EVANSVILLE, Ind. – To end a run of five matches in the first 10 days of the season, the 21st-ranked Indiana volleyball team rolled to its third win of the year behind a resounding 16-kill effort from third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema. The Hoosiers shook off a tough second set to power past Southern Indiana in four (25-15, 22-25, 25-15, 25-14) on Monday (Sept. 7) afternoon in Evansville.
Boersema put up her 16 kills while swinging .583 on the night. She added in a team-best five blocks while returning to her natural position in the middle for the day. Both middle blockers were in double figures as second-year Victoria Gray finished a kill short of her career high (11). Second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager worked back to put up 12 kills with a career-high 21 digs.
Even with Southern Indiana keeping IU off balance with tips over the block, second-year setter Teodora Kričković ran the offense at an efficient rate. The Hoosiers hit .281 while providing 29 more kills than the hosts (58-31). She dished out 45 assists and had four digs, two aces and five kills. Third-year opposite hitter Avery Daum got the start for the first time in her career and totaled seven kills, four blocks and two assists.
Head coach Steve Aird purposely challenged his team with a tough schedule that included five games in 10 days – all of them away from home – to start the year. IU comes out of that stretch with three wins as it returns to Bloomington to face Cal Poly (Sept. 10) and Eastern Illinois (Sept. 11) this weekend. The Hoosiers will get four of the next six matches at Wilkinson Hall to close out September.
Notes to Know
• Second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager had the eighth double-double of her career with 12 kills and 21 digs. It was the first of her time in college with more digs than kills. In fact, she’s the first IU player to record 20+ digs in a match since Ramsey Gary at Purdue (20 – Oct. 19, 2024).
• Third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema (16) and second-year middle blocker Victoria Gray (11) each went for double-digit kills in Monday’s win. It’s the first time since a contest against Northwestern in 2023 (Kaley Rammelsberg – 15, Savannah Kjolhede – 10) that IU’s pair of middle blockers have both gone for 10+ kills in the same match.
• Since last Tuesday, Boersema has now had three double-digit kill efforts. That comes with her playing as both a middle blocker and opposite hitter. Her 16 kills out of the middle against Southern Indiana are the most by an IU player at the position since Kaley Rammelsberg at No. 21 Georgia Tech (16) in 2021.
• Second-year setter Teodora Kričković had 45 assists against Southern Indiana but also recorded five kills with some great net play. In her career, IU is now 4-0 when she records at least five kills in a match. Two of those games have been in the last week (7 – vs. Texas A&M).