Ignite Use Regular-Season Finale as Tune-Up for PVF Playoffs
Thirteen Indy Players See Action at San Diego
By: Mark Robinson
SAN DIEGO (May 3, 2025) – Saturday night’s Pro Volleyball Federation match had no bearing on their upcoming trip to the league playoffs, so the Indy Ignite saw it as an opportunity to show the depth of their bench.
Head coach George Padjen used all but one of his 14 active players against the San Diego Mojo. While the Ignite lost in four sets to finish the regular season 13-15, they’re still headed to the PVF Championship for a semifinal date Friday with reigning PVF champion Omaha. A victory advances Indy to the “Match for a Million” to decide the 2025 league champion Sunday, May 11.
Indy won Saturday’s opening set 25-22 behind six kills and two blocks from outside hitter Caitie Baird, who returned to the starting lineup. It was also the only set that PVF All-Star Sydney Hilley played. She sat out the final three sets, the first she missed all season. Hilley collected 10 assists in the single set to finish the regular season with PVF records for assists (1,277) and assists per set (11.30). Opposite hitter Azhani Tealer, another PVF All-Star, didn’t start in the match, seeing only minimal action in the fourth set.
“Although the result of this match wasn’t going to influence our seeding matchup going into playoffs, there was still something to play for,” Hilley said. “We wanted to think of this as another opportunity to not only compete but also get better. It was also a great opportunity to get playing time to lots of players. We got to show off how deep of a team we have, which was awesome.”
The Mojo put up a spirited effort, winning the last three sets 25-18, 25-19 and 25-19 to claim victory and finish the season at 11-17. Starting all four sets, Baird led the Ignite attack with 14 kills, six blocks and a service ace. Ainise Havili replaced Hilley as setter for the final three sets and recorded a double-double with 24 assists and 13 digs to go with two kills and an ace.
Elena Scott played all four sets at libero, accumulating 19 digs. Scott, the rookie from Louisville, is the only Ignite member to appear in all 116 sets this season.
“Obviously, we weren’t playing all of our typical starters for tonight’s match, but we wanted to give people a chance to get the opportunity to play,” Padjen said. “Elena played well, I thought Ainise played well. It’s putting them in a space where they get an opportunity to show their skills. Overall happy but definitely room for growth from everybody who was out there today.”
The focus shifts now to the PVF Championship and the showdown with Omaha. The Supernovas won the season battle 3-1, but the Ignite posted a sweep on the road at Omaha in their most recent meeting March 22. That followed a thrilling five-set loss to the Supernovas nine days prior that could easily have swung in the other direction.
Hilley, who earned PVF Postseason MVP honors as a member of Omaha’s championship team last season, said getting to the playoffs this year was an Ignite goal, but not the only one.