Ignite Knock off Reigning MLV Champs, Advance to 3-0 on Season

ORLANDO, Florida, January 23, 2026.- The Indy Ignite showed their immense depth and potential on Thursday night, rolling out a starting lineup totally different from a match ago but again with the same result: victory. This time it came at the expense of the defending Major League Volleyball champion Orlando Valkyries, who fell in four sets.

It completed a three-match road trip to start the year, with the Ignite headed back for their home opener Saturday night at Fishers Event Center carrying a perfect 3-0 record. The set scores at Orlando were 25-18, 23-25, 27-25 and 25-18 in what may have been the Ignite’s most complete performance of the young season.

A versatile attack saw six Indy players score double-digit points, while a stellar Ignite defense limited 2025 MLV Most Valuable Player Brittany Abercrombie to seven kills on 34 attempts.

“Very happy with the team’s performance,” Ignite head coach Lauren Bertolacci said. “I think we wanted to play aggressive in transition, we wanted to do our best to slow down Abercrombie; she's a superstar for a reason. I think we did a pretty good job slowing her down and being able to take advantage in transition, so it's a really good win. I'm happy to be 3-0. It’s early in the season but one step at a time.”

The Ignite fell behind 13-8 on the opening set before going on a 17-5 rampage to take it going away. Setter Ainise Havili spread the wealth with 13 assists. Outside hitter Emoni Bush, opposite hitter Camryn Hannah and middle blocker Blake Mohler had four kills apiece, outside hitter Kayla Lund added three kills and middle blocker Cara Cresse had three blocks, with Bush and Hannah each notching a service ace.

Indy led 22-21 in set two before the Valkyries went on a 4-1 run to even the match at 1-1. The key juncture of the evening came in the third set, with Indy facing an Orlando set point, trailing 24-23. Behind three Lund kills and another from Cresse, the Ignite stormed to the 27-25 overtime win and snatched the momentum along with it.

The visitors bolted to a 12-3 lead in the fourth set and, behind six kills from opposite hitter Azhani Tealer along with four kills and a block by outside hitter Leketor Member-Meneh, Indy punctuated the triumph with the 25-18 set four win.

Making her first start, Lund led the Ignite with 14 kills, a block, two aces and 13 digs. Bush totaled 13 kills and two aces despite not playing in the final set. Mohler had seven kills and six blocks, Hannah added nine kills and two blocks, Tealer scored 10 kills off the bench and Cresse chipped in five kills, four blocks and an ace. Havili and Mia Tuaniga split setter duties and combined for 59 assists. 

As a team, the Ignite set a franchise record for most kills in a four-set match (66) and most points scored by their offense in a four-setter (86). 

Bertolacci explained that the different starting lineup she used tonight is indicative of just how even the talent level is throughout the roster. Plus, it gives her a chance to play the long game with an eye toward the postseason.

“We’re early in the season, so right now is a really good time for me to find out honestly what everybody can do and in what moments they can do it,” she said, “as well as making sure we are managing the load. We fly tomorrow and we have our home opener on the next day, and we have a couple girls that are recovering from some injuries, so we thought if we can win with this lineup –which I really thought we could, and we did – then we would want to go with it and make sure that we are managing the load over the season as well and being prepped hopefully for May.”

Saturday’s home opener with Omaha starts at 7 p.m. ET, with a pre-match fanfest inside Fishers Event Center beginning at 5 p.m. The match streams live on WTHR+ and the MLV YouTube channel.