Eagles set for Midwest Region Crossover this weekend

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 The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team makes its way to Indianapolis later this week to join the rest of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the Midwest Region Crossover.

The annual tournament, hosted at The Academy Volleyball Club, will showcase the entirety of the GLVC alongside the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

The Screaming Eagles carry their 9-10 (3-4 GLVC) record into the Crossover as the 12th-seeded GLVC representative. USI has been matched up with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Northwood University and Kentucky Wesleyan College for the two-day event.

For more information on the 2019 Midwest Region Crossover, visit glvcsports.com, or follow the link provided above. Live stats for each USI match can be found via GoUSIEagles.com.

How We Got Here

USI has collected three GLVC victories through the first seven league matches in 2019, chalking-up four-set victories over William Jewell College and Lindenwood University, and a three-set knockout of Southwest Baptist University; two of those victories coming in the friendly confines of the Screaming Eagles Arena.

Freshman outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) continues to lead the attack in aggregate for the Eagles, eclipsing 200 kills on the season with her 12th kill against Lindenwood on Saturday. Anderson is also the leader in total digs and digs/set with 158 digs on a 2.59/set clip.

Senior middle hitter Elexis Coleman (Joliet, Illinois) continues to be an efficient menace at the net, ranking in the top ten in the GLVC with 1.02 blocks/set (65 total) while posting a USI-leading .345 hitting percentage on her way to 2.13 kills/set (138 total). Coleman posted a dominant 14 blocks over the last two matches this past weekend.

Junior setter Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri) surpassed 500 assists for the season in the win against Lindenwood Saturday night, now sitting just 86 assists away from the 2000-mark for her career. The three-year starter is also second amongst the Eagles this season with 149 digs.

Freshman libero Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana) has emerged as a mainstay in the back row for USI of late, recording 46 digs over eight sets in the last two matches for a 5.75 digs/set clip, which would rank near the top of the GLVC leaderboard over the course of the season.

Scouting the Midwest Region Crossover

USI v. Wisconsin-Parkside (Friday; 10 a.m. CT): The Eagles hold a 23-9 series record over the Rangers, but have been nearly an even split (6-5 USI) since 2011. The meeting at the Crossover is the first bout between USI and Parkside since the Rangers left the GLVC after the 2017 season.

About the Rangers: Parkside enters the tournament with a 5-13 (3-6 GLIAC) record in 2019. The Rangers are 1-2 against GLVC members this season, defeating Quincy University in five sets but falling to McKendree University in four and Lewis University in three. Parkside defeated Wayne State University in five sets to open GLIAC play, an opponent USI fell to earlier this season.

USI v. Northwood (Friday; 5 p.m. CT): The Timberwolves hold the historical advantage at 11-7 all-time. The Eagles and Northwood have crossed paths in the Crossover six times since its inception in 2008, with USI taking four of those bouts.

About the Timberwolves: Northwood holds a 4-12 (4-5 GLIAC) tally this season, with the Timberwolves looking to snap a four-match losing skid against Kentucky Wesleyan in the Friday morning session before its date with the Eagles.

USI v. Kentucky Wesleyan (Saturday; Noon CT): The Eagles and Panthers have met already in 2019, during the USI Invitational in September, with USI taking a three-set victory on the back of Anderson’s 13-kill performance. USI held KWC to just a .061 hitting percentage with 11 blocks in that match, while climbing over the .300 plateau themselves.

About the Panthers: Kentucky Wesleyan sits at 8-8 (3-2 GMAC) thus far in 2019, with its 3-2 conference record representing its performance since going 0-3 in the USI Invitational.