Indiana Volleyball has been on a roll, putting together the best regular season in program history. Fresh off a dominant 3-0 sweep of Rutgers, the Hoosiers set new program records with 22 wins overall and 13 victories in conference play. Ranked No. 17 in the nation, they entered the weekend riding a three-game surge after a flat showing against now No. 10 Wisconsin. During that run they dropped just one set against Oregon before powering past both Maryland and Rutgers in straight sets. Saturday night, though, they battled hard before falling 3-0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) to top-ranked Nebraska.
Nebraska has been the standard in college volleyball this season. The Cornhuskers remain undefeated at 28-0 and have surrendered only one set in their last 19 matches, that lone slip coming against UCLA on November 14 in a 3-1 win. Twenty-three of their victories have been sweeps, a reflection of how overpowering they have become. Indiana pushed for an upset and played with intensity, yet the margin for error against a team this sharp is slim.
Indiana managed to grab leads in all three sets but could not finish off any of them. Senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles put together a strong performance with 10 kills, leaving her one match away from reaching 50 career conference games with double-digit kills. Senior opposite Avry Tatum and freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager added seven kills each, giving the Hoosiers consistent production even in the loss.
While the final score might not show it, Indiana battled throughout the match, pushing for an upset in front of a loud home crowd. Nebraska simply refused to budge. Senior middle Madi Sell chipped in five kills and recorded the team’s only block of the night. The Hoosiers finished with 31 digs, highlighted by freshman setter Teodora Kričković’s eight and five more from Alonso-Corcelles.
The third set offered Indiana its best chance. With the score tied at 17, the Hoosiers had momentum, but Nebraska answered behind junior outside hitter Harper Murray, who led all players with 11 kills. Her late surge sealed Indiana’s final regular season match in Wilkinson Hall as a loss.
Even so, Indiana found bright spots in a tough matchup. Their season has already been one of the strongest in program history and the journey is far from over. The Hoosiers close out the regular season with two more matches, starting with a trip to Champaign for a Wednesday meeting with Illinois at 9 p.m. EST. They remain firmly in the conversation for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship, and plenty of exciting moments still lie ahead for Indiana athletics.