WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana Hoosiers took down the Georgia Bulldogs Tuesday night, winning in four sets 26-24, 25-22, 22-25 and 25-17. The Hoosiers improved their record to 1-1 with the victory, giving them a key resumé-building win against an undefeated SEC foe in the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge.
The Hoosiers and Bulldogs played a sloppy first set, with neither team building a big lead. Many service errors were made by both sides, but Indiana was ultimately able to prevail thanks to a great team effort anchored by Teodora Krickovic, who finished with 12 assists in the first set alone. Victoria Gray added a couple of kills and Hannah Leftridge added crucial digs in the teens, giving Indiana a 26-24 win.
In search of their first dominating set all season, the Hoosiers really put their foot on the gas in the second set. They jumped out to a 7-3 lead thanks to Sara Snowbarger, who finished the game with eight kills. Krickovic continued to orchestrate the offense, and Jaidyn Jager was strong at the net, finishing with multiple kills. The Bulldogs scrapped their way back into the game, but Indiana never really showed signs of giving up the lead, ultimately winning the second set 25-22.
In the third set, the Hoosiers and Bulldogs traded points back and forth. Both teams struggled to build big leads, but in the end, it came down to Indiana making more unforced errors. Georgia maintained a good lead towards the end, ultimately pulling off the win 25-22. Bianna Muoneke was the star of the show for the Bulldogs, finishing the game with 22 kills.
In the fourth set, the Hoosiers limited their mistakes and capped a solid team attack, winning the set 25-17 and holding off the Bulldogs after they staged a late set comeback
Krickovic finished the game with 50 assists, one of the best single-game passing performances in the modern era. Jager added 19 kills, Snowbarger added 10 kills and Leftridge finished with 17 digs, leading to an Indiana win.
Indiana badly needed a bounce back performance after getting swept last Friday by Louisville, and this game was a great way to get back on track. The Hoosiers looked much better from a team perspective, getting everyone involved on offense and really playing with an enthusiasm that was lacking a couple of days ago. If Indiana can play like they did Tuesday, they are going to be an extremely tough team to beat over the course of this season.
The Hoosiers take on the No. 12 ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday night at Mackey Arena to wrap up their end of the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge. The game is set to start at 5 p.m.
