Volleyball Central: Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – An important final weekend of the non-conference schedule awaits the Indiana volleyball team (8-0, 0-0 B1G) this weekend in Bowling Green. Head coach Steve Aird and the Hoosiers will look to cap off an undefeated start to the season with contests against (RV) Western Kentucky (Sept. 19) and Bradley (Sept. 20) this weekend. It's the final tune up before the Hoosiers begin conference play next Wednesday at Northwestern.

IU went 3-0 last weekend in Chicago, picking up wins over perennial postseason programs in Bowling Green (3-0), Loyola (Chicago) (3-1) and Stephen F. Austin (3-0). Led by sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema (2.00 bps), IU's block was on full display all weekend. It racked up 39 total blocks (3.9 bps) to take home three important victories.

An important goal in the preseason portion of the schedule has been getting its middles involved on offense. That finally came to fruition in the final two contests of the weekend. Boersema and senior Madi Sell each had six-plus kills in wins on Friday and Saturday. Against Loyola (Chicago), all five primary attackers recorded at least seven kills.

Western Kentucky has won 20-or-more games in each of the last 25 seasons. It will be a stiff test at E.A. Diddle Arena where the Hilltoppers are 326-63 under veteran head coach Travis Hudson. A win on Friday would give the Hoosiers a third true road victory over a program that finished in the top-50 of last year's RPI (Miami (Fla.), Loyola (Chicago)).

Friday's contest in Bowling Green will be streamed on ESPN+ while Saturday's neutral site matchup against Bradley will only be available via live stats. IU will attempt to complete an undefeated non-conference schedule for just the fourth time in program history (1997, 1999 and 2010).

Gameday Info
at (RV) Western Kentucky (Friday, September 19th – 8 p.m. ET)
Live Video: bit.ly/46mxEHt
Live Stats: bit.ly/3Vec9Uf

vs. Bradley (Saturday, August 20th – Noon ET)
Live Video: No Stream
Live Stats: bit.ly/4mkKg84

Stat and Trends
• The Hoosiers have been outstanding offensively this season. IU leads the Big Ten and is second nationally heading into the week with a .346 hitting percentage. The program also ranks in the top five of the conference in assists per set (12.89) and kills per set (13.85).

• On the other side of things, IU has been exceptional in defense at the net as well. It is tied for the conference lead with USC in blocks per set (3.00). On four different occasions this year, the Hoosiers have contributed at least 10 blocks in a match.

• Head coach Steve Aird is attempting to go a perfect 3-for-3 in true road contests during non-conference play. It would be the third time in his tenure at IU that he's done that and the first since 2019. If he were to beat Western Kentucky, all three road wins in the non-conference would come against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Notable
TATUM TIME: Senior opposite hitter Avry Tatum took it as a personal mission to get IU off to a good start this season. The veteran hitter is averaging 3.30 kills per set this year while hitting .411. Of Big Ten players averaging at least 3.00 kills per set, Tatum is leading in hitting percentage by a wide margin.

OFFENSE CLICKING: The offensive success can be contributed to any number of people this year. Led by freshman setter Teodora Kričković and her 10.81 assists per set, the Hoosiers are hitting at a .346 clip this season. That mark leads the Big Ten through three weeks and is second in the entire country.

ONE WEEKEND AWAY: IU is two wins away from an undefeated non-conference slate for just the fourth time in program history. The Hoosiers won all out-of-conference games in 1997, 1999 and 2010. Head coach Steve Aird needs his team to go 2-0 this weekend to finish off an undefeated 10-0 start to the 2025 campaign.

TRIPLE THREAT: The Hoosiers have three middle blockers they can rotate into the game at all times. Freshman Victoria Gray (1.30 bps), senior Madi Sell (1.28 bps) and sophomore Ella Boersema (1.75 bps) all are averaging above 1.25 blocks per set. As a team, IU puts up 3.00 blocks per set through eight games.

PASSING BETTER: IU had a much better weekend from a passing perspective in three victories at the Rambler Invitational in Chicago. As a team, the Hoosiers passed a 2.22 on a three-point scale over three matches. Freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager passed a 2.31 over 71 attempts.

BOERSEMA BALLIN': Sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema missed the first two games of the season but has been on a tear since. She is leading the Big Ten with 1.75 blocks per set. In a win over Bowling Green, she became the first IU player in 15 years with at least 10 blocks in a three-set match.

RIDING HIGH: The Hoosiers have won 10-straight games dating back to the end of last season. In program history, it's just the fourth time that IU has won at least 10 games in a row. It's the longest streak since opening the 2017 season with 10-straight victories. IU will look to extend it to 12 this weekend.

HOLDING STEADY: IU is one of just 12 undefeated teams remaining in the country. It is one of three Big Ten schools (Michigan State and Nebraska) that is undefeated entering the week. The Hoosiers are one of five schools (Boston College, Clemson, Villanova and Texas) that have zero losses and at least one power four true road win.

Scouting the Opponent
Western Kentucky (6-3, 0-0 CUSA)
• The Hilltoppers are coming off an uncharacteristic loss to Vanderbilt on Tuesday but have still enjoyed a 6-3 start to the year. They will take on Bradley on Friday afternoon before meeting the Hoosiers in a 7 p.m. CT match. Both IU and WKU have beaten Loyola (Chicago) and VCU this season.

• Sophomore outside hitter Alivia Skidmore leads a balanced offense for the 'Tops. She was a CUSA All-Freshman Team selection in 2024 and is averaging 3.52 kills per set. Freshman outside hitter Kaira Knox follows behind her with 3.72 kills per set.

• Senior setter Callie Bauer has been a mainstay in the WKU lineup for years. A three-time All-Conference selection and the former CUSA Freshman of the Year has over 4,000 career assists. As a team, WKU is hitting .280 on the season. Veteran middle blocker Izzy Van de Wiele is a threat at the net at all times.

Bradley (5-4, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
• Bradley has been one of the more balanced teams offensively this season. While trying to figure out a lineup that works, seven different players have played in at least four matches and are averaging between 1.30 and 2.75 kills per set. Freshman outside hitter Gracie Furlong is leading the way with 2.75 kills per set (88 total).

• Sophomore setter Maria Drapp has this offense off to a good start this year. She's had 30+ assists in every match this year and is setting the team to a .203 hitting percentage. Bradley has been fantastic on the floor with 15.81 digs per set. Senior libero Irene Mostardini has four matches with 20+ digs.

Inside the Series
Western Kentucky
• Indiana and Western Kentucky have played four times since the turn of the century. The Hilltoppers have been one of the winningest programs over the last 20 years. They have won the last three contests in the series after the Hoosiers won the first two meetings in 1987 and 2003 respectively.

• This will be just the second time the two teams have played in Bowling Green. Western Kentucky won the last match up, winning two of its three sets in a deuce game. Only current senior outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles played in that game from this year's roster.

Bradley
• This is one of two (VCU) first-time matchups on the schedule this season for the Hoosiers. IU is familiar with MVC opponents, having played UIC, Indiana State and Valparaiso over the past four seasons.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Candela Alonso-Corcelles

Ella Boersema

Victoria Gray

Jaidyn Jager

Madi Sell

Avry Tatum