“Celebrating youth volleyball specifically on this night before we have a major national qualifier in our city is so important to what we believe in and what we're passionate about for the Ignite,” Klanac added. “It'll be really fun to see it all come into fruition.”
Scott McQueen, MEQ tournament director, praised the Ignite for extending the offer for clubs to attend Thursday’s match and showing young volleyball players what that top rung of the ladder looks like.
“The sport is obviously growing significantly,” said McQueen, who has been involved in youth volleyball for 25 years. “It's nice that players can play in college and then still possibly have that opportunity in the States past what they used to. Just being a little bit more in the forefront of people's eyes in the United States will be good as opposed to just having to go international to play professional.”
Klanac said an added bonus for MEQ teams attending involves a viral trend called “clipping,” where volleyball players write an inspirational message on a clothespin and secretly attach it to another player’s backpack or back of their jersey. The Ignite will give a bag of Ignite-designed clothespins to attending teams for their players to use on match night or at the MEQ.
Fans not associated with the qualifier tournament who come to Thursday’s match can also share in the fun. All Ignite youth merchandise will be discounted 10% at the gift shop, and any youngster wearing their volleyball jersey to the match will receive an additional 10% off their merchandise purchase.
Ignite Seek Second Straight Win during Demanding Stretch
The Ignite seek their second straight PVF win Thursday during a demanding stretch that sees Indy play at home just twice in a nine-match span. The Ignite rebounded after dropping the first set at Grand Rapids on Saturday to win in four sets and move their record to 9-8.
Indy opposite hitter Azhani Tealer was rewarded for her record-setting performance last week against Omaha – when she set PVF records for kills (31) and points (35) in a match – by being named Tuesday as the PVF Player of the Week. Even though Indy is 2-0 against Columbus thus far in 2025, Tealer knows the Ignite need to up their game once again when the Fury come to town Thursday.
“We're going to have to serve and pass really well,” she said. “They're a good serving team. They rely pretty heavily on (outside hitter) Raina Terry and she's a good player. If we can get a jump on her early and hit our serving, I think we'll be in a good spot.”
Thursday’s match starts at 7 p.m. ET, with tickets for non-MEQ teams available on the Ignite website. The match also streams free on the Roku Channel.
Indy Ignite Volleyball Editor Mark Robinson may be reached at Mark@indyignitevb.com
