Indiana Hoosiers volleyball ranked 16th in AVCA preseason poll
Head coach Steve Aird’s squad returns key contributors despite losing top graduates, opening play against Louisville on 28 August.
Indiana University volleyball has been ranked 16th in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason poll for the 2026 season. The ranking follows a historic 2025 campaign in which the Hoosiers achieved a 25-8 record, finished fifth in the Big Ten conference, and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
The AVCA poll features eight Big Ten teams, highlighting the conference’s strong national presence. Nebraska leads the rankings with 57 first-place votes, followed by Texas and Kentucky. Indiana joins other conference programs including Purdue, Penn State, and Wisconsin in the national standings.
Head coach Steve Aird’s team enters the new season with significant continuity, retaining key players from the previous year’s run. Returning contributors include setter Teodora Krickovic, outside hitter Jaidyn Jager, and liberos Hannah Leftridge and Audrey Jackson.
The Hoosiers must replace two notable graduates from the 2025 roster: Candela Alonso-Corcelles, the program’s winningest player, and right-side hitter Avry Tatum. Their departure marks the end of an era for the team’s core leadership, though the return of the aforementioned starters provides a stable foundation for the upcoming schedule.
Indiana begins its 2026 season with a match against No. 7 Louisville on 28 August. The early-season fixture against a ranked opponent sets the tone for a campaign where the team aims to build on its best season in program history.
