CHARLESTON, S.C. — IU Indy opened the 2025 season with back-to-back sweeps on day one of the Buc Dome Invitational with wins over The Citadel and Charleston Southern. Freshman Jillian Tippmann came out hot with double digit kills in both matches.
 
The Jags started its season with a decisive 3-0 victory over The Citadel in the opening match of the day, highlighted by an impressive .588 attack percentage in the third set.
 
IU Indy started the first set strong with Grace Purichia delivering two consecutive service aces, propelling the team to a 4-0 lead. Purichia continued to be a key playmaker, assisting on multiple kills, including those by Maia Long and Jillian Tippmann, to maintain the team's advantage. The Jags maintained control throughout the first set, with an ace from Morgan Ostrowski contributing to the lead, and eventually closed the set with a decisive 25-16 win, capped by a kill from Purichia.
 
The second set opened with a flurry of action as IU Indy fell behind 3-0, but quickly capitalized on a service error to get on the board. A notable highlight was a strong sequence by Purichia, who facilitated multiple scoring plays, including a kill by Long at 7-7 and a kill by Ostrowski at 19-19. The set featured a back-and-forth exchange with IU Indy securing a narrow 25-23 victory to take the 2-0 match lead.
 
The third set began with a kill by Tippmann, setting the tone for IU Indy's performance. The Jags established a commanding lead later in the set, highlighted by Laura Roeder's service aces which propelled the team on a decisive run. The set concluded with an assertive 25-13 victory for IU Indy, capped by Roeder's ace on match point.
 
Purichia led the Jags with a perfect attack percentage of 1.000, recording seven kills on seven attempts while also contributing 36 assists. Ostrowski was effective with a hitting percentage of .615, contributing nine kills and three block assists. Tippmann was a key offensive force, tallying 12 kills in her collegiate debut while Roeder delivering a team-high five aces and 13 digs.
 
The Jags then continued their dominate opening day with a sweep over host team, Charleston Southern with set scores of 25-20, 25-22, 25-20.
 
IU Indy opened the first set strong despite an initial 0-4 deficit, quickly finding their rhythm to tie the score at 6-6 with a key contribution from Ninah Miranda, who recorded three kills in quick succession. The team continued to capitalize on Charleston Southern's errors, with Purichia assisting multiple scoring plays, allowing IU Indy to build momentum. A decisive 5-1 run late in the set, highlighted by Amanda Stephens' and Tippmann's kills, propelled IU Indy to a 25-20 victory.
 
IU Indy secured the second set with a 25-22 victory, largely due to a string of consistent performances from the Jags. The team took an early lead at 4-2, with Long and Tippmann contributing key kills. IU Indy went on a late 6-0 run, extending their lead to 18-11, as Ostrowski and Long added to their kill totals. Despite a late push from the Buccaneers, IU Indy capitalized on several service errors from their opponents to close out the set.
 
Despite a back-and-forth exchange of points in the third set, IU Indy managed to maintain momentum with a series of kills from Ostrowski and Long, extending their lead to 21-17. The set concluded with a decisive kill by Tippmann, securing a 25-20 victory for IU Indy.
 
Tippmann led IU Indy with 14 kills while Purichia facilitated the offense with 27 assists and added nine digs. Ostrowski recorded a team-high hitting percentage of .471 with nine kills and two solo blocks. Roeder delivered 14 digs, leading the team defensively. Stephens was efficient offensively with a .400 hitting percentage, four kills and three total blocks.
 
With the win, IU Indy improved to 2-0 overall and will close out the Buc Dome Invitational tomorrow, August 30 with a 12:00 PM first serve against Loyola Maryland.