Tatum Returns, Hoosiers Win Seventh Straight

Saturday, September 26

Bloomington, Ind.

7 p.m.

Indiana University

9-2,2-0Big Ten

Maryland

10-3,0-2Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Maryland	17	18	20	0
Indiana	25	25	25	3

Box Score (PDF)

9/26/2026 9:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Watch: Highlights

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Head coach Steve Aird got a boost to his formidable lineup when fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum made her season debut on Saturday (Sept. 26) evening. The Indiana volleyball team (9-2, 2-0 B1G) cruised in her return to action, picking up a straight-set win (25-17, 25-18, 25-20) over Maryland (10-3, 0-2 B1G) to close out the opening weekend of Big Ten action at Wilkinson Hall.

With Tatum back on the right side and third-year Ella Boersema back in the middle, IU's offense looked as dynamic as it has all season. Boersema led the charge with 11 kills on a .667 hitting percentage while Tatum contributed 10 kills of her own. Second-year setter Teodora Krickovic dished out 38 assists in just three sets while guiding the team to a collective .361 hitting percentage.

IU's block roared to life with a physical presence in the front row. Tatum matched a career high with six rejections while fifth-year middle blocker Kiki Granberry added five of her own. IU held Maryland to a .178 hitting percentage. It's the second time in two tries that Big Ten opposition has been under the .200 threshold. Second-year outside hitter Jaidyn Jager finished just shy of a double-double with nine kills and a team-best eight digs.

With the win on Saturday night, IU is now 2-0 in the conference in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987 and 1988. The Hoosiers began last year's Big Ten campaign at 5-0 enroute to a program record 14 conference victories. IU continues this year's league slate on Thursday (Oct. 1) at top-10 Wisconsin. First serve is set for 9 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

How it Happened
• An efficient offense was the tale of the game for the Hoosiers. They hit above .330 in all three sets and sided out at 57 percent or better for the entirety of the contest. All five primary attackers had at least five kills while four of them had eight or more.

• On the other end, IU enjoyed a prolific blocking night. Led by six from fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum, who matched a career high, the Hoosiers kept Maryland's two left-side attackers at a combined hitting percentage of less than .100

Top Hoosier Performers
#13 Tatum, Avry
10 kills, 6 blocks, .350 hitting percentage

#12 Krickovic, Teodora
38 assists, 6 digs, 3 kills

#27 Boersema, Ella
11 kills, 4 blocks, 2 digs, .667 hitting percentage

Notes to Know
• For the first time since 1987 and 1988, Indiana has begun back-to-back seasons with at least a 2-0 start. After a pair of sweeps over UCLA and Maryland, the Hoosiers will take a clean record into the month of October. Head coach Steve Aird and his team began last year's Big Ten campaign at 5-0 before taking its first defeat.

• After having zero double-digit kill efforts in her first two seasons of college volleyball, third-year middle blocker Ella Boersema now has six in 2026. She returned to her natural position for the second time this year and had 11 kills on a .667 hitting percentage. She's had 10+ kills as both an opposite hitter (4) and middle blocker (2) this year.

• Fifth-year opposite hitter Avry Tatum made her season debut on Saturday night and chipped in 10 kills on a .350 hitting percentage. It's the 60th match of her career with double-digit kills and the 48th during her time in Bloomington. She's the sixth different IU player with a 10-kill match this year.

• Dating back to 2024, IU has won 18 of its last 24 Big Ten matches. The Hoosiers are 26-2 against unranked Big Ten opponents at Wilkinson Hall in the last 28 tries and have won 27 unranked home contests in a row on the floor in Bloomington. Over the last five years, IU is 44-15 inside the friendly confines of Wilkinson Hall.

• IU needed 100 swings on the night to hit .361 as a team with 46 kills from six different players. That mark is tied for the seventh-best single game hitting percentage in a Big Ten contest during the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008). Six of those eight marks have come in the last three seasons alone with two of them coming against the Terrapins.