Indiana University Athletics
Friday, August 28
Louisville, Ky.
7 p.m.
Indiana University
at
#7 Louisville
Volleyball Central: Louisville
8/24/2026 9:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – A long offseason comes to an end as the Indiana volleyball team (0-0, 0-0 B1G) gets set to begin the 2026 campaign on Friday (Aug. 28) evening in Louisville. The No. 16 Hoosiers are ranked in the preseason AVCA poll for the first time in program history and will meet a stiff test against seventh-ranked Louisville to start the new season.
Head coach Steve Aird and his squad are coming off a fantastic 2025 campaign but have quickly turned the page to this year's team. Since last December, IU has played 12 exhibition matches including six on a foreign tour to Türkiye, Spain and Portugal. The Hoosiers had 15 of its 17 players in the gym training since the beginning of January.
The core of IU's team in 2026 begins with second-year setter Teodora Krickovic and second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager. Both players were picked to this year's Big Ten All-Preseason team and are coming off seasons where they were honored on the conference's All-Freshman team. IU reloaded with a collection of new arms around its setter including fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry and outside hitters Sara Snowbarger and Izzy Clark.
This is the earliest top-25 matchup that the team has played in program history and is the first of four-consecutive contests against ACC or SEC opponents to begin the year. In total, IU will play 22 of its 26 regular season matches against power four schools. First serve on Friday is set for 7 p.m. and can be found on ACCNX.
Gameday Details
#16 Indiana (0-0) at #7 Louisville (1-1)
Friday, August 28th | 7 p.m. ET | L&N Federal Credit Union Arena (Louisville, Ky.)
TV: ACCNX (Noah Frary & Molly Alvey)
Live Video | Live Stats
A Win Would
• Be the sixth top-10 victory in program history and the first against a non-conference opponent. The Hoosiers have knocked off five top-10 teams over the last 50 years, most recently in 2022 against No. 5 Ohio State. IU has never beaten the seventh-ranked team in the country on 13 previous attempts
Stat and Trends
• The Hoosiers return 12 players from last year's team that advanced to the regional semifinal
• IU has finished .500 or better in each of the last four seasons - the program has won 77 games since 2022
• IU was picked sixth in the Big Ten preseason poll by the league's coaches.
Notable
EARLY TEST: IU's match at #7 Louisville is the third season opener against a ranked opponent in program history. The Hoosiers also took on #24 Long Beach State (2008) and #5 Nebraska (2020-21) to kick off a new campaign. IU is 2-4 against ranked non-conference opponents under head coach Steve Aird.
ACC FAMILIARITY: Although IU and Louisville haven't played since 2008, the Hoosiers have played ACC opponents with great regularity in the last decade. Of the current programs in the league, this will be the sixth team (Miami (Fla.), NC State, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and SMU) that IU will play under head coach Steve Aird.
STELLAR SOPHOMORES: All six members of IU's second-year class played in at least 24 games last year and return to form a deep core. That includes outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic and defensive specialist Audrey Jackson who played in each of IU's 33 contests in 2025.
BOERSEMA IS BACK: Head coach Steve Aird is boosted by the return of third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema. She suffered a season-ending injury last October after averaging 1.76 kills per set and 1.40 blocks per set in her first 14 games. She can play on the right side as well for the Hoosiers.
LETHAL OFFENSE: IU will look to replicate what was a record-breaking offensive season in 2025. The Hoosiers hit .281 on the year including 15 matches with a hitting percentage better than .300. Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic dished out 10.73 assists per set last year and will be surrounded by big hitters once again.
BIG GAME J: Second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager was one of the most prolific scorers in the league last year. She has the sixth most kills (383) of any returning Big Ten player from a year ago. Jager had at least 10 kills in 23 matches last season, including 15 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Colorado.
TOUGH SERVING: IU has been one of the best serving teams in the country over the last four years under head coach Steve Aird. The Hoosiers had 192 aces last season including 11 matches of eight-or-more aces. Three different returning players (Jager, Freeman, Krickovic) provided at least 25 aces a year ago.
NEW ADDITIONS: Fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry and third-year outside hitter Izzy Clark add veteran experience to an already talented roster. The two transfers bring over 1,200 kills and 400 blocks to Bloomington with 6 years of combined experience. They have both played in the NCAA Tournament as well.
ON THE ROAD: Head coach Steve Aird has more ranked road wins (6) than any other coach in program history. That includes a trio of conference victories over ranked teams in 2025. He will have the chance to add to that tally with an early top-10 test against Louisville on Friday evening.
TOUGH AND TOGETHER: IU's team has spent most of the calendar year together after playing the full spring season and taking a foreign tour (Istanbul, Madrid, Lisbon) in May. The Hoosiers won all 24 sets they played in six matches in Europe. 16 of IU's players were present on the foreign tour.
Scouting the Opponent
#7 Louisville (1-1, 0-0 ACC)
• Louisville took part of the AVCA First Serve event last week, opening up their season a week earlier than Indiana. The Cardinals split a pair of matches with a win over No. 8 Texas A&M and a loss to No. 6 Wisconsin in straight sets. All but one starter returned from a season ago for Louisville
• Veteran outside hitter Chloe Chicoine is a familiar name for IU fans. She spent her first two seasons of college volleyball at Purdue before moving to Louisville in 2025. She provided a combined 29 kills on a .358 hitting percentage in last week's matches. She had 19 kills in the win over Texas A&M.
• All-American setter Nayleis Cabello is in her second season running the offense full-time for the Cardinals. She provided 45 assists and nine digs in the season opener against Texas A&M. Outside hitter, turned libero, Payton Petersen combined for 40 digs and eight assists last weekend.
Inside the Series
Louisville
• Despite being located just two hours away from each other, Indiana and Louisville haven't played in volleyball since 2008. Since then, Louisville has turned into one of the premier programs in the country. Both sides are coming off an appearance in the NCAA regional semifinals.
• Between 1990 and 1996, Louisville and IU played every year as part of the Big Four Classic. Kentucky and Notre Dame rounded out the four-team, three-game tournament in the early season.
• This is the eighth game against an ACC opponent in the non-conference since 2021. IU is 3-4 in the past five seasons against the ACC, beating Miami (Fla.) twice on the road (2023, 2025) and Notre Dame at home (2024). IU also played SMU (2022) before they joined the conference.
Head coach Steve Aird and his squad are coming off a fantastic 2025 campaign but have quickly turned the page to this year's team. Since last December, IU has played 12 exhibition matches including six on a foreign tour to Türkiye, Spain and Portugal. The Hoosiers had 15 of its 17 players in the gym training since the beginning of January.
The core of IU's team in 2026 begins with second-year setter Teodora Krickovic and second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager. Both players were picked to this year's Big Ten All-Preseason team and are coming off seasons where they were honored on the conference's All-Freshman team. IU reloaded with a collection of new arms around its setter including fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry and outside hitters Sara Snowbarger and Izzy Clark.
This is the earliest top-25 matchup that the team has played in program history and is the first of four-consecutive contests against ACC or SEC opponents to begin the year. In total, IU will play 22 of its 26 regular season matches against power four schools. First serve on Friday is set for 7 p.m. and can be found on ACCNX.
Gameday Details
#16 Indiana (0-0) at #7 Louisville (1-1)
Friday, August 28th | 7 p.m. ET | L&N Federal Credit Union Arena (Louisville, Ky.)
TV: ACCNX (Noah Frary & Molly Alvey)
Live Video | Live Stats
A Win Would
• Be the sixth top-10 victory in program history and the first against a non-conference opponent. The Hoosiers have knocked off five top-10 teams over the last 50 years, most recently in 2022 against No. 5 Ohio State. IU has never beaten the seventh-ranked team in the country on 13 previous attempts
Stat and Trends
• The Hoosiers return 12 players from last year's team that advanced to the regional semifinal
• IU has finished .500 or better in each of the last four seasons - the program has won 77 games since 2022
• IU was picked sixth in the Big Ten preseason poll by the league's coaches.
Notable
EARLY TEST: IU's match at #7 Louisville is the third season opener against a ranked opponent in program history. The Hoosiers also took on #24 Long Beach State (2008) and #5 Nebraska (2020-21) to kick off a new campaign. IU is 2-4 against ranked non-conference opponents under head coach Steve Aird.
ACC FAMILIARITY: Although IU and Louisville haven't played since 2008, the Hoosiers have played ACC opponents with great regularity in the last decade. Of the current programs in the league, this will be the sixth team (Miami (Fla.), NC State, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and SMU) that IU will play under head coach Steve Aird.
STELLAR SOPHOMORES: All six members of IU's second-year class played in at least 24 games last year and return to form a deep core. That includes outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic and defensive specialist Audrey Jackson who played in each of IU's 33 contests in 2025.
BOERSEMA IS BACK: Head coach Steve Aird is boosted by the return of third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema. She suffered a season-ending injury last October after averaging 1.76 kills per set and 1.40 blocks per set in her first 14 games. She can play on the right side as well for the Hoosiers.
LETHAL OFFENSE: IU will look to replicate what was a record-breaking offensive season in 2025. The Hoosiers hit .281 on the year including 15 matches with a hitting percentage better than .300. Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic dished out 10.73 assists per set last year and will be surrounded by big hitters once again.
BIG GAME J: Second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager was one of the most prolific scorers in the league last year. She has the sixth most kills (383) of any returning Big Ten player from a year ago. Jager had at least 10 kills in 23 matches last season, including 15 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Colorado.
TOUGH SERVING: IU has been one of the best serving teams in the country over the last four years under head coach Steve Aird. The Hoosiers had 192 aces last season including 11 matches of eight-or-more aces. Three different returning players (Jager, Freeman, Krickovic) provided at least 25 aces a year ago.
NEW ADDITIONS: Fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry and third-year outside hitter Izzy Clark add veteran experience to an already talented roster. The two transfers bring over 1,200 kills and 400 blocks to Bloomington with 6 years of combined experience. They have both played in the NCAA Tournament as well.
ON THE ROAD: Head coach Steve Aird has more ranked road wins (6) than any other coach in program history. That includes a trio of conference victories over ranked teams in 2025. He will have the chance to add to that tally with an early top-10 test against Louisville on Friday evening.
TOUGH AND TOGETHER: IU's team has spent most of the calendar year together after playing the full spring season and taking a foreign tour (Istanbul, Madrid, Lisbon) in May. The Hoosiers won all 24 sets they played in six matches in Europe. 16 of IU's players were present on the foreign tour.
Scouting the Opponent
#7 Louisville (1-1, 0-0 ACC)
• Louisville took part of the AVCA First Serve event last week, opening up their season a week earlier than Indiana. The Cardinals split a pair of matches with a win over No. 8 Texas A&M and a loss to No. 6 Wisconsin in straight sets. All but one starter returned from a season ago for Louisville
• Veteran outside hitter Chloe Chicoine is a familiar name for IU fans. She spent her first two seasons of college volleyball at Purdue before moving to Louisville in 2025. She provided a combined 29 kills on a .358 hitting percentage in last week's matches. She had 19 kills in the win over Texas A&M.
• All-American setter Nayleis Cabello is in her second season running the offense full-time for the Cardinals. She provided 45 assists and nine digs in the season opener against Texas A&M. Outside hitter, turned libero, Payton Petersen combined for 40 digs and eight assists last weekend.
Inside the Series
Louisville
• Despite being located just two hours away from each other, Indiana and Louisville haven't played in volleyball since 2008. Since then, Louisville has turned into one of the premier programs in the country. Both sides are coming off an appearance in the NCAA regional semifinals.
• Between 1990 and 1996, Louisville and IU played every year as part of the Big Four Classic. Kentucky and Notre Dame rounded out the four-team, three-game tournament in the early season.
• This is the eighth game against an ACC opponent in the non-conference since 2021. IU is 3-4 in the past five seasons against the ACC, beating Miami (Fla.) twice on the road (2023, 2025) and Notre Dame at home (2024). IU also played SMU (2022) before they joined the conference.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballWednesday, August 05
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