Volleyball Central: UCLA and Ohio State

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The final split weekend of the year awaits the Indiana Volleyball team (12-14, 5-11 B1G) as it prepares for contests vs. UCLA (Friday) and at Ohio State (Sunday). The contest in Columbus will be the first road game on a Sunday for the Hoosiers this season. IU's game against the Bruins will be the first at a home site in the all-time series between the programs.

The Hoosiers are looking to break a four-game losing streak that features a trio of defeats to top-20 teams and a really tough loss in Iowa. IU still has the chance to finish at or above .500 this year but will need to turn on the jets in the final two weekends.

In 2022, IU had a similar stretch to end the season and finished 3-1 to close the season at .500. That stretch – much like IU's 2024 slate – featured three of the last four at home with a road trip to Ohio State sandwiched in between. The last time IU had back-to-back winning seasons was 1999-2000. The last time the Hoosiers finished .500 or above in three-straight campaigns was 2008-10.

Junior opposite Avry Tatum is closing in on the first 300-kill season of her career. The Solana Beach, Calif. native has been fantastic this year despite battling through a foot injury during conference play. She shook off a tough night at Iowa to compile eight kills in three sets at No. 2 Nebraska.

Her and junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles will be the first pair of IU teammates to each rack up 300 kills in a single season since 2014 (Anderson – 312, Lebo – 310, Leach – 304). Tatum has taken a significant step forward this year, improving in kills per set (2.16 to 3.36) and points per set (2.70 to 3.91).

If the Hoosiers can win two of the last three home games, it will have 10 home wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Getting to eight conference wins on the year would put the Hoosiers at three-straight years of eight-or-more league wins for the first time since 1998-2000.

Friday's game with UCLA will be broadcasted on B1G+ at 7:00 PM. Fans are encouraged to bring thanksgiving food items to donate to the Bloomington community ahead of the holidays. Sunday's game in Columbus will be broadcasted on Big Ten Network at 7:30 PM with Jack Kizer and Mac Podraza on the call.

Gameday Info
vs. UCLA (Friday, November 22nd – 7:00 PM)
Live Video: t.ly/SiSyP
Live Stats: t.ly/nTdsW

at Ohio State (Sunday, November 24th – 7:30 PM)
Live Video: bit.ly/44wik9K
Live Stats: t.ly/jJDtw

Stat Notes
• Among players averaging 3.30 kills per set or more in the Big Ten, junior opposite hitter Avry Tatum is second in hitting percentage (.282) behind only the reigning National Player of the Year – Wisconsin's Sarah Franklin and Purdue's Eva Hudson. Tatum needs just four more kills for her first career 300-kill season.

• Tatum and fellow junior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles combine to form a productive offensive duo. They are one of two pairs (Penn State – Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik) of teammates to each average over 3.30 kills per set this year. Each rank inside the top-14 of the Big Ten in the category.

• Senior setter Camryn Haworth has filled up every statistical category there is during her time in Bloomington. Among setters in program history, she is first in aces (206), second in kills (356), tied for third in digs (899), fourth in blocks (168), and fourth in assists (3,747). She's the only player to achieve that entire stat line.

Notable
Rally-Era Record for Haworth
• A staple of the program for four seasons, senior setter Camryn Haworth created even more history last Thursday night at Iowa. Haworth tallied 28 assists to break the rally-era career assists record at Indiana. She passed Megan Tallman (3,711 - 2013-16) to move up to first in the rally-scoring era and fourth all-time in Bloomington

• Haworth has run away with the all-time aces record - currently at 206 - and has now put her name at the top of another list. The all-time assists mark, regardless of scoring system, mark is likely unattainable for the Fishers, Ind. native. Before 2001, points for teams were only scored on its serve - meaning matches could last for more than three hours and stats were accumulated at a greater pace than in the current system.

Number 30 on Deck
• IU's four-year senior class - which includes the likes of Haworth and outside hitter Mady Saris - needs just one more Big Ten win to reach 30 for their careers. Along with Kenzie Daffinee and Carly Mills, they would become the first four-year class (2024) with 30 Big Ten wins since 2010.

2022 Déjà Vu
• IU's entered the final two weeks of the regular season in 2022 at two games under .500. The second to last weekend featured a home Friday game and a Sunday road game at Ohio State. The Thanksgiving slate was a pair of home games.

• The Hoosiers will repeat a similar schedule this season and will look for similar results. IU went 3-1 in its final four of 2022 to finish at .500 (16-16). The Hoosiers could do the same this year to finish at .500 (3-1, 15-15). If IU went 4-0, it would record a winning season for the third time under head coach Steve Aird.

Home Cookin'
• The Hoosiers return home to Wilkinson Hall for three of the final four games of the season. IU has eight home wins on the season and could stretch that number into double digits. IU hasn't won 10+ home games in consecutive seasons since 1999-2000.

• Over the past two years, IU is 18-7 at Wilkinson. Six of those seven losses have come to top-20 teams. The Hoosiers still get to play UCLA, Michigan and Illinois at home this season.

Season Sweep?
• If IU can finish off the Buckeyes on Sunday (Nov. 24) evening, it would complete the season sweep of its rivals to the east. The Hoosiers have done the double over at least one opponent since 2021. Given the increased number of teams in the league, there are only three chances to play a team twice. IU was beaten twice by Purdue and already lost the away fixture to Illinois. The Hoosiers beat the Buckeyes 3-1 at home on October 6th.

Big Ten Season Sweeps Since 2021
2023 » Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers
2022 » Michigan State
2021 » Rutgers

Scouting the Opponent
UCLA (12-13, 6-10 B1G)
• The Bruins make their maiden journey to Bloomington for a Friday contest at Wilkinson Hall. The two programs met for the first time last year in Long Beach with UCLA winning 3-1 over Indiana. UCLA has had a rough go of it in its first year in the Big Ten but does own a pair of wins over longtime rival, Washington.

• Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette has carried the load offensively this season for Bruins, tallying over 4.00 kills per set. She's hitting .244 on the season and recorded a season and career high 29 kills in a five-set loss at Purdue in October. She has only failed to reach double figure kills on one occasion this season.

• Graduate student Anna Dodson has been outstanding for five years of college. Her numbers are "down" this season but she still averages 2.09 kills per set and has accumulated 94 total blocks on the year. She's hitting just under .300 (.299) is the second biggest threat to score for the Bruins.

• Graduate student setter Audrey Pak returned from injury to play the last four contests for UCLA. She's averaging 10.26 assists per set on the year. Along with Leverette and Dodson, junior opposite Grayce Olson and freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne are her preferred offensive options.

Ohio State (12-14, 5-11)
• Since making the NCAA regional final in 2022, Ohio State has slowly been trying to make its way back to the top in the Big Ten. Head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg made the decision to go young in 2023 and has seen some ups and downs along the way. Ohio State has a great young core and a pair of veterans and will look to finish above .500 at the end of the season.

• The show starts with fifth-year opposite hitter Emily Londot. She's averaging 4.44 kills per set and 5.17 points per set as a reliable offensive option. She's gone for over 2,000 kills in her career and was the AVCA National Freshman of the Year four seasons ago. Londot also has over 1,200 career digs and has recorded north of 2,500 all-time points.

• Freshman outside hitter Emmi Sellman, who was a top-10 recruit in last year's class, has come on as of late for Ohio State. She is second on the team with 2.89 kills per set. She and Londot have been asked to carry a heavy load without the stability of a third pin hitter.

• Rylee Rader is the other dangerous member of that fifth-year senior duo. She is hitting .354 on the season with 188 kills. Her, Londot and sophomore middle blocker Eloise Brandewie are all the owners of at least 90 total blocks this year.

Inside the Series
UCLA
• This series is short in its entirety with the initial meeting between the two sides coming last September in Long Beach. UCLA won that meeting 3-1 after IU won the opening game against the Bruins. Friday's contest will be the first at the home site of either team.

Ohio State
• Ohio State has long held the all-time advantage between the two teams, leading 59-28. Since head coach Steve Aird took over, it has been evenly split. IU is 5-4 under Aird against Ohio State and has won three of the past five meetings. IU beat Ohio State in October at Wilkinson Hall and is looking for the season sweep of its rival to the east.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Candela Alonso-Corcelles

Kenzie Daffinee

Camryn Haworth

Carly Mills

Mady Saris

Avry Tatum

Indiana University Athletics