No. 16 Indiana volleyball won't surprise anyone, but their 'hunter' mindset hasn't changed

BLOOMINGTON – Indiana volleyball ’s arrival to national prominence came at an important time with teams wanting to schedule them for their competitiveness, rather than to stack wins when building a tournament resume.

A class of second-year players helped the Hoosiers make history with a record 25 wins, their highest ranking in program history and reset the discourse of what IU volleyball can be. It’s a far cry from the program coach Steve Aird took over which had one Big Ten win the prior season.

Retaining outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, setter Teodora Krickovic, middle blocker Victoria Gray and others was key. It led to their peers recognizing the talent that competes in Wilkinson Hall, and a group that is keeping the same mentality despite being held to a higher standard.

“We use the term being a hunter a lot in this gym,” Jager said.

It’s clear what a standout class has done, leaving their imprint on the program, but knowing that is only the beginning. A team that was picked 11 th in the Big Ten finished 16 th nationally in 2025. The starting spot in 2026: sixth in the Big Ten and 16 th nationally .

“It just feels a little different than last year because the floor of the program is much higher, the level of play in practice is much higher,” Aird said.

Ahead of an opener at No. 7 Louisville at 7 p.m. Friday, here are four things to watch this season.

Playing in the spotlight

The schedule doesn’t relax after a challenging season opener. The Cards pose a threat, and then the Big Ten/SEC challenge gives IU matches against reigning national champions Texas A&M and Georgia. Oh, and they’re played at Mackey Arena.

Then they’ll close the week against Tennessee in a neutral-site match in Nashville.

“I mean, the schedule, there’s no place to hide and the days of trying to get to 20 wins or 25 wins for me, it’s more about how good can we get,” Aird said. “… the process is pretty important, and the players have developed, this team has the potential to be a better volleyball team than last year’s team, whether we win more or not.”

The hunter mentality is key. So is the focus on each individual day – closing the book on the last practice and competing as hard as possible at the next one; looking only at the next game. But they know what it takes to get to the Sweet 16 as they did in December, and can still be excited about the path and increased competition in the nonconference and Big Ten slates (they host No. 1 Nebraska on Oct. 8 and close with No. 9 Purdue at Wilkinson).

“Honestly, I am so excited for the first opening games. It’ll genuinely test us where we’re at and let us know what we need to work on for the season, ‘cause those are four teams that will compete hard in their conferences, and I think that’s a very good level for us to be at right now,” Gray said. “And then to enter the Big Ten, like guns a blazing, honestly, we’re ready, we’ll test it all at that point.”

Spring takeaways: What has spring taught us about IU volleyball? 'Could be the best team that Indiana's ever had'

Star setter runs the show

Aird wants his teams to follow a single mantra: “Play hard and play fast.” Running a quick-tempo offense means faster sets that allow attackers to beat blockers to spots at the net. And Krickovic proved her effectiveness at running IU’s offense.

Her goal upon arriving to IU was to eventually set for the Serbian national team in the Olympics, and she got to test drive that role this summer, winning a silver medal at the European championships.

“Experience, it’s great when you have them on campus during the summer and they get stronger,” Aird said, “but if you got a chance to have a kid set a team to win a European championship, they need that experience.”

He did have Krickovic on campus in the spring, of course. The 6-foot-2 setter has shown how much better she’s gotten, on top of getting stronger and quicker.

“We knew she could set the ball, and she was a pretty good server,” Aird said. “But blocking and defense have come a long way. I feel really good about that.”

Team's best friend: This furry, 4-legged 'Bear' kills IU volleyball anxiety, serves happiness: 'It changes you'

Blended roster

The youngest captain is Jager, soft-spoken and admitted she’s needing to learn from fellow captains in fourth-year middle blocker Ava Vickers and third-year setter Sade Ilawole. She represents an important part of the program though as three of six in Jager’s class were starters: Krickovic, Gray, Jager and the defensive tandem of Hannah Leftridge and Audrey Jackson were also featured.

But Jager didn’t mince words about that “y” word used often as freshmen.

“That’s not a term in our gym anymore,” she said.

IU has traded youth for experience. Add in fifth-year transfer middle blocker Kiki Granberry, healthy after sitting out last season with an injury, and third-year outside Izzy Clark – who is expected to miss early season matches with an injury – and the Hoosiers like the depth they’ve added.

“They play so mature … The group that we have, the young girls we have, they have so much talent and they’re really bought into what we want as a team as a whole,” Granberry said. “They’ve just made it comfortable for me to fit in.”

One more year?

A familiar face has been around Wilkinson Hall this summer as Avry Tatum is attempting to join the team for a fifth season, much like football classmates Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt . The timetable is uncertain of when she may be cleared to play, though.

“We’re pretty confident she’ll be on the roster this year,” Aird said.

Last year's rise: How Indiana made improbable rise to NCAA volleyball tournament host

Part of that confidence is because Tatum hadn’t signed a professional contract. And her presence, has been an important part of the competition IU hopes to bring in 2026.

.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: No....

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →