Orlando Rallies to Top Indy in Four Sets
April 25, 2025 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Indy Ignite News Release
FISHERS, Ind. - The Indy Ignite keep battling tooth-and-nail but they haven't been able to find their way back to a victory.
Tonight at Fishers Event Center, the Ignite fell in four sets to the visiting Orlando Valkyries (22-25, 25-16, 26-24, 28-26) for their fifth straight loss. The final two sets went to extra points before Orlando prevailed, dropping Indy to 12-13 in Pro Volleyball Federation competition. It's the first time the Ignite have slipped below the .500 mark, but they remain fourth in the standings and the first-year franchise can still clinch a playoff spot as soon as Sunday's home battle against San Diego.
For the third straight match, Indy won the opening set, methodically pulling away to a 25-22 win behind seven kills, five digs and a block from opposite hitter Azhani Tealer, 16 assists from setter Sydney Hilley and five kills by outside hitter Nina Cajic, playing her first match in six weeks.
Orlando (15-10) rebounded quickly to take the second set, 25-16. Indy appeared poised to take the third set when the Ignite grabbed a 23-21 advantage, but the Valkyries rallied with three straight points. The Ignite fought off one set point before a pair of Orlando kills gave the Valkyries a crucial 26-24 win and momentum-swinging 2-1 set lead.
"This game is so momentum-based," Ignite head coach George Padjen said. "When you miss the execution on one or two balls here and there, it just shifts like that. All of a sudden, game three goes away and you're in game four and fighting for your life."
The fourth set saw the Ignite ferociously fight back from a 22-18 deficit to tie it at 23-all. Indy denied Orlando three match points with a Caitie Baird kill, followed by a Cajic block and kill, before back-to-back Valkyrie kills gave the visitors the 28-26 set triumph and match victory.
"I think we played them really well," Tealer said. "There were a couple sets where we had to come from behind a lot, and that's really hard to play into against a really good team like that. I thought we were neck-and-neck with them the whole time. It was just a couple points, couple bad plays here and there that come back to bite you."
Tealer led the Indy attack with 21 kills and sensational kill percentage (.488) and efficiency (.349). The PVF All-Star also had 13 digs, four blocks and a service ace. Cajic finished with 15 kills, nine digs and a block. Hilley set up the attack with 51 assists and 11 digs.
Indy still clinches the fourth and final PVF playoff spot with two wins in its final three matches or one win coupled with a loss by the Grand Rapids Rise. Sunday's 3 p.m. ET match with San Diego is the Indy 500 Match.
"We're still in position to control our own destiny," Padjen reminded.
Knowing how the Ignite feed off the energy of the home crowd, Tealer asked for a strong showing of enthusiastic fans at Fishers Event Center on Sunday like the one that urged them on tonight.
"There's not another crowd like that in professional volleyball in America, anywhere in any league," she said. "We need them and if they can continue to give that, they're going to be happy with the result on Sunday because we're going to really give back to them."
Activities begin at 1 p.m. Sunday with a fan fest on the Fishers Event Center lawn that includes appearances by 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, A.J. Foyt Racing driver David Malukas, custom Indy cars on display, an interactive pit stop challenge, pedal car races, Indianapolis Motor Speedway giveaways and more. Tickets for the match are available on the Ignite website. The match also streams on VBTV.
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