Indiana University Athletics
Sunday, October 4
Piscataway, N.J.
2 p.m.
Indiana University
at
Rutgers
Volleyball Central: Rutgers
10/2/2026 3:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A grueling month of travel in October continues as the Indiana volleyball team (9-3, 2-1 B1G) makes the trip east to New Jersey to face Rutgers on Sunday (Oct. 4) afternoon. Following a tough five-set loss at No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday evening, the Hoosiers stayed on the road and flew out to Piscataway on Friday to prep for the next match on the schedule.
Despite falling short of the best reverse sweep in program history, IU proved it could play with anyone in the country as it pushed the Badgers to the brink. Fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum and second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, former high school teammates, shared the team lead with 16 kills apiece. First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger had a career high 11 kills in support.
Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic is the player that stirs the pot. When the Hoosiers pass well, she has the ability to set one of the fastest offenses in the country. Since the season opener, IU is hitting at a .278 clip as a team. On five different occasions, the Hoosiers have hit .300 or better in a single match.
The ability to diversify multiple looks offensively has been a catalyst in IU's fast start in 2026. Eight different players have produced at least seven kills in a match this year. That includes the setter Krickovic who had seven kills in a win over No. 12 Texas A&M earlier in the year. Jager (169) and third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema (124) each have over 100 kills this season.
IU will look to pick up its 10th win of the year and the third in Big Ten play on Sunday at Rutgers. Jason Knapp (PxP) and Allie Sczech (Color) will have the call in front of a national audience on the Big Ten Network. First serve is set for 2 p.m. from Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway.
Gameday Details
#15 Indiana (9-3, 2-1 Big Ten) at Rutgers (10-5, 1-2 Big Ten)
Sunday, October 4th | 2 p.m. ET | Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, N.J.)
TV: BTN (Jason Knapp, Allie Sczech)
Live Video | Live Stats
A Win Would
Rutgers:
- Be the 10th win of the season and third true road win
- Be the ninth-straight win over the Scarlet Knights
Stats and Trends
• The Hoosiers are looking to bounce back after a tough five-set loss at No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday.
• IU has won 18 of its last 25 Big Ten games, dating back to the final week of the 2024 season.
• Head coach Steve Aird's team will play seven of its 10 games in October on the road.
Notable
ALL INVOLVED: Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic is closing in on becoming the 12th player in program history to reach 2,000 career assists. She's less than 325 away as she continues to set the Hoosiers at an elite offensive rate. The Serbian is averaging 10.75 assists per set in her career at IU.
TALLYING WINS: Since the 2022 campaign (four-plus years), Indiana has racked up 86 wins under head coach Steve Aird. That includes at least 15 wins in each full season during that stretch. IU will be looking to reach that plateau again for the fifth-straight year in 2026.
BALANCED ATTACK: All five of IU's primary attackers in Thursday's contest had at least eight kills in the five-set match. It's the fourth time this season that all five attackers have gone for seven-or-more kills in the same match. IU's three pins combined for 43 kills against the Badgers.
READY TO GO: Second-year middle blocker Victoria Gray answered the bell when her name was called on Thursday. She came off the bench and had eight kills on a .571 hitting percentage with zero errors. The Hoosiers are 5-0 this year when she has at least seven kills in a match.
WITH THE CHANCE: The Hoosiers are 29-2 over the last two seasons when playing unranked opponents. They have done a good job at stacking wins, especially in the Big Ten. IU will look to win its ninth-straight game over Rutgers on Sunday with a chance to improve to 3-1 in the conference this year.
BIG ACES: There are four different players on this year's roster with at least 10 aces on the season. Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic leads the way with 19 and even has more aces than errors. Over the last eight matches, IU has had eight-or-more aces in a match on six different occasions.
TATUM RETURNS: Fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum regained eligibility before the conference season and has been a big boost to the IU offense. She shared the team lead with 16 kills at No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday. Tatum had 20 kills (.421 hitting percentage) the last time IU played in Piscataway in 2024.
NO FEAR: First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger played fearless against the big block of Wisconsin. She had a career high 11 kills while hitting .333 and matching a career high of 27 swings. It was her third match with double-digit kills in her debut season of college volleyball.
SILENT BUT DEADLY: Third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema quietly had eight kills at a .333 clip in the contest with Wisconsin. She is back in her natural position and has had at least eight kills in five of the last six matches. In three games as a middle blocker this year, she's hitting at .526 percentage.
TOUGH TESTS: All three of IU's losses this season have come to teams currently ranked in the top-11 of the AVCA national poll (at Louisville, vs. Tennessee and at Wisconsin). On the flip side, the Hoosiers have picked up five wins against teams from SEC, ACC or the Big Ten this year.
Scouting the Opponent
Rutgers (10-5, 1-2 Big Ten)
• Rutgers picked up its first Big Ten win in style on Thursday by sweeping Ohio State in Columbus. It gives the Scarlet Knights their 10th win of the season. They return home to Piscataway in conference play for the first time for a three-match homestand.
• Freshman Malia Romes enjoyed a breakout game against Ohio State, tallying 11 kills on 16 errorless swings. She holds the team lead with 147 kills. Redshirt junior Skylar George follows behind at 130. Junior setter Lily Bolen and freshman setter Brooke Baldwin have shared the setting duties.
• Rutgers has been extremely aggressive from the end line. The Scarlet Knights lead the conference in total aces (116). Graduate student Karis Willow carries a big top spin jump serve and has used that to the tune of 30 aces on just 31 errors. Bolen also has 26 (0.46 per set) on the season.
Inside the Series
Rutgers
• Since Rutgers joined the league in 2014, IU has dominated the all-time series. The only loss in 21 tries was during the COVID-shortened spring season back in 2021. IU responded the next night with a four-set victory.
• Since that loss, IU has rattled off eight-straight victories in the series. The last five contests have ended in either three or four sets. It's IU's longest active winning streak against any Big Ten opponent.
Despite falling short of the best reverse sweep in program history, IU proved it could play with anyone in the country as it pushed the Badgers to the brink. Fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum and second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, former high school teammates, shared the team lead with 16 kills apiece. First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger had a career high 11 kills in support.
Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic is the player that stirs the pot. When the Hoosiers pass well, she has the ability to set one of the fastest offenses in the country. Since the season opener, IU is hitting at a .278 clip as a team. On five different occasions, the Hoosiers have hit .300 or better in a single match.
The ability to diversify multiple looks offensively has been a catalyst in IU's fast start in 2026. Eight different players have produced at least seven kills in a match this year. That includes the setter Krickovic who had seven kills in a win over No. 12 Texas A&M earlier in the year. Jager (169) and third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema (124) each have over 100 kills this season.
IU will look to pick up its 10th win of the year and the third in Big Ten play on Sunday at Rutgers. Jason Knapp (PxP) and Allie Sczech (Color) will have the call in front of a national audience on the Big Ten Network. First serve is set for 2 p.m. from Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway.
Gameday Details
#15 Indiana (9-3, 2-1 Big Ten) at Rutgers (10-5, 1-2 Big Ten)
Sunday, October 4th | 2 p.m. ET | Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, N.J.)
TV: BTN (Jason Knapp, Allie Sczech)
Live Video | Live Stats
A Win Would
Rutgers:
- Be the 10th win of the season and third true road win
- Be the ninth-straight win over the Scarlet Knights
Stats and Trends
• The Hoosiers are looking to bounce back after a tough five-set loss at No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday.
• IU has won 18 of its last 25 Big Ten games, dating back to the final week of the 2024 season.
• Head coach Steve Aird's team will play seven of its 10 games in October on the road.
Notable
ALL INVOLVED: Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic is closing in on becoming the 12th player in program history to reach 2,000 career assists. She's less than 325 away as she continues to set the Hoosiers at an elite offensive rate. The Serbian is averaging 10.75 assists per set in her career at IU.
TALLYING WINS: Since the 2022 campaign (four-plus years), Indiana has racked up 86 wins under head coach Steve Aird. That includes at least 15 wins in each full season during that stretch. IU will be looking to reach that plateau again for the fifth-straight year in 2026.
BALANCED ATTACK: All five of IU's primary attackers in Thursday's contest had at least eight kills in the five-set match. It's the fourth time this season that all five attackers have gone for seven-or-more kills in the same match. IU's three pins combined for 43 kills against the Badgers.
READY TO GO: Second-year middle blocker Victoria Gray answered the bell when her name was called on Thursday. She came off the bench and had eight kills on a .571 hitting percentage with zero errors. The Hoosiers are 5-0 this year when she has at least seven kills in a match.
WITH THE CHANCE: The Hoosiers are 29-2 over the last two seasons when playing unranked opponents. They have done a good job at stacking wins, especially in the Big Ten. IU will look to win its ninth-straight game over Rutgers on Sunday with a chance to improve to 3-1 in the conference this year.
BIG ACES: There are four different players on this year's roster with at least 10 aces on the season. Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic leads the way with 19 and even has more aces than errors. Over the last eight matches, IU has had eight-or-more aces in a match on six different occasions.
TATUM RETURNS: Fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum regained eligibility before the conference season and has been a big boost to the IU offense. She shared the team lead with 16 kills at No. 6 Wisconsin on Thursday. Tatum had 20 kills (.421 hitting percentage) the last time IU played in Piscataway in 2024.
NO FEAR: First-year outside hitter Sara Snowbarger played fearless against the big block of Wisconsin. She had a career high 11 kills while hitting .333 and matching a career high of 27 swings. It was her third match with double-digit kills in her debut season of college volleyball.
SILENT BUT DEADLY: Third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema quietly had eight kills at a .333 clip in the contest with Wisconsin. She is back in her natural position and has had at least eight kills in five of the last six matches. In three games as a middle blocker this year, she's hitting at .526 percentage.
TOUGH TESTS: All three of IU's losses this season have come to teams currently ranked in the top-11 of the AVCA national poll (at Louisville, vs. Tennessee and at Wisconsin). On the flip side, the Hoosiers have picked up five wins against teams from SEC, ACC or the Big Ten this year.
Scouting the Opponent
Rutgers (10-5, 1-2 Big Ten)
• Rutgers picked up its first Big Ten win in style on Thursday by sweeping Ohio State in Columbus. It gives the Scarlet Knights their 10th win of the season. They return home to Piscataway in conference play for the first time for a three-match homestand.
• Freshman Malia Romes enjoyed a breakout game against Ohio State, tallying 11 kills on 16 errorless swings. She holds the team lead with 147 kills. Redshirt junior Skylar George follows behind at 130. Junior setter Lily Bolen and freshman setter Brooke Baldwin have shared the setting duties.
• Rutgers has been extremely aggressive from the end line. The Scarlet Knights lead the conference in total aces (116). Graduate student Karis Willow carries a big top spin jump serve and has used that to the tune of 30 aces on just 31 errors. Bolen also has 26 (0.46 per set) on the season.
Inside the Series
Rutgers
• Since Rutgers joined the league in 2014, IU has dominated the all-time series. The only loss in 21 tries was during the COVID-shortened spring season back in 2021. IU responded the next night with a four-set victory.
• Since that loss, IU has rattled off eight-straight victories in the series. The last five contests have ended in either three or four sets. It's IU's longest active winning streak against any Big Ten opponent.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's VolleyballFriday, October 02
Sunday, September 27
Thursday, September 24
Friday, September 11