No. 24 Colorado advances to play Indiana in NCAA second round

Colorado Buffaloes volleyball will look to ride the hot hand of pin attacker Sydney Jordan against Indiana on Thursday. (Photo by Fidel Gonzalez/Sko Buffs Sports)

The No. 24-ranked, fifth-seeded Colorado Buffaloes (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) are second-round bound as they swept American University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

They advance to play the fourth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers (23-7, 15-7 Big Ten) after their takedown of the Toledo Rockets, 3-0 (25-18, 25-25, 25-17). 

This is the Hoosiers’ first time in the NCAA Tournament since 2010, with head coach Steve Aird driving one of the largest turnarounds in the country. This season, they won eight more games and six more conference wins than their last amid numerous injuries. 

Although the teams haven’t met since 1993, CU leads 2-1 in overall matchups against IU, with a two-game win streak. The winner of this game will fight the winner of the regional semifinals in the Texas quadrant next weekend. 

IU had an impressive defensive game, keeping its opponent under 20 points in all three sets. This win gives the Hoosiers their single-season record of 24 wins, and the team will go for its first 25-win season against Colorado. 

A standout player of their recent game, Candela Alonso-Corcelles ended with 12 kills, one block and two aces. She moved to ninth in the program's history for career kills. 

Head coach Jesse Mahoney and his players have been gearing up the whole season for this matchup. Junior pin attacker Sydney Jordan led CU’s first round with 15 kills, hitting .500. She also matched her career-high with three blocks and had two aces. 

Both teams performed well in their sweeps and will be facing off at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Stream the game that will determine if the Buffaloes advance on ESPN+ on Friday at 4 p.m. MT.