The Indy Ignite strengthened their grip on first place in Major League Volleyball Sunday night, defeating the second-place Dallas Pulse 3-1 before a sold-out crowd at Fishers Event Center. Indy won by set scores of 25-17, 25-18, 22-25 and 25-21.
The victory pushed the Ignite to 19-5 on the season, while Dallas fell to 18-7. Just as important, Indy completed a regular-season sweep of the Pulse, who have now lost four times this year to the Ignite. The win also lowered Indy’s magic number to two for clinching the No. 1 seed in the four-team MLV Championship set for May 7-9 in Dallas.
Sunday’s matchup had the feel of a postseason preview, with the league’s top two teams meeting in front of more than 6,500 fans in Fishers. But for the first two sets, the Ignite left little doubt. Indy controlled the match early with efficient hitting and strong defense, taking the opening set by eight points and following with another comfortable win in set two.
Dallas did not go quietly. The Pulse hit .316 in the third set and used a late 4-0 run to steal that frame 25-22. In the fourth set, Dallas jumped out to a 5-0 lead, only to watch Indy answer with a decisive surge that turned the match back in the home team’s favor. The Ignite eventually closed it out, winning the final set 25-21.
Azhani Tealer again led the way for Indy, finishing with 19 kills and a block for 20 points while adding 11 digs. Leketor Member-Meneh contributed 13 kills, two blocks and 16 digs, and Lydia Martyn made a strong return to the starting lineup with 10 kills, five blocks and an ace. Setter Mia Tuaniga directed the offense with 55 assists, along with four kills, two aces and nine digs. Anna DeBeer added eight kills and 11 digs.
Indy coach Lauren Bertolacci said afterward she was pleased with the way her team adjusted when Dallas made its push in the final two sets. With only a short time left in the regular season, the Ignite look very much like a team built for a deep postseason run.
The Ignite return to action Thursday, April 23, on the road against Orlando, with two more regular-season home matches still ahead in Fishers.