Ignite Fall Just Shy in Five-Set Loss at Atlanta
Full Team Effort Nearly Earns Victory
By: Mark Robinson
ATLANTA, Ga. (February 16, 2025) – The margin of error for success is miniscule in Pro Volleyball Federation competition. The Indy Ignite can vouch for that after dropping a heartbreaking, hard-fought, five-set match to the Atlanta Vibe tonight at Gas South Arena.
Playing without top scorer and PVF All-Star Leketor Member-Meneh – who was placed on injured reserve after injuring her ankle in Thursday’s win over San Diego – the remaining Ignite players turned in a complete team effort that fell just short of victory. The set scores for the Ignite – 30-28, 19-25, 18-25, 25-22 and 13-15 – were truly indicative of just how close they were to winning. Instead, Indy fell to 5-5 this season while Atlanta moved to 6-5.
The two teams meet again Thursday on the Ignite’s home court, the Fishers Event Center.
“Atlanta’s a tough team and we played them well in a five-set match,” Ignite head coach George Padjen said. “The team is going to get in the gym this week and get to work prepping to play them again Thursday.”
The Ignite showed their trademark grit in the opening set, rallying from a 16-11 deficit and fighting off four Vibe set points. Three straight Indy points – a Nina Cajic kill followed by back-to-back block points from middle blocker Caroline “CC” Crawford – nailed down the 30-28 set win. Outside hitters Cajic and Isabel Martin – the latter starting in place of the injured Member-Meneh – each had five kills in the set, with Crawford adding four kills to her two blocks and opposite hitter Azhani Tealer delivering four kills of her own.
The Ignite jumped to a 6-3 second-set lead before the Vibe came alive behind excellent net play and 2024 PVF MVP Leah Edmond. Atlanta registered eight block points in the set to Indy’s zero and Edmond had eight kills. Atlanta controlled the third set, with six Vibe players scoring three or four points each and Atlanta tallying three block points to none for Indy.
The Ignite’s tenacity was on full display in the fourth set after trailing 3-0 early and 17-15 later. Four straight points – three on Cajic kills – pushed Indy ahead and the Ignite closed the set win with three consecutive points on a Tealer kill, Martin block and Tealer service ace.
Things looked bleak in the fifth set when Indy trailed 10-5, but the Ignite rallied to close within 13-12 and denied one Vibe match point before Edmond’s season-high 26th kill of the night ended the match.
For the Ignite, Cajic led with 18 kills, two blocks and two aces. Martin had 15 kills, two blocks and 12 digs. Tealer added 15 kills, a block and an ace. Crawford posted a sensational .550 kill efficiency with 11 kills in 20 attempts with no errors. Padjen went deeper into his bench in the five-setter, with 12 Ignite players seeing action.
“I thought it was a really great team effort and everybody was fighting until the end,” Martin said after excelling in her first start. “I’m excited to face them again this week.”
Thursday’s match begins at 7 p.m. ET, with tickets available on the Ignite website, and the match also streams live on the PVF YouTube Channel. It is Indy’s final match prior to Saturday’s inaugural PVF All-Star Match, also being played at Fishers Event Center. Tealer and setter Sydney Hilley will represent the Ignite in the All-Star Match. Member-Meneh was named to the team but is unable to participate because of her injury.
Tickets for the PVF All-Star Match are available at provolleyball.com/tickets and the Fishers Event Center box office. The CBS national television network will broadcast the match live at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Member-Meneh Placed on Injured Reserve
Member-Meneh was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will be out at least through the PVF All-Star Match. The Ignite activated middle blocker Lydia Martyn and outside hitter Anna DeBeer, while moving middle blocker Chiamaka Nwokolo to the practice squad. Martyn responded with a sensational night against Atlanta, coming off the bench in the final three sets to notch seven kills and a block.
Indy Ignite Volleyball Editor Mark Robinson may be reached at Mark@indyignitevb.com