Ignite Extend Win Streak to Four with Five-Set Comeback Triumph

Ignite Extend Win Streak to Four with Five-Set Comeback Triumph

Victory Knots Indy with Orlando for Third in PVF Standings

By Mark Robinson

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 30, 2025) – The Indy Ignite continue to light it up with exciting – and winning – Pro Volleyball Federation play. Today, the Ignite mounted a sensational comeback to defeat Orlando in five sets, giving Indy a season-best four-match win streak.

After going down two sets to one to the host Valkyries, the Ignite regrouped and recharged to capture the last two sets. The thrilling victory moved Indy into a third-place tie with Orlando in the PVF standings, both teams with identical 12-8 records.

“I think it took everybody together to do this tonight,” Ignite head coach George Padjen said after his team won its second five-setter in 10 days. “Obviously, Orlando's a really good team and we're on the road, but I was really proud of how they came back there.

“We’ve been working on it, the team’s coming around together, but it's a process. A few months into this, I'm happy with our progress.”

After opening with a 25-21 triumph in the first set at Addition Financial Arena, the Ignite lost the next by 25-20 and 25-21 scores. The first two times that Indy and Orlando met earlier this season, the team that won the first set then dropped the next three. The Ignite were intent on ending that trend today.

Trailing 10-9 in set four, the Ignite put together an 11-5 scoring burst to take command. The run was sparked by four kills from middle blocker Lydia Martyn and three by outside hitter Caitie Baird, playing in her first match since joining the Ignite this week. Back-to-back kills by outside hitter Carly Skjodt and opposite hitter Azhani Tealer sealed the 25-21 win to even the match at two sets each.

Baird was downright unstoppable in the fifth set, scoring eight of Indy’s points in the match decider. She nailed four kills in a 5-1 run that broke the Ignite away from a 4-4 deadlock and appropriately added kills for the final two points in the 15-11 win.

A two-time All-American and 2019 NCAA champion at Stanford who most recently played professionally in Turkey, Baird led all Ignite scorers with 20 points on 17 kills, two blocks and a service ace, along with contributing nine digs. She played sparingly in the first two sets, notching all of her kills and blocks when she started the final three sets. She finished the match with a sizzling .423 kill percentage and .385 kill efficiency.

“It was awesome,” Baird said of her Ignite debut. “It was just good to be a part of the team and I can't do what I do without them. They're making plays and making me look good, so I'm just trying to put the ball away for them.”

Call her coach impressed with the Indianapolis native’s first showing.

“Incredible!” Padjen said. “Obviously, it's a tough situation to come in anytime cold. She was talking about putting the ball away, but it's her back row stuff, it's the passing, it's the defense, net defense, all of the above. When people watch, they’ll watch the hits and see the final point, but I'm watching the whole thing happen and it was impressive.”

Baird received strong support from her teammates. Skjodt had 14 kills and two blocks; Tealer 14 kills and 11 digs; Martyn 12 kills and a block. Setter Sydney Hilley, the reigning PVF Player of the Week, put together her typical masterful match with 57 kills, 12 digs, three blocks and a kill. Libero Elena Scott recorded a season best with 25 digs, more than a few in sensational diving fashion to extend rallies.

Today’s inspiring victory follows an impressive three-set win last week at league-leading Omaha that helps verify the Ignite as a true PVF postseason contender. Indy finishes a demanding stretch of seven road matches in a nine-match span with a visit to Columbus at 7 p.m. ET Saturday. The match streams live on the PVF YouTube Channel.

After that, five of the Ignite’s last seven regular-season matches are at Fishers Event Center, the first on April 12 against Grand Rapids on Firestorm Appreciation Night. Tickets for that and all Ignite matches are available from Ticketmaster via the Ignite website.

Indy Ignite Volleyball Editor Mark Robinson may be reached at Mark@indyignitevb.com