WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —Kicking off the Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week, Indiana defeated the Georgia Bulldogs in a thrilling four-set match. The Hoosiers then carried an “all-gas, no-breaks” mentality into their matchup against the reigning NCAA champions, No.12 Texas A&M, ultimately securing a five-set victory.
The final match score was 3-2, with Indiana winning in five sets: 26-24, 26-28, 25-23, 17-25, and 15-9.
After Tuesday’s win over Georgia, Ella Boersema said that in preparing for Texas A&M, the Hoosiers had to “not look or worry about the names on the other side of the net and just focus on us.” Boersema certainly followed her own advice, recording her new career high of 21 kills. She and Jaidyn Jager stole the show Wednesday, recording 38 kills together against Texas A&M.
“Again it’s a really unselfish team, they love the school, they represent IU in the best way,” Indiana head coach Steve Aird said. “Game 3 of the year, lots of runway left.”
These Hoosiers put on quite a show for this Big Ten/SEC Challenge week against Texas A&M, accumulating 63 kills across the board, 58 digs, and 12 blocks. The Hoosiers started this block party off painting the sheet book from top to bottom. Teodora Krickovic was instrumental with 45 assists, 10 digs, and seven kills this game. With sneak attacks from Krickovic, slams by Jager, blocks from Kiki Granberry and Emma Segal’s three consecutive aces, including a 52-touch rally in IU’s favor, made this match up nearly impossible for A&M to find their footing.
“Our motto is to play hard and play fast and I thought we played really, really hard; the coverage was great.” Aird said.
It was a catfight from start to finish here in Mackey Arena as both teams scratched for the lead, trading it back and forth until the last set. Undoubtedly, you would’ve thought out of the gate the Indiana Hoosiers had the first set tucked into bed for the night, but Kyndal Stowers woke up her team late in the first and from then on made sure to give Indiana a run for their money.
“I'll go where the team needs me,” Boersema said. “I wanna do whatever I can to help them win.”
Boersema has been playing out of position due to senior Avery Tatum’s injury, stepping up to fill a significant leadership role. Her selflessness is evident; it’s clear she plays for her teammates and the team’s success. No good deed goes unnoticed by Indiana. This team's chemistry has really shone through this block party, with Granberry and Victoria Gray contributing to 18 blocks alongside Boersema.
"Sitting out one season isn't going to take the next two," Boersema said.
Injuries are a tough part of the game, but the Indiana Hoosiers have faced them head-on, from Granberry's return from injury to Ava Vickers' recovery and Boersema's new role after her own injuries. This weekend saw Indiana defeat both Georgia and Texas A&M. These wins were transcendent to this season for the Hoosiers.
Indiana started strong and finished on top in West Lafayette this week. It is looking promising Indiana will have another competitive season. These Hoosiers are hungrier than ever after their victories against Georgia and defending NCAA champions, No. 12 Texas A&M. Looking forward on their momentum, No. 21 Indiana faces No. 22 Tennessee on Sept. 6.
