Earning their second win in the Indiana Invitational, the Hoosiers’ strong offense led them to victory against Northern Kentucky in three sets Friday morning. Indiana is now 4-0 for the first time since 2017.
At the Hoosiers’ home court, Wilkinson Hall had a strong atmosphere that fueled their victory. Indiana’s undefeated start sets the tone for how the team will hope to continue in Big Ten play. The Indiana Invitational, which began with a win over Southeastern Missouri on Thursday night, is an early test for the Hoosiers’ teamwork and future abilities.
Each set started off fast with Indiana gaining some pace until Northern Kentucky’s defense gave them some challenges. Even when the Norse would start a small scoring streak going, Indiana would quickly come back and regain control. The Hoosiers bounced back quickly and established their tempo by the end of the set. Indiana’s offense is stacked with multiple hitters contributing to a balanced attack. Indiana landed 51 kills throughout the three sets, nearly double Northern Kentucky’s output.
Led by strong outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles, Indiana’s offense consistently found ways to send balls that Northern Kentucky couldn’t return. Alonso-Corcelles is Indiana’s go-to option when the Hoosiers want a point. Alonso-Corcelles is a consistently reliable scorer for IU and was a key performer in Friday morning’s game.
She has a unique ability to hit through the block and find open spaces in the formation. Alonso-Corcelles brought energy and power to the court that helped maintain Indiana’s dominant energy through each set. The senior hitter delivered key points to set the tone for Indiana’s three-set victory. Performances like Friday prove that she is one of Indiana’s most important offensive pieces this season.
Northern Kentucky struggled to compete offensively against Indiana but had a strong presence at the net. The Norse’s best skill was their blocking ability and challenged Indiana’s hitters. This created some momentum for Northern Kentucky to put some points on the board.
While their blocks and defense would stop Indiana, the Norse couldn’t keep the possession for long and into long offensive point streaks. Their biggest issue was hitting efficiency and avoidable mistakes. Once they got possession of the ball, they couldn’t sustain the power for a long run. Indiana’s strong serving and attack pressure forced Northern Kentucky out of formation.
Following Alonso-Corcelles in hits, freshman outside hitter Jaidyn Jager landed 12 hits against Northern Kentucky. Jager has quickly adjusted to the college level and her performance on Friday morning proved this. In her first four collegiate games, Jager has 32 attacks and has already proven to be a valuable part of Indiana’s offense. She showed efficiency and confidence on the court for such a young player that had her playing like an experienced collegiate hitter. Jager gives Indiana another strong option on the outside which makes their offense hard to defend.
Indiana remains undefeated and will continue its battle to stay perfect against Western Michigan in the Indiana Invitational at 7 p.m. Friday.
