Volleyball in Indiana will take center stage at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as the state’s two premier programs meet for the 45th edition of the Monon Spike Match on Thursday, October 16th.
Indiana will be the designated home team in the first meeting of the year between the two sides.
“We are honored to be playing a match this season at Gainbridge Arena,” head coach Steve Aird said in a release. “I felt it was a great opportunity for our program, great for the sport and just the right thing to do. We invite Hoosier fans from all over to attend the match before homecoming weekend and a home football victory.”
Gainbridge Fieldhouse – home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and WNBA’s Indiana Fever – is set to become the new epicenter of volleyball in the Hoosier state. The IHSAA Girls’ Volleyball State Finals will move to the arena this November for the first time ever.
As the sport of volleyball continues to grow at the collegiate level, a number of programs around the country have moved big games to basketball arenas. Wisconsin and Marquette will meet again at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee this season while Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center will host the NCAA Women’s National Championship game in 2025.
IU has struggled in the all-time series against Purdue but it did win the last Monon Spike Match when it was the designated home team. Former All-American setter Camryn Haworth had a near triple-double in 2023 when the Hoosiers snapped a long losing streak to their in-state rivals.
The two teams will play their second match of the season on Saturday, November 29th at Purdue’s Holloway Gymnasium. Last year’s contest in West Lafayette was played in Mackey Arena and saw over 14,000 fans fill the gym for the rivalry game.
Ticket sales and information will be announced at a later date.
