LOS ANGELES, Calif. – It took everyone on the roster. And everyone delivered.
Just after the clock struck midnight in Bloomington, the Indiana volleyball team (12-1, 3-0 B1G) delivered one of the biggest wins in the head coach Steve Aird era. IU battled back from a poor first set to take care of No. 17 USC in four sets (15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20) on Friday (Oct. 3) evening at the Galen Center.
The Hoosiers completely flipped the script on the Trojans after the opening frame. IU hit .252 (47-18-115) on the night, led by 14 kills from California native and senior opposite Avry Tatum. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager provided 12 kills in the return to her home state.
IU’s will to win was on full display the entire contest. A team full of freshmen continues to grow up as the season progresses. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković dished out 33 assists to pair with six kills, six digs and one block. Freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray had a career-high seven blocks.
Perhaps no one provided more of a spark than junior middle blocker Ava Vickers. After missing the first 12 games of the year following offseason surgery, she made her season debut in a big way. She offered up four kills and five blocks after coming off the bench in the first set.
Paired with effective serving, IU’s block came to life late in the match. The Hoosiers recorded 12 team blocks in four sets. Gray led the way with seven while Vickers had a hand in five. IU kept USC’s outstanding freshman opposite Abigail Mullen in the negative (-.065, 7-9-31),
The win on Friday was the eighth ranked road win in program history. No head coach has beaten more top-18 teams on the road than Steve Aird (3). It’s IU’s third ranked win on the road since the 2022 season. With the win, IU’s off to its best start in the Big Ten (3-0) since 1993.
How it Happened (See USC Volleyball)
• The first set skewed most of IU’s numbers on the night but the team battled back to outhit USC with a significant advantage (.252-.192). The Hoosiers had nine fewer attacking errors and committed six fewer service errors to come away the win.
• A big part of IU’s success on Friday night was the play of its defense. The Hoosiers racked up 12 blocks, out blocking the Big Ten’s most imposing net force, and recorded more digs (43-35) than the Trojans. IU flipped into a two-libero system and got a big performance from freshman defensive specialist Avery Freeman.
Top Hoosier Performers
#13 Tatum, Avry
14 kills, .357 hitting percentage, 3 blocks, 3 digs
#24 Jager, Jaidyn
12 kills, 9 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace, 1 block
#23 Gray, Victoria
7 blocks, 2 kills, 2 digs
Notes to Know
• The victory over No. 17 USC on Friday evening was the eighth top-25 road win in program history. Seven of those eight wins have come against Big Ten opponents with three of them coming in the past four seasons. Head coach Steve Aird is the only coach in program history to win at least three road games against top-25 opposition.
• With the win on Friday evening, the Hoosiers are off to their best conference start in over 30 years. IU is 3-0 in the Big Ten for just the first time since 1993. In two of those three victories, IU has had to scrap on the road to win a four-set contest (at Northwestern, at No. 17 USC).
• Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager has been fantastic to begin her Big Ten career. She’s produced at least 12 kills in all three of IU’s conference wins this season. On each occasion, Jager has missed a double-double by two-or-fewer digs. She’s averaging 3.73 kills per set and 2.36 digs per set in Big Ten action.
• When IU needed it most, the team got career performances from a number of players. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković
had a career-high six kills in the win. Freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray had a hand in a lifetime-best seven blocks. While it wasn’t a career night, junior middle blocker Ava Vickers had a season-high four kills and five blocks.
Just after the clock struck midnight in Bloomington, the Indiana volleyball team (12-1, 3-0 B1G) delivered one of the biggest wins in the head coach Steve Aird era. IU battled back from a poor first set to take care of No. 17 USC in four sets (15-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20) on Friday (Oct. 3) evening at the Galen Center.
The Hoosiers completely flipped the script on the Trojans after the opening frame. IU hit .252 (47-18-115) on the night, led by 14 kills from California native and senior opposite Avry Tatum. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager provided 12 kills in the return to her home state.
IU’s will to win was on full display the entire contest. A team full of freshmen continues to grow up as the season progresses. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković dished out 33 assists to pair with six kills, six digs and one block. Freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray had a career-high seven blocks.
Perhaps no one provided more of a spark than junior middle blocker Ava Vickers. After missing the first 12 games of the year following offseason surgery, she made her season debut in a big way. She offered up four kills and five blocks after coming off the bench in the first set.
Paired with effective serving, IU’s block came to life late in the match. The Hoosiers recorded 12 team blocks in four sets. Gray led the way with seven while Vickers had a hand in five. IU kept USC’s outstanding freshman opposite Abigail Mullen in the negative (-.065, 7-9-31),
The win on Friday was the eighth ranked road win in program history. No head coach has beaten more top-18 teams on the road than Steve Aird (3). It’s IU’s third ranked win on the road since the 2022 season. With the win, IU’s off to its best start in the Big Ten (3-0) since 1993.
How it Happened (See USC Volleyball)
• The first set skewed most of IU’s numbers on the night but the team battled back to outhit USC with a significant advantage (.252-.192). The Hoosiers had nine fewer attacking errors and committed six fewer service errors to come away the win.
• A big part of IU’s success on Friday night was the play of its defense. The Hoosiers racked up 12 blocks, out blocking the Big Ten’s most imposing net force, and recorded more digs (43-35) than the Trojans. IU flipped into a two-libero system and got a big performance from freshman defensive specialist Avery Freeman.
Top Hoosier Performers
#13 Tatum, Avry
14 kills, .357 hitting percentage, 3 blocks, 3 digs
#24 Jager, Jaidyn
12 kills, 9 digs, 1 assist, 1 ace, 1 block
#23 Gray, Victoria
7 blocks, 2 kills, 2 digs
Notes to Know
• The victory over No. 17 USC on Friday evening was the eighth top-25 road win in program history. Seven of those eight wins have come against Big Ten opponents with three of them coming in the past four seasons. Head coach Steve Aird is the only coach in program history to win at least three road games against top-25 opposition.
• With the win on Friday evening, the Hoosiers are off to their best conference start in over 30 years. IU is 3-0 in the Big Ten for just the first time since 1993. In two of those three victories, IU has had to scrap on the road to win a four-set contest (at Northwestern, at No. 17 USC).
• Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager has been fantastic to begin her Big Ten career. She’s produced at least 12 kills in all three of IU’s conference wins this season. On each occasion, Jager has missed a double-double by two-or-fewer digs. She’s averaging 3.73 kills per set and 2.36 digs per set in Big Ten action.
• When IU needed it most, the team got career performances from a number of players. Freshman setter Teodora Kričković
had a career-high six kills in the win. Freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray had a hand in a lifetime-best seven blocks. While it wasn’t a career night, junior middle blocker Ava Vickers had a season-high four kills and five blocks.
