,” Jager said on the Big Ten+ broadcast after the match.
Aside from Indiana’s relentless offensive, its defensive efforts also contributed to a balanced sweep.
The Hoosiers tallied 10 total blocks — led by Tatum’s six block assists — which were important in shutting down Washington’s attackers, like second-year outside hitter Simona Mateska.
Indiana held Mateska, who averaged over 3.50 kills per set entering Sunday, to just nine kills in the match — tied for her second lowest mark of the season.
The Hoosiers’ back-row defense has struggled this season. Before its match against Washington, Indiana ranked last in the Big Ten with 11.37 digs per set.
Indiana recorded 38 digs Sunday, 10 of which came from Kričković, while Jager and sophomore libero Hannah Leftridge each had nine. Those digs became second-chance opportunities that Indiana was able to take advantage of against a potent Washington offense.
With Indiana’s losing streak snapped, the Hoosiers will return from the West Coast at an even 4-4 conference record as they inch closer to the halfway mark of Big Ten play. The sweep was crucial for Indiana to get back on track in one of the most difficult conferences in the nation, as nine Big Ten squads are ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
While Indiana has already lost to the two best teams in the conference — No. 1 Nebraska and No. 6 Wisconsin — the Big Ten offers no refuge during the conference slate. Indiana will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State on Oct. 23 in its next contest before returning to Bloomington for another ranked matchup against No. 15 Penn State on Oct. 25.
While the schedule won’t let up as the season winds on, Indiana’s sweep of Washington is an important step in the Hoosiers getting out of the rut they were in amid a postseason push.
Follow reporters Savannah Slone (@savrivers06 and srslone@iu.edu) and Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki87731 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana volleyball season.
