Mistakes Hurt Indiana in Defeat to No. 20 USC

Sunday, November 10

Bloomington, Ind.

4:00 PM

Indiana University

12-12,5-9Big Ten

#20 USC

17-7,9-5Big Ten

Southern California

Indiana

11/10/2024 7:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Opportunity slipped out of the hand of the Indiana Volleyball team (12-12, 5-9 B1G) once again on Sunday (Nov. 10) afternoon at Wilkinson Hall. The same critical mistakes hurt the Hoosiers at the wrong times in a defeat to No. 20 USC (24-26, 25-17, 15-25, 24-26).

A lack of coverage on several defensive plays and costly attacking errors in key moments did IU in on Sunday afternoon. IU had nine aces and eight blocks but committed 10 unforced attacking errors and hit into 12.0 total team blocks by USC. The Trojans missed 18 serves (compared to three aces) but IU couldn't execute in the red zone.

Juniors Candela Alonso-Corcelles and Avry Tatum each had 11 kills to lead the way offensively for IU. Senior outside hitter Mady Saris, who came off the bench in set one, provided nine kills of her own. The Hoosiers received just seven kills from its duo of middle blockers. Senior setter Camryn Haworth had 31 assists, four aces, four digs and three kills.

USC's high-powered offense made the difference in the end. Senior outside hitter Ally Batenhorst, a transfer from Nebraska, provided 20 kills on 48 swings with just three errors (.354). The Trojans ran the middle effectively to the tune of 18 kills and just one attacking error. USC had the team advantage in kills (60-43), digs (68-56) and total blocks (12.0-8.0).

IU battled back to tie things at 24-all in both the first and fourth sets but conceded the final two points on each occasion. In the fourth set, IU had a 21-19 lead with a chance to force a decisive fifth set but allowed a mini 3-0 Trojan run. USC got a big double block and a kill from Batenhorst to finish off the match.

The Hoosiers head on the road next time out, taking the road swing through Iowa (Thursday) and Nebraska (Saturday). IU will then finish the year with three of the final four matches at Wilkinson Hall.

Set Breakdown
Set 1: USC 26, Indiana 24
The Trojans were incredibly effective offensively in the first set, hitting .500 as a team with 19 kills and only two attacking errors. USC missed nine serves to keep the Hoosiers in the set. Junior Candela Alonso-Corcelles had five kills with the home team picking up 11 in total. IU picked up a pair of aces and got 12 digs from its back row players. In the end, USC found the final points behind seven first set kills from senior Ally Batenhorst.

• IU picked up early leads at 8-7 and 10-9 on the backs of service aces from sophomore Ramsey Gary and junior Camryn Haworth. The Hoosiers struggled to stop the Trojans as the visitors quickly turned the deficit into a 17-13 lead after an attacking error from IU's fifth-year senior Morgan Geddes.

• Graduate student Delaynie Maple used a fine run of serve to get IU back on level turns. Sophomore Ava Vickers terminated on an overpass before Alonso-Corcelles delivered on a kill to bring the score to 18-all. That capped off a 4-0 run for the Hoosiers to dig out of the big deficit.

• The Hoosiers fended off a pair of set points behind a service error from Batenhorst and a kill from Alonso-Corcelles. After a USC timeout, junior Avry Tatum served the ball out of bounds. USC's freshman Jaidyn Livings closed the set with a kill to win 26-24.

Set 2: Indiana 25, USC 17
Much like Friday, IU had its best set of the evening in game two. The Hoosiers hit .423 (13-2-26) behind four kills from senior Mady Saris. The block for the home team picked up as junior Madi Sell got her hands on three stuffs. IU also added four aces to blow the set open. USC hit just .214 in game two and was led by Batenhorst with four kills and two digs.

• After falling behind early, IU turned things around and took a 10-8 lead on the back of a kill from Haworth and an attacking error on Batenhorst. Sophomore Ramsey Gary expanded the advantage with a good run of serve from the end line. Alonso-Corcelles sent IU to the media timeout up 15-11.

• Haworth blew game two open with three-consecutive aces on USC libero Gala Trubint. She tallied two before USC took a timeout. Out of the break, she went back and served one more to push the advantage out to 18-11.

• Saris had a pair of late kills before Tatum brought up set point on a service ace. USC fended off the first two points before Trubint served a ball into the net. IU took game two with full command at 25-17.

Set 3: USC 25, Indiana 15
Old habits came alive in game three as IU struggled to stay with USC. The Hoosiers hit negative (-.074, 6-8-27) led by three kills from Tatum. Haworth had just six assists as the offense failed to get off the floor. USC picked up four blocks and a pair of aces. The visitors hit .357 (13-3-28), taking a big run to blow open game three. The Trojans' two middle blockers hit .889 (8-0-9) to take the 25-15 victory.

• IU looked like it might continue its momentum in set three, going up 8-5 on the back of kills from Tatum and Alonso-Corcelles. USC quickly corrected, going on a 10-4 run into the media timeout. Livings did heavy damage from the end line to put the Trojans in front for good.

• USC ended set three on a 10-3 run after the media timeout. IU struggled to pass and allowed the big block of the Trojans to wake up. IU's standout libero, Gary, was aced twice in the set. Momentum turned back in the favor of USC in a commanding set win.

Set 4: USC 26, Indiana 24
IU fought its way back into the fourth set but made too many self-inflicted mistakes. The Hoosiers hit too many balls into the imposing block of USC, allowing the visitors to rack up seven team blocks in game four. Redshirt freshman Leah Ford had a hand in five blocks. USC picked up 29 digs in game three and got six kills from Batenhorst. Senior setter Mia Tuaniga dished out 15 assists. Alonso-Corcelles had 10 digs in the set while Tatum racked up six kills.

• The Hoosiers jumped out to an early 5-2 lead. Ford sent a ball long as IU took the momentum with a chance to force a fifth set. From there, it was a 13-9 run into the media timeout. Batenhorst terminated after IU had leveled the match at 14-all.

• IU got its lead back at 18-17 after USC redshirt sophomore Adonia Faumuina tried to swipe the ball off the block. Sell rejected Batenhorst out of the back row a few points later to take a 21-19 lead. As has been the case, IU struggled to maintain its newfound momentum. The Hoosiers quickly gave up three-straight points including a pair of big attacking errors. IU took a timeout down 21-22.

• Facing match point, Tatum quickly terminated through the block to get serve back. The next point saw a long rally with the ball flying over both sides of the net. Haworth took a big swing off USC's block to level the match at 24-all and bring Wilkinson Hall to its feet.

• With a chance to force a set point of its own, Vickers threw a ball into the block of Ford and Batenhorst. USC brought up the third match point. Batenhorst eventually terminated on a long rally to secure the set and match victory.

Top Hoosier Performers
#10 Haworth, Camryn
31 assists, 4 aces, 4 digs, 3 kills, 1 block

#3 Alonso-Corcelles, Candela
11 kills, 12 digs, 4 assists, 2 aces, 1 block

#13 Tatum, Avry
11 kills, 8 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks

Notes to Know
• IU fell to 0-8 this season against ranked opponents, four of those coming in tight four-set losses. Over those eight matches, IU is 3-13 in sets decided by four or fewer points. The Hoosiers have lost all six deuce sets in those matches including five that were settle in extra points.

• Junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles recorded double-digit kills for the fifth-straight match. She picked up her 13th career double-double (11 kills, 12 digs). In her IU career, she's been in double figures for kills in 33 of 54 Big Ten matches played.

• Senior setter Camryn Haworth racked up four service aces – including three straight in game two. It was the 12th match of her career with four-or-more aces and the third this season. She is the first player in program history with 40+ aces in four-straight seasons. She has 3,699 assists for her career – just 13 away from breaking the rally-era assist record for the Hoosiers.