Ignite Break MLV Record for Wins in a Season

FISHERS, Indiana, May 1, 2026. – The Indy Ignite just keep making Major League Volleyball history. With tonight’s win over the visiting Columbus Fury, the Ignite collected their 22nd victory of the season to eclipse the league record of 21 set last year by Omaha.

The Ignite have thoroughly enjoyed the friendly confines in 2026. After dropping the home opener in January, they’ve reeled off 12 consecutive triumphs at Fishers Event Center. But this one was the toughest.

With her team’s top seed already secured for next week’s MLV Championship, Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci fielded a lineup featuring five players who’d started five matches or fewer this season, and she stuck predominantly with the same group throughout. What Bertolacci saw impressed, as Indy rallied to win in five sets, 25-22, 20-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-13.

“We said in the locker room that we're playing to get the record today and we put a team out there that we believed we could do that with,” the first-year Ignite coach said. “I'm super pumped, it was one of the most fun games of the season. That was our first five-setter at home, so it was really exciting.”

Bertolacci was perhaps her most animated on the sideline this season as she urged her team on after Indy fell behind two sets to one. Sparked by breakout play from outside hitters Emoni Bush (making her fourth start) and Taylor Landfair (first start), the Ignite broke away from a 10-9 lead in the fourth set to take it going away by seven points. The fifth set found Indy on the brink of defeat, trailing 13-11. A Bush back-row kill drew the Ignite within a point. The Fury then committed a rotation infraction followed by a pair of attacking errors to end the match.

Ignite rookie Emma Halter made her first start at libero, finishing with 20 digs, five assists and a 76 percent positive reception rate. The Indianapolis native said the attitude on the court was to never give up, even when the situation appeared dire.

“We looked at each other, and we're like, ‘We are not losing!’” Halter said. I looked at Ainise (Havili, Ignite setter) in the fourth set and I said, ‘I don't care what happens or what this looks like, but we're winning!’ It was really fun to see us just come together and finish.”

Bush led Ignite scorers with 24 points on 20 kills, two blocks and two service aces – surpassing her total point output (23) for the nine matches she played in prior to tonight. 

“In my head going into the game, I was just going to be aggressive, and whether that worked for me or whether it didn't, I was just going to live with that,” said Bush, the MLV rookie from Oklahoma. “I was going to go up there and take big swings, and even if I got blocked or hit it out, I was going to go up to the next point and take another big swing. That was my mentality from the start and it worked.”

Landfair scored 15 points (13 kills, one block, one ace). Middle blocker Cara Cresse added a dozen points (10 kills, one block, one ace) and opposite hitter Camryn Hannah 10 (all on kills) as well as 11 digs. Havili was proficient from the setter position, distributing 49 assists and doubling up with 15 digs.

“I'm really excited for the athletes that were out there today,” Bertolacci said. “They haven't had a lot of chances this season, but they've been practicing really well so their performances are not really a surprise to me. I'm excited that everyone else got to see that.

“Emma got 20 digs today and had a great game controlling the backcourt,” the coach added, “and Emoni's actually attacking-wise one of our best outsides in training consistently, and that showed up today with 24 points.”

The Ignite, now 22-5 overall, close the regular season Sunday when they host San Diego at 3 p.m. ET. The Fury will close out the regular season against the Atlanta Vibe on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Nationwide Arena.

MLV Championship Pairings Set

No. 1-seeded Indy will meet No. 4 Omaha in the first MLV Championship semifinal Thursday at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, in a rematch of last year’s semifinals when the fourth-seeded Ignite upended the top-seeded Supernovas in a wild five-setter.

Dallas, host to the MLV Championship, is the No. 2 seed and will take on No. 3 San Diego in the second semifinal. The Ignite-Supernovas match starts at 7 p.m. ET, with the Pulse-Mojo battle to follow. The title match that pays a million-dollar bonus to the MLV champion is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 9.

Tickets for the 2026 MLV Championship are on sale via the MLV Ticketmaster website. All MLC Championship matches will be telecast nationally on the ION network.