Saturday, September 27
Bloomington, Ind.
7 p.m.
Indiana University
vs
Washington
Volleyball Central: Washington
9/26/2025 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Following a hard-fought win in the conference opener at Northwestern (W, 3-1), attention turns back to Wilkinson Hall as the Indiana volleyball team (10-1, 1-0 B1G) preps for its Big Ten home opener on Saturday (Sept. 27) evening (7 p.m.).
For the first time in program history, Washington will make the trip out to Bloomington. It's the third-straight year that the two sides have played but the first such contest to come in the eastern time zone. IU will have an extra day of rest. Washington played Thursday in West Lafayette, losing in straight sets to Purdue.
Head coach Steve Aird is watching his young roster grow up right before his eyes. The Hoosiers were pounded in set two at Northwestern but responded nicely to finish off the road victory in four sets. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager was simply phenomenal in the win. She racked up 17 kills including 11 in the final two sets of the contest.
IU has learned to win in different ways this year with such a new group of players. A reverse sweep of Miami (Fla.) and an intense battle at Northwestern has taught the Hoosiers how to overcome tough situations. The leadership of senior opposite Avry Tatum – who had 14 kills in Wednesday's win – has been instrumental in a good start to the year.
A win on Saturday against Washington would give IU its first 2-0 start to a Big Ten season since 2003. It would also be the fifth-straight season that it has won the home conference opener. First serve from Wilkinson Hall against Huskies will come at 7 p.m. with fans encouraged to wear red for IU's annual "Red Out".
Gameday Info
vs. Washington (Saturday, September 27th – 7 p.m.)
Live Video: bit.ly/4gKWdCI
Live Stats: bit.ly/4mDIKhr
Stat and Trends
• Dating back to last season, senior opposite Avry Tatum is on a run of 15-consecutive matches with at least nine kills. In 13 of those contests, she's been up in double figures. Tatum seems to play her best ball when the venue shifts back to Wilkinson Hall. She had 19 kills in last year's Big Ten home opener against Michigan State.
• The Hoosiers played nine underclassmen in Wednesday's victory over Northwestern. It's the most freshmen and sophomores to appear in the same match for the Hoosiers since playing nine in a loss at Illinois on March 27, 2021. Fellow underclassmen in sophomore defensive specialist Emma Segal and freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson add to a deep collection of young players in Bloomington.
Notable
TATUM TIME: Senior opposite Avry Tatum has been everything and more that the Hoosiers could ask for this year. She's had at least nine kills in every contest this season and has been in double figures on nine occasions. She's averaging 3.89 kills per set in the last five matches she's played.
CANDE LOVES THE B1G: No one has been better in conference play over the last few years than senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles. The Madrid native has had double-digit kills in 38 of her 61 career conference matches. Dating back to last year, she's had at least 10 kills in 10 of the last 12 league contests.
HOLDING STEADY: Among qualified Big Ten hitters with at least 3.50 kills per set this season, senior opposite Avry Tatum has by far the highest hitting percentage. She leads all non-middle blockers in the league with a .428 hitting percentage and is fourth overall in the conference this year.
T MONEY: Aided by good play of veteran pins, freshman setter Teodora Kričković has been able to adjust nicely to the college game. She leads all freshmen setters in the country with 11.11 assists per set. Her continued improvement will be crucial as IU searches for a return to postseason play.
A DEAR OL' FRIEND: Freshman setter Teodora Kričković will see an old friend on the other side of the net on Saturday. Her Serbian teammate, Simona Mateska, is a freshman outside hitter for Washington. They played with each other at this summer's CEV U22 European Championship Qualifying and the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships.
NEED A GOOD START: IU would love nothing more than a big beginning to the long Big Ten campaign. It's been a while since the Hoosiers got off to a good start. In fact, the last time IU started the conference season at 2-0 was in 2003. IU gets a crack at breaking that streak as Washington visits Bloomington for the first time ever.
FINDING HER FEET: Freshman libero Audrey Jackson has slowly adjusted to the position as she begins her first trip through the Big Ten. She has had at least 10 digs in three-straight contests. Over the last five contests, Jackson is passing the ball at an elite 2.32 rate with a 60.3 good pass percentage.
GETTING GOOD BALANCE: Providing more offense from the middle has been an emphasis for IU this season. It has gotten better in the last two matches. Sophomore Ella Boersema and freshman Victoria Gray have combined for 27 kills in the last two contests. Boersema is averaging 2.00 kills per set since Sept. 12th.
EVERYONE IN ON THE ACTION: Six different freshmen got playing time in the 3-1 win over Northwestern on Wednesday (Sept. 24). All six got into the scoresheet and made an impact at some level. Freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson dressed for the first time this season and is ready if her number is to be called.
TIME FOR SOME REVENGE: Washington has handled IU in the last two meetings in 2023 and 2024 - both played on the west coast. Now in its home gym for the first time, IU will look to return the favor against the Big Ten newcomers. The Hoosiers are 24-7 at Wilkinson Hall since the beginning of 2023.
Scouting the Opponent
Washington (5-6, 0-1 B1G)
• The Huskies underwent a major roster change this offseason after the graduation of important veterans including Emoni Bush, Lauren Bays and Molly Wilson. Head coach Leslie Gabriel went back into the portal and pulled out the likes of Alexa Markley (Penn State).
• Washington got off to a slow start but has played better volleyball over the past few weeks. It has had close calls with top-10 teams on the road in SMU, Kentucky and Purdue but hasn't yet finished off one of the matches. Saturday's contest is the third-straight game in the eastern time zone for Washington.
• Alexis Haury is averaging 9.81 assists per set. The Huskies have relied heavily on their pin hitters, led by veteran outside hitters Kierstyn Barton (3.88 kills per set) and Alexa Markley (3.43 kills per set). Serbian freshman opposite Simona Mateska has added 2.34 kills per set.
Inside the Series
Washington
• After not playing the first 48 years of the program's existence, Indiana will now play Washington in a third-straight season. The two sides played in the non-conference in 2023 before the Huskies officially joined the league last year.
• Washington has gotten the better of IU on both occasions but each match has had sets go down to the wire. In 2023, the Hoosiers lost by a combined nine points. Last year, Washington got off to a great start and ran past IU in the Big Ten opener.
• It's the first trip to Bloomington for the Huskies as they prepare to play at the remaining seven schools they didn't head to last season. Washington opens Big Ten play with a tilt at Mackey Arena against Purdue.
For the first time in program history, Washington will make the trip out to Bloomington. It's the third-straight year that the two sides have played but the first such contest to come in the eastern time zone. IU will have an extra day of rest. Washington played Thursday in West Lafayette, losing in straight sets to Purdue.
Head coach Steve Aird is watching his young roster grow up right before his eyes. The Hoosiers were pounded in set two at Northwestern but responded nicely to finish off the road victory in four sets. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager was simply phenomenal in the win. She racked up 17 kills including 11 in the final two sets of the contest.
IU has learned to win in different ways this year with such a new group of players. A reverse sweep of Miami (Fla.) and an intense battle at Northwestern has taught the Hoosiers how to overcome tough situations. The leadership of senior opposite Avry Tatum – who had 14 kills in Wednesday's win – has been instrumental in a good start to the year.
A win on Saturday against Washington would give IU its first 2-0 start to a Big Ten season since 2003. It would also be the fifth-straight season that it has won the home conference opener. First serve from Wilkinson Hall against Huskies will come at 7 p.m. with fans encouraged to wear red for IU's annual "Red Out".
Gameday Info
vs. Washington (Saturday, September 27th – 7 p.m.)
Live Video: bit.ly/4gKWdCI
Live Stats: bit.ly/4mDIKhr
Stat and Trends
• Dating back to last season, senior opposite Avry Tatum is on a run of 15-consecutive matches with at least nine kills. In 13 of those contests, she's been up in double figures. Tatum seems to play her best ball when the venue shifts back to Wilkinson Hall. She had 19 kills in last year's Big Ten home opener against Michigan State.
• The Hoosiers played nine underclassmen in Wednesday's victory over Northwestern. It's the most freshmen and sophomores to appear in the same match for the Hoosiers since playing nine in a loss at Illinois on March 27, 2021. Fellow underclassmen in sophomore defensive specialist Emma Segal and freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson add to a deep collection of young players in Bloomington.
Notable
TATUM TIME: Senior opposite Avry Tatum has been everything and more that the Hoosiers could ask for this year. She's had at least nine kills in every contest this season and has been in double figures on nine occasions. She's averaging 3.89 kills per set in the last five matches she's played.
CANDE LOVES THE B1G: No one has been better in conference play over the last few years than senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles. The Madrid native has had double-digit kills in 38 of her 61 career conference matches. Dating back to last year, she's had at least 10 kills in 10 of the last 12 league contests.
HOLDING STEADY: Among qualified Big Ten hitters with at least 3.50 kills per set this season, senior opposite Avry Tatum has by far the highest hitting percentage. She leads all non-middle blockers in the league with a .428 hitting percentage and is fourth overall in the conference this year.
T MONEY: Aided by good play of veteran pins, freshman setter Teodora Kričković has been able to adjust nicely to the college game. She leads all freshmen setters in the country with 11.11 assists per set. Her continued improvement will be crucial as IU searches for a return to postseason play.
A DEAR OL' FRIEND: Freshman setter Teodora Kričković will see an old friend on the other side of the net on Saturday. Her Serbian teammate, Simona Mateska, is a freshman outside hitter for Washington. They played with each other at this summer's CEV U22 European Championship Qualifying and the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships.
NEED A GOOD START: IU would love nothing more than a big beginning to the long Big Ten campaign. It's been a while since the Hoosiers got off to a good start. In fact, the last time IU started the conference season at 2-0 was in 2003. IU gets a crack at breaking that streak as Washington visits Bloomington for the first time ever.
FINDING HER FEET: Freshman libero Audrey Jackson has slowly adjusted to the position as she begins her first trip through the Big Ten. She has had at least 10 digs in three-straight contests. Over the last five contests, Jackson is passing the ball at an elite 2.32 rate with a 60.3 good pass percentage.
GETTING GOOD BALANCE: Providing more offense from the middle has been an emphasis for IU this season. It has gotten better in the last two matches. Sophomore Ella Boersema and freshman Victoria Gray have combined for 27 kills in the last two contests. Boersema is averaging 2.00 kills per set since Sept. 12th.
EVERYONE IN ON THE ACTION: Six different freshmen got playing time in the 3-1 win over Northwestern on Wednesday (Sept. 24). All six got into the scoresheet and made an impact at some level. Freshman outside hitter Charlotte Vinson dressed for the first time this season and is ready if her number is to be called.
TIME FOR SOME REVENGE: Washington has handled IU in the last two meetings in 2023 and 2024 - both played on the west coast. Now in its home gym for the first time, IU will look to return the favor against the Big Ten newcomers. The Hoosiers are 24-7 at Wilkinson Hall since the beginning of 2023.
Scouting the Opponent
Washington (5-6, 0-1 B1G)
• The Huskies underwent a major roster change this offseason after the graduation of important veterans including Emoni Bush, Lauren Bays and Molly Wilson. Head coach Leslie Gabriel went back into the portal and pulled out the likes of Alexa Markley (Penn State).
• Washington got off to a slow start but has played better volleyball over the past few weeks. It has had close calls with top-10 teams on the road in SMU, Kentucky and Purdue but hasn't yet finished off one of the matches. Saturday's contest is the third-straight game in the eastern time zone for Washington.
• Alexis Haury is averaging 9.81 assists per set. The Huskies have relied heavily on their pin hitters, led by veteran outside hitters Kierstyn Barton (3.88 kills per set) and Alexa Markley (3.43 kills per set). Serbian freshman opposite Simona Mateska has added 2.34 kills per set.
Inside the Series
Washington
• After not playing the first 48 years of the program's existence, Indiana will now play Washington in a third-straight season. The two sides played in the non-conference in 2023 before the Huskies officially joined the league last year.
• Washington has gotten the better of IU on both occasions but each match has had sets go down to the wire. In 2023, the Hoosiers lost by a combined nine points. Last year, Washington got off to a great start and ran past IU in the Big Ten opener.
• It's the first trip to Bloomington for the Huskies as they prepare to play at the remaining seven schools they didn't head to last season. Washington opens Big Ten play with a tilt at Mackey Arena against Purdue.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's VolleyballIUVB vs. Northwestern: Highlights
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