Indy Ignite Light It Up with Victory in Opening PVF Match
Ignite Battle Back to Defeat Orlando in Four Sets
By: Mark Robinson, Indy Ignite
FISHERS, Ind. (January 11, 2025) – Professional volleyball in Indianapolis tipped off in winning fashion Saturday night, as the Indy Ignite brought home the victory in their inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation match in front of a sellout crowd at Fishers Event Center.
Overcoming a shaky start, the Ignite recovered in style to defeat the Orlando Valkyries in four sets, 13-25, 25-19, 25-17 and 25-21. Outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh led the Ignite attack with 25 kills and two blocks, with opposite hitter Azhani Tealer contributing 19 kills and three blocks.
Afterward, the Ignite players were thrilled with their performance, and the sellout of raucous fans at the 7,500-seat Fishers Event Center who cheered them on to the win.
“It was such an incredible environment,” said setter Sydney Hilley, who accounted for 44 of the team’s 56 assists on the night. “Seeing the crowd, I think we got a little nervous. We wanted to really show them some Indy Ignite volleyball, so that first set was a lot of nerves. But I’m so proud of the way we came back.
“We talked about, ‘Let’s get this crowd into it, let’s show ‘em what Indy Ignite volleyball is, let’s have some gritty defensive plays, get this crowd going.’ And I think we kind of fed off that energy,” Hilley added. “It was just so cool to be part of this environment and I’m so proud of this team for coming back after that first set.”
Orlando, which won its season opener on Thursday over San Diego, ran off six unanswered points to build a 22-12 lead in the first set that proved insurmountable. In the timeout before the second set, the Ignite players and coaching staff urged a refocus on getting back to defensive basics and playing together.
Indy led 18-17 in the second set before tallying five straight points to surge ahead and even the match with a 25-19 win. The third set followed the same pattern – another five-point run put the Ignite in command at 19-12 and led to a 25-17 set victory. In the fourth and final set, the Ignite broke away from a 3-3 tie with four straight points and never trailed again, clinching the match with a 25-21 set win.
“I definitely think it was opening-night jitters,” Member-Meneh said of the rebound following the first set. “We had a lot of new people on our team who were new to pro in general. And it’s not very often that you get to play in front of a stage like this, in front of fans like this. “