The Indy Ignite are headed back to the postseason.

Indy rallied Thursday night to defeat the San Diego Mojo in five sets, 25-20, 19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-9, at Viejas Arena, improving to 17-4 and becoming the first team to clinch a spot in the 2026 Major League Volleyball Championship.

The victory did not come easily. After taking the opening set, the Ignite dropped the next two and found themselves in danger of letting a playoff-clinching opportunity slip away. Instead, Indy regrouped in the fourth set, then opened the decisive fifth set with a 6-0 run and closed out the match from there.

The playoff berth is the second straight for the Ignite franchise. According to the team’s official release, Indy is guaranteed to be one of the four teams advancing to the league championship event, scheduled for May 7 and 9 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.

Azhani Tealer led the Ignite attack with 22 kills, one shy of her season high. Kayla Lund added 14 kills and a season-high 26 digs, while setter Mia Tuaniga filled the stat sheet with 56 assists, 16 digs, six kills and two service aces in the fifth set. Libero Elena Scott matched her season best with 20 digs.

The Ignite had to dig deep into their roster to finish the match. Anna DeBeer was ruled out before first serve with a back injury, and Leketor Member-Meneh left during the third set after a collision with Tuaniga. That forced Indy to lean on its depth, and the reserves responded. Lydia Martyn, returning after missing four matches with a foot injury, contributed four kills and three blocks over the final two sets. Taylor Landfair added seven kills, five digs and a block, while Emoni Bush chipped in three kills and three digs.

San Diego made Indy work for every point. The Mojo, who entered the night on a three-match winning streak, totaled 17 blocks and were led by Grace Loberg’s 20 points. But the Ignite found another gear late, using their experience and depth to finish the comeback and secure the franchise’s latest milestone.

Indy remains in first place and now turns its attention to postseason seeding. The Ignite’s next match is Sunday at Fishers Event Center against the Atlanta Vibe, with first serve set for 3 p.m. ET.