Indiana University Softball Takes Out Top-Seeded Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament Just four days after facing playing each other in the weekend’s final regular season series, No. 8 seed Indiana and No. 1 seed Northwestern met up again on Thursday afternoon in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal at Bob Pearl Field. The Hoosiers triumphed, defeating the Wildcats, 4-3, to advance to the semifinals. They will face off against No. 4 Seed Nebraska at 5pm this afternoon on the Big Ten Network.
Northwestern struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI double from Cunnea to score Donahey. Indiana freshman Alex Cooper would tie the game on one swing in the top of the fourth inning, hitting a home run to dead center field to make it a 1-0 game. The Hoosiers would add on two more runs to make it 3-1 in the top of the fifth as they got the bases loaded and drew two consecutive walks. Senior Aaliyah Andrews and Cooper each walked to score junior Sarah Stone and sophomore Avery Parker, respectively. After the top of the fifth, the game went into a rain delay that spanned a little over an hour. Coming out of the delay, Indiana’s defense was ready to go, turning in a three-up, three-down inning. With two outs in the top of the sixth, freshman Aly VanBrandt would hit an RBI single up the middle and score junior Brianna Copeland to make it a 4-1 game. Northwestern would add on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning from a home run and RBI double to draw closer at a 4-3 score. The Wildcats would get one runner aboard in the bottom of the seventh, but Indiana collected three outs to seal the win.
With the win, Indiana is 39-17 on the season. Brianna Copeland eclipsed 20 wins on the season in the circle. This is Indiana’s second consecutive year reaching the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Alex Cooper’s home run was her sixth of the season. Eight different Hoosiers recorded a hit. Cooper (2), VanBrandt (1) and Andrews (1) all accounted for an RBI. Indiana’s upcoming game against Nebraska will be the first time that the teams have met this season.
Indiana University Women’s Tennis Head Coach Ramiro Azuci will not return next season Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson announced on Thursday that head women’s tennis coach Ramiro Azcui will not return next season. “Following an evaluation of the trajectory of our women’s tennis program at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, I concluded a change in leadership is necessary,” Dolson said. “Our women’s tennis program has a long and rich history of success on both the Big Ten and national level, and Ramiro has been a big part of that success during his 32 years of involvement with the program. We wish him well in his future endeavors.” A national search for Azcui’s successor will begin immediately.
Indiana University Volleyball adds three to the 2024 Roster With the beginning of the volleyball season rapidly approaching, Indiana head coach Steve Aird announced the addition of three new players to the 2024 roster on Wednesday afternoon. These three players will provide depth at key positions and provide a wide range of experience and talent in the IU gym. Two additional defensive specialists and a new setter will add to a deep collection of returning talent in Bloomington. Redshirt junior Natalia Hagopian will transition to a new role as a Student Assistant, opening up the door for the third setter to join the program. Delaynie Maple (DS, San Diego, Calif.), Jaide Cummings (DS, Buffalo, N.Y.) and Sade Ilawole (S, Woodland Hills, Calif.) will add to a total of eight newcomers on next year’s roster. The Hoosiers will boast five true freshmen with three additional transfers rounding out the new group of players for Aird and his staff. Cummings, who is also enrolled in the Maurer School of Law at IU, joined at the semester along with true freshman Reese Hazelton (OH, Philipsburg, Pa.) and junior Madi Sell (MB, Ballwin, Mo.). Maple, a grad transfer from USC, will join this summer along with the final four freshmen.
#23 Delaynie Maple | DS | 5-10 | San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines/USC Beach – A well-respected leader and a versatile talent, Delaynie Maple will take advantage of the COVID-19 waiver to play a season of indoor volleyball at IU. Maple, a high school and college teammate of former IU setter Emily Fitzner, spent four years playing beach volleyball for powerhouse USC. During her time at USC, Maple, and partner Megan Kraft, were one of the most dominant beach pairs in college. A back-to-back AVCA First Team All-American, Maple racked up over 100 career wins and helped the Women of Troy to four-straight national championships.
At Torrey Pines High School, Maple was a four-year letterwinner and was a Prep Volleyball First Team All-American as a senior with 345 kills and 339 digs. She was the No. 2 ranked beach volleyball recruit in the nation and played six years at Wave Beach Volleyball Club. She, and Kraft, won the 2021 FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships in Phuket, Thailand. The 5-10 Maple is expected to be a versatile option for the Hoosiers in 2024. She has the ability to pass out of the back row but also has an outstanding arm and could be used as a pin hitter. She is known as an incredible leader and has captained USC the past two seasons.
Aird on Maple: “Delaynie comes to us after an incredibly decorated four years on the beach with USC, where she was a champion in every sense of the word. She was a fantastic indoor player during her prep career, and I think she will acclimate quickly. It is clear she has a great deal of skill, and where and how we use her and integrate her into the program is the question. I have no doubt she will be up for any challenge thrown at her. Delaynie also has exceptional leadership skills. We will lean on her for that leadership and I am certain the entire program will learn a great deal from her. I think it is a wonderful complement to our program that a talent like her has made the decision to join us and we are excited to help her continue her journey.”
#15 Sade Illawole | S/DS | 5-3 | Woodland Hills, Calif./Sierra Canyon/Mizuno Long Beach- Pronunciation (shaw-DAY; e-law-WOAH-lay) Sade Illawole, a 5-foot-3 setter and defensive specialist from Woodland Hills, Calif., will join the Indiana Volleyball program for the 2024 season. Currently a senior at Sierra Canyon High School in California, Ilawole becomes the fifth member of a freshman class in the fall that includes early enrollee Reese Hazelton, Emma Segal, Avery Daum and Ella Boersema.
Ilawole, who plays club volleyball with Mizuno Long Beach, recorded 3,105 assists in her high school career and helped lead Sierra Canyon to a 34-9 record in 2023. Sierra Canyon made the first round of the Open Division in the CIF State Volleyball Championships before being knocked out by national powerhouse Mira Costa. In three years as the program’s starting setter, Sierra Canyon compiled a 91-22 record and enjoyed one of the best stretches in school history. During that time, Ilawole also totaled 122 aces and 680 digs while playing in 329 sets. She was a high school teammate, and setter, of 2023 AVCA National Freshman of the Year, Olivia Babcock.
Ilawole was the 2023 Mission League MVP and was named a 2023 All-CIF Southern Section (Division 1) selection. She earned honors as the 2023 Daily News Offensive Player of the Year and was a Second Team All-American selection by both Max Preps and Prep Volleyball. During 2022, she was a First Team All-American pick by Prep Volleyball. Prep Volleyball ranked Ilawole as the No. 97 overall recruit in the Class of 2023 while Prep Dig touted her as the No. 5 setter in the state of California. She is also a two-time USAV National Champion in club volleyball. She is expected to provide depth in the gym with senior All-American Camyrn Haowrth and sophomore Luca Fickell. Since arriving as the associate head coach, Rachel Morris has opened a pipeline of talent from California to Bloomington. Ilawole joins Morris (Huntington Beach), Avry Tatum (Solana Beach), Delaynie Maple (San Diego) and Natalia Hagopian (Laguna Beach) as natives of California in 2024.
Aird on Ilawole: “Sade is a highly decorated, extremely cerebral young volleyball player that is universally loved by her coaches and teammates. She is excited about our academic profile and the opportunity to compete at this level. She is technically sound, has an excellent volleyball IQ and will make our gym better. She can serve, defend, set, and has the potential to help us in a variety of ways. I have a lot of faith that Sade will outperform expectations as she has done so her entire career.”
#25 Jaide Cummings | DS | 5-8 | Buffalo, N.Y../Clarence/Univ. of Toronto – A mid-year enrollee, Jaide Cummings will join the program for her final year of eligibility. She’s currently enrolled in the Maurer School of Law and is working towards her law degree while playing college volleyball. Cummings has made two stops in her college career and provides another back row option for the Hoosiers. The 5-foot-8 Cummings is a native of Buffalo, N.Y. She went through spring training with the Hoosiers and played in exhibitions against Xavier, IUPUI and Purdue as a reserve defensive specialist. IU graduated key reserve ball handlers in Isa Lopez and Grae Gosnell opening up the need for reinforcement in the back row. She joins a position group that features Maple, sophomore libero Ramsey Gary, senior Carly Mills and incoming freshman Emma Segal. Senior Kenzie Daffinee has also been training with the defensive specialists in the spring.
Aird on Cummings: “Jaide is a mature, strong, talented volleyball player with a fantastic demeanor and excellent work rate. Her perseverance and grit are what stand out most to me through the process of recruiting her, and I am proud of her tenacity and desire to compete at this level. She is an unbelievable person and teammate and she pushes herself in all she does, whether on the court or in the classroom. She doesn’t back down from a challenge and is completely bought into our goals in Bloomington. Jaide spent a week with the Canadian National Team Program in the spring and has lots of experience to pull from. She brings plenty to the program and we are lucky to have her on the roster.”
Assistant Commissioner Janie Ulmer leaving the IHSAA Staff Janie Ulmer, who has served on the executive staff of the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) for the last two years, has announced her intention to leave this summer. Ulmer was approved last evening by the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of School Trustees to become an assistant principal at Fishers High School. Her last day with the IHSAA will be June 30, 2024. Ulmer joined the IHSAA August 1, 2022, as an assistant commissioner and administered the sports of girls’ basketball, girl’s gymnastics, boys and girls’ soccer, and boys and girls track & field. She also directed the IHSAA’s sportsmanship program.
“Working with students has always been my passion, and I am grateful to once again to have the opportunity to lead in a school,” Ulmer said. “I have truly valued my time at the IHSAA and have not only grown professionally, but personally as well. I have been blessed to work alongside a very knowledgeable
and committed team who are passionate about what they do and the education-based system that they protect.”
“Janie has served the student athletes of Indiana and the membership of the Indiana High School Athletic Association with exemplary dedication and passionate service in her role as assistant commissioner,” said IHSAA Commissioner Paul Neidig. “On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, we thank Janie for her leadership and offer our best wishes for success in the future.”
A career educator prior to arriving at the IHSAA, Ulmer spent five years with Hamilton Southeastern Schools, the last two as the principal at Hamilton Southeastern High School (2020-22) in Fishers. From 2017-2020, she served as Director of the Hamilton Southeastern Fishers Academy (HSEF), an off-site alternative education program she helped launch for both Hamilton Southeastern and Fishers high schools. In that role, she managed all functions of the program including staffing, development of academic programs, student services and facilities. Prior to that, Ulmer spent 24 years in the LaPorte Community School Corporation in northwest Indiana. She was Director of Virtual Learning, an alternative high school within LaPorte High School, from 2012-17. And from 1993-2012, she taught mathematics to seventh and eighth graders at Kesling Middle School in LaPorte.
Ulmer is a 1989 graduate of Valparaiso University earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education. She went on to earn a master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education in Chicago in 2012. She is an alumnus of LaPorte High School
where she was a member of the Slicers’ varsity girls’ basketball team, later serving as an assistant coach, and helped in a supporting role with the baseball team under late Hall of Fame coach Ken Schreiber. Ulmer is engaged to Christopher Hagenow, and she has two adult children – Zachary (Maria) Ulmer
and Kate Ulmer – and two grandsons – Elliott and Everett
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hosts Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday The Sonsio Grand Prix returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 11th running of the race this weekend. Qualifications are Today and the green flag will be raised on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Sonsio Grand Prix marks the first racing event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month and the drivers are excited to get started. “It’s always that anticipation feeling when you lead into May,” Felix Rosenqvist said at Saturday’s Rev event. “You know, we have the GP (Grand Prix) next week and from there on it’s just going to be flat out until the finish flag at the 500. But (I’m) super excited.”
The Grand Prix runs just 85 laps with a 2.439-mile track that uses parts of Turn 1 and Turn 2 of the usual oval and runs through the infield as well. Instead of just four turns on the main oval track, the Grand Prix has 14 total turns. Simon Pagenaud won the first running of the race in 2014. He is one of two drivers to win the race multiple times. He won in 2014 and 2019 and Will Power won three times, in 2015, and back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2018. Álex Palou is the reigning champion, leading 52 of the 85 laps. Winning the Grand Prix helped Palou win the Indycar Series Championship last year. He’ll look to become the second back-to-back champion in the short history of the Grand Prix.
Pagenaud and Power are the only two drivers to win the Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 in the same year. Power won both races in 2018 and Pagenaud did the same in 2019. Despite their success in the race, both Power and Pagenaud finished outside the top 10 last year. Power placed 12th and Pagenaud did not finish the race, completing just 58 laps due to mechanical problems. After the Grand Prix this weekend, all the attention turns to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500.
Indiana Pacers Return Home after losing Game 2 to the New York Knicks Jalen Brunson left the locker room on an injured leg, walked onto the court and sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy, just as Willis Reed had exactly 54 years earlier. As the roars turned into “MVP! MVP!” chants, Brunson tried to block out the pain in his body and the noise all around him as he warmed up at halftime. “It was really cool to hear, but I just knew that I had to get my mind in the right place to figure out how I was going to attack the second half,” Brunson said. He shook off his right foot injury to score 24 of his 29 points in the final two quarters, leading the New York Knicks to a 130-121 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. On the anniversary of Willis Reed’s dramatic emergence from the locker room before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to lead the Knicks to their first title, Brunson had missed the entire second quarter while the Pacers surged ahead to a double-figure lead. Reed’s teammates have said they didn’t know if he would play that night. Brunson’s had no doubt.
“I mean, he’s a warrior. That’s all I got,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “There was no doubt in my mind that he’ll be back. All season long, no matter what is thrown at him, injury bug or whatever, he always bounces back. And we knew the severity of the game and everything, so we knew, everybody had confidence he was coming back.” Brunson fell short of becoming the second player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in five straight playoff games, but he gave the Knicks everything they needed to move halfway to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.
“He’s a great leader, so I think the players all have respect for that, when a guy goes out and is willing to give whatever he has, and so that says a lot about him,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. Former Indiana Hoosier OG Anunoby added a career playoff-high 28 points before leaving with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter for the injury-riddled Knicks, who have already lost three key players to season-ending injuries. But they got Brunson back and received huge efforts again from his two Villanova teammates. DiVincenzo scored 28 points and Josh Hart had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for the No. 2-seeded Knicks.
Tyrese Haliburton rebounded from a poor Game 1 with 34 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, who finished the game without coach Rick Carlisle after he got two technical fouls and was ejected. “Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle said during a postgame complaint about the officiating. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they are playing.” The series moves to Indiana for Game 3 Tonight and Game 4 on Sunday. Former Knicks forward Obi Toppin added 20 points in another strong effort by Indiana’s reserves, but the Pacers hurt themselves by shooting just 10 for 17 (59%) from the free throw line. Knicks fans profanely jeered Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, an enemy from the heated 1990s era of this playoff rivalry who was calling the game as part of TNT’s crew, during a delirious finish to what had been a nervous first half, when Brunson was missing for the entire second quarter.
He had made a 3-pointer for a 24-13 lead in the first quarter, giving the Knicks 10 baskets in their first 14 shots in a blistering start. But after Toppin made one for the Pacers on the other end, Brunson began waving to the bench for a substitution as he ran down the court on offense. That was early in an 11-0 run by Indiana to tie it, and it was tied again at 36 after Toppin made three free throws with 0.3 seconds remaining. The Pacers then made 15 of 22 shots in the second quarter in Brunson’s absence, outscoring the Knicks 37-27 to take a 73-63 lead. Brunson would only say he felt some discomfort and that once he warmed up, he knew he was going back into the game. “I had a decision to make, and I made a decision,” Brunson said.
Indiana’s lead was 79-70 before the Knicks stormed ahead with a 14-0 run, with Brunson contributing a three-point play during it as New York went ahead 84-79. Anunoby was hurt soon after, appearing to injure his hamstring while trying to finish a fast-break layup, but Brunson guided the Knicks through the finish with 14 points in the fourth quarter. With All-Star Julius Randle gone to shoulder surgery and key reserves Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic lost in the playoffs, the Knicks have been relying on their starters to play major minutes — all 48 of them for Hart in both games of the series. So, they can’t afford to play without Brunson, who finished fifth in the voting for MVP that Nikola Jokic won Wednesday.
He had joined Jerry West, Michael Jordan and Bernard King as the only players with at least four straight 40-point games in the playoffs, and came in as the leading scorer in the postseason with 36.6 points per game. Brunson ended up getting fairly close to that despite playing only 32 minutes, saying afterward that teammates were teasing him with Reed jokes. Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Knicks, forced to play 39 minutes after the Knicks announced Tuesday that Robinson would miss at least six weeks with a stress injury to his left ankle. The Knicks paid tribute to Reed’s return, one of the most memorable moments in NBA and Madison Square Garden history, during the first quarter. His No. 19 jersey, hanging in the rafters, was spotlighted, and Hall of Fame teammate Walt Frazier came onto the court for an ovation.
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