Hoosiers Add Talented Pieces to 2025 Roster
5/8/2025 9:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Head coach Steve Aird continues to build a strong roster ahead of the 2025 volleyball season. He announced the addition of two freshmen and one transfer on Thursday (May 8) morning, adding a trio of talented pieces to this year's team.
Defensive specialist Hannah Leftridge (DeSoto, Mo.), outside hitter Jessie Smith (Laguna Niguel, Calif./UCLA) and setter Teodora Krickovic (Novi Sad, Serbia) provide more depth and skill at important positions for the Hoosiers in 2025. As of today, it brings IU's roster to 17 players.
The Hoosiers have now signed seven freshmen for next year – their biggest incoming class since 2020. Already owning the title of the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history (No. 14 Prep Dig), the additions of Leftridge and Krickovic take IU's crop of new players to a new level.
"These are three very good additions to our IUVB family," Aird said. "We have addressed depth at key positions and added quality human beings that want to work hard and value team. We have made some strides in the past few seasons but want to build on that and so much of that depends on depth and competition. These three are not afraid to compete and were attracted to the culture and grit our program plays with. We know the challenge ahead of us but we could not be more excited for the 2025 roster and the opportunity that lies ahead."
Hannah Leftridge, a 5-10 defensive specialist from DeSoto, Missouri, is the sixth member of IU's highly-ranked freshman class. Originally committed elsewhere, Leftridge opened up her recruiting and landed in Bloomington in February. Leftridge is the No. 178 recruit in the 2025 class according to Prep Dig. All six of IU's commits – from the USA – are ranked in the top 180 of this year's recruiting class.
Leftridge has played as an outside hitter during her prep days but has been a primary defensive specialist with her club team. She will continue her back row duties when she arrives on campus and adds depth to a strong collection of talented passers. During four years of high school volleyball, Leftridge racked up 1,384 kills, 1,099 digs and 184 aces.
She is the second player from Missouri on IU's 2025 roster (Madi Sell – Ballwin, Mo.). Leftridge will wear the number seven jersey for the Hoosiers and report to campus in June.
Jessie Smith, a 6-0 outside hitter from Laguna Niguel, California, adds to a recent lineage of veteran beach players to make the transition back to the indoor game for the Hoosiers. Delaynie Maple was a fantastic backrow addition last year after playing out an All-American career at USC.
Smith wrapped up a four-year tenure with UCLA in 2025 after racking up 94 career wins and helping the Bruins to four-straight appearances in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship. She helped UCLA to the 2023 Pac-12 Championship and spent all four seasons in the starting lineup.
The start of her senior year was delayed but she bounced back to play in 21 matches and pick up 17 wins in her final season. Smith and her partner won all three matches they played in the NCAA Tournament and were named to the All-Tournament Team at the No. 3 position.
Her connections to IU's coaching staff date back nearly 10 years. Assistant coach Kevin Hodge has known Jessie and her twin sister, Katelyn, since they were 12-years-old from their days at Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. Smith is one of four California natives set to play on IU's roster next season.
Despite spending the last four years in the sand, Smith was a decorated indoor player coming out of high school. She was the 2020 California Gatorade Player of the Year and was a four-year letterwinner at Aliso Niguel High School. She recorded over 800 kills and 500 digs in her shortened prep career. She will wear the number 12 jersey in Bloomington.
Teodora Krickovic, a 6-1 setter from Novi Sad, Serbia, is a late addition to IU's freshman class but provides great international experience to the 2025 roster. She's the second international player on this year's roster, joining senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (Spain).
Krickovic has played a longtime for the Serbian National Team and is in the pool of athletes to potentially play for her home country at this summer's FIVB Women's U21 World Championships. She played in the 2023 U19 World Tournament at just 17-years-old. She was the best setter at the 2022 U17 Balkan Championships and also played at the 2024 U20 European Volleyball Championships.
She recently won the Serbian Cup with her club team – OK Tent – based out of the city of Obrenovac. Krickovic was raised in Novi Sad – the second biggest city in Serbia – and has spent the last season playing in the Serbian Super League. She is now the seventh member of IU's freshman class and will come to campus at some point this summer.
Krickovic will wear the number 10 for the Hoosiers – last worn by longtime setter and All-American Camryn Haworth (2021-24). She is the first Serb to play at IU and is the seventh true international student to play for the Hoosiers. Five of those have come during the Aird era. Former libero Paula Cerame (Puerto Rico) played internationally but grew up in Florida.
Hannah Leftridge • 5-10 • Defensive Specialist • DeSoto, Mo./St. Pius X (H2 STL)
• No. 178 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig, No. 5 Recruit in Missouri
• Career Stats: 1,384 kills, 1,099 digs, 184 aces
• Four-time Missouri All-State selection (2021-24)
• Two-time Conference MVP (2023-24)
• Four-time All-District selection (2021-24)
• Class Four State Champions (2024)
• One of six top-180 recruits by Prep Dig to sign with Indiana (No. 14 Overall Recruiting Class)
• Intended major is Community Health
Leftridge – Why IU: "I chose IU because the atmosphere is so unique. Everything about the town and campus was so welcoming to me. I truly felt at home when I stepped on campus. The coaching staff and team felt like a perfect fit for me. I am so excited to play volleyball for the Hoosiers and get familiar with the fans and the community."
Aird on Leftridge: "Hannah is a highly skilled libero with a great motor and a solid feel for the game. Growing up as a coach's kid, she understands culture, hard work, attention to detail and the grind necessary at this level. We feel she can pass and defend well and can serve the ball with great control. We expect her to develop into a very good player at the college level and I am excited to watch her grow."
Jessie Smith • 6-0 • Outside Hitter • Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel (UCLA)
• Four-year beach volleyball player for UCLA
• Career Record: 94-34
• NCAA All-Tournament Team (2022, 2025)
• NCAA Championships Team Finalist (2023, 2024)
• Pac-12 Pair of the Week (April 18, 2023)
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (2022)
• Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2022)
• JVA First Team All-American (2021)
• California State Gatorade Player of the Year (2020)
• Division 1 All-CIF, South Coast Volleyball League First Team and Conference MVP (2019)
Smith – Why IU: "I chose IU because this program is truly the best of both worlds. It offers me the chance to compete at the highest level and obtain my master's degree from a prestigious business school. The coaching staff is top tier and I'm excited to fulfill one of my dreams by playing indoor volleyball at the collegiate level. I couldn't imagine a better group of people to do it with."
Aird on Smith: "Jessie is coming off a fantastic beach career at UCLA and has proven herself to be one of the better beach players in the country. She was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in California as an indoor player and has all the tools to be very good at this level. She will spend the summer getting back into the groove of the indoor game but her touch and ability to handle the ball will be a huge addition to the roster. She has a calm approach to her game and a maturity that will help our locker room. I feel she will make contributions in a variety of areas and adds another fantastic player to the roster."
Teodora Krickovic • 6-1 • Setter • Novi Sad, Serbia/OK Tent
• Youth National Team Member in Serbia
• 2024-25 Serbian Cup and Serbian Super Cup Champion
• 2024 Junior Nationals Best Setter
• Played with Serbia at 2024 U20 European Championships
• Member of the Serbian U19 Team at the 2023 World Championships
• 2022 Balkan Championships Best Setter
• Played Club Volleyball for OK Tent
Aird on Krickovic: "Teodora is a tough, hardworking, physical setter with great experience for at her age. She has been fortunate to represent her country and play with and against some of the best young players in the world. She plays hard and can move the ball with ease. Her net play is solid, she can bang a jump serve and she is not afraid to compete. I am excited to see how she adapts to our style of play and learns her attackers. I feel she will improve quickly and has a very high ceiling. She is very excited to get going and we are thrilled she is joining our program."
Defensive specialist Hannah Leftridge (DeSoto, Mo.), outside hitter Jessie Smith (Laguna Niguel, Calif./UCLA) and setter Teodora Krickovic (Novi Sad, Serbia) provide more depth and skill at important positions for the Hoosiers in 2025. As of today, it brings IU's roster to 17 players.
The Hoosiers have now signed seven freshmen for next year – their biggest incoming class since 2020. Already owning the title of the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history (No. 14 Prep Dig), the additions of Leftridge and Krickovic take IU's crop of new players to a new level.
"These are three very good additions to our IUVB family," Aird said. "We have addressed depth at key positions and added quality human beings that want to work hard and value team. We have made some strides in the past few seasons but want to build on that and so much of that depends on depth and competition. These three are not afraid to compete and were attracted to the culture and grit our program plays with. We know the challenge ahead of us but we could not be more excited for the 2025 roster and the opportunity that lies ahead."
Hannah Leftridge, a 5-10 defensive specialist from DeSoto, Missouri, is the sixth member of IU's highly-ranked freshman class. Originally committed elsewhere, Leftridge opened up her recruiting and landed in Bloomington in February. Leftridge is the No. 178 recruit in the 2025 class according to Prep Dig. All six of IU's commits – from the USA – are ranked in the top 180 of this year's recruiting class.
Leftridge has played as an outside hitter during her prep days but has been a primary defensive specialist with her club team. She will continue her back row duties when she arrives on campus and adds depth to a strong collection of talented passers. During four years of high school volleyball, Leftridge racked up 1,384 kills, 1,099 digs and 184 aces.
She is the second player from Missouri on IU's 2025 roster (Madi Sell – Ballwin, Mo.). Leftridge will wear the number seven jersey for the Hoosiers and report to campus in June.
Jessie Smith, a 6-0 outside hitter from Laguna Niguel, California, adds to a recent lineage of veteran beach players to make the transition back to the indoor game for the Hoosiers. Delaynie Maple was a fantastic backrow addition last year after playing out an All-American career at USC.
Smith wrapped up a four-year tenure with UCLA in 2025 after racking up 94 career wins and helping the Bruins to four-straight appearances in the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship. She helped UCLA to the 2023 Pac-12 Championship and spent all four seasons in the starting lineup.
The start of her senior year was delayed but she bounced back to play in 21 matches and pick up 17 wins in her final season. Smith and her partner won all three matches they played in the NCAA Tournament and were named to the All-Tournament Team at the No. 3 position.
Her connections to IU's coaching staff date back nearly 10 years. Assistant coach Kevin Hodge has known Jessie and her twin sister, Katelyn, since they were 12-years-old from their days at Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. Smith is one of four California natives set to play on IU's roster next season.
Despite spending the last four years in the sand, Smith was a decorated indoor player coming out of high school. She was the 2020 California Gatorade Player of the Year and was a four-year letterwinner at Aliso Niguel High School. She recorded over 800 kills and 500 digs in her shortened prep career. She will wear the number 12 jersey in Bloomington.
Teodora Krickovic, a 6-1 setter from Novi Sad, Serbia, is a late addition to IU's freshman class but provides great international experience to the 2025 roster. She's the second international player on this year's roster, joining senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles (Spain).
Krickovic has played a longtime for the Serbian National Team and is in the pool of athletes to potentially play for her home country at this summer's FIVB Women's U21 World Championships. She played in the 2023 U19 World Tournament at just 17-years-old. She was the best setter at the 2022 U17 Balkan Championships and also played at the 2024 U20 European Volleyball Championships.
She recently won the Serbian Cup with her club team – OK Tent – based out of the city of Obrenovac. Krickovic was raised in Novi Sad – the second biggest city in Serbia – and has spent the last season playing in the Serbian Super League. She is now the seventh member of IU's freshman class and will come to campus at some point this summer.
Krickovic will wear the number 10 for the Hoosiers – last worn by longtime setter and All-American Camryn Haworth (2021-24). She is the first Serb to play at IU and is the seventh true international student to play for the Hoosiers. Five of those have come during the Aird era. Former libero Paula Cerame (Puerto Rico) played internationally but grew up in Florida.
Hannah Leftridge • 5-10 • Defensive Specialist • DeSoto, Mo./St. Pius X (H2 STL)
• No. 178 Overall Recruit by Prep Dig, No. 5 Recruit in Missouri
• Career Stats: 1,384 kills, 1,099 digs, 184 aces
• Four-time Missouri All-State selection (2021-24)
• Two-time Conference MVP (2023-24)
• Four-time All-District selection (2021-24)
• Class Four State Champions (2024)
• One of six top-180 recruits by Prep Dig to sign with Indiana (No. 14 Overall Recruiting Class)
• Intended major is Community Health
Leftridge – Why IU: "I chose IU because the atmosphere is so unique. Everything about the town and campus was so welcoming to me. I truly felt at home when I stepped on campus. The coaching staff and team felt like a perfect fit for me. I am so excited to play volleyball for the Hoosiers and get familiar with the fans and the community."
Aird on Leftridge: "Hannah is a highly skilled libero with a great motor and a solid feel for the game. Growing up as a coach's kid, she understands culture, hard work, attention to detail and the grind necessary at this level. We feel she can pass and defend well and can serve the ball with great control. We expect her to develop into a very good player at the college level and I am excited to watch her grow."
Jessie Smith • 6-0 • Outside Hitter • Laguna Niguel, Calif./Aliso Niguel (UCLA)
• Four-year beach volleyball player for UCLA
• Career Record: 94-34
• NCAA All-Tournament Team (2022, 2025)
• NCAA Championships Team Finalist (2023, 2024)
• Pac-12 Pair of the Week (April 18, 2023)
• Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (2022)
• Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2022)
• JVA First Team All-American (2021)
• California State Gatorade Player of the Year (2020)
• Division 1 All-CIF, South Coast Volleyball League First Team and Conference MVP (2019)
Smith – Why IU: "I chose IU because this program is truly the best of both worlds. It offers me the chance to compete at the highest level and obtain my master's degree from a prestigious business school. The coaching staff is top tier and I'm excited to fulfill one of my dreams by playing indoor volleyball at the collegiate level. I couldn't imagine a better group of people to do it with."
Aird on Smith: "Jessie is coming off a fantastic beach career at UCLA and has proven herself to be one of the better beach players in the country. She was the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in California as an indoor player and has all the tools to be very good at this level. She will spend the summer getting back into the groove of the indoor game but her touch and ability to handle the ball will be a huge addition to the roster. She has a calm approach to her game and a maturity that will help our locker room. I feel she will make contributions in a variety of areas and adds another fantastic player to the roster."
Teodora Krickovic • 6-1 • Setter • Novi Sad, Serbia/OK Tent
• Youth National Team Member in Serbia
• 2024-25 Serbian Cup and Serbian Super Cup Champion
• 2024 Junior Nationals Best Setter
• Played with Serbia at 2024 U20 European Championships
• Member of the Serbian U19 Team at the 2023 World Championships
• 2022 Balkan Championships Best Setter
• Played Club Volleyball for OK Tent
Aird on Krickovic: "Teodora is a tough, hardworking, physical setter with great experience for at her age. She has been fortunate to represent her country and play with and against some of the best young players in the world. She plays hard and can move the ball with ease. Her net play is solid, she can bang a jump serve and she is not afraid to compete. I am excited to see how she adapts to our style of play and learns her attackers. I feel she will improve quickly and has a very high ceiling. She is very excited to get going and we are thrilled she is joining our program."
Players Mentioned
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