Senior right side hitter Erica Oberbroeckling (Westfield, Indiana) racked up a match-high 15 kills and a .464 attacking percentage to lead the University of Southern Indiana volleyball team to a 25-20, 25-17, 25-10 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory over host William Jewell College Saturday afternoon.
Oberbroeckling had four kills in the opening set, five in the second frame, and six in the last set as the Screaming Eagles cruised to the three-set sweep and their first GLVC win of the year.
USI (8-2, 1-1 GLVC) went back-and-forth with the Cardinals (4-7, 0-2 GLVC) early in the first stanza, but a 4-1 run midway through the set gave the Eagles a 14-11 edge. The Eagles used a 5-2 spurt later in the frame to extend their cushion to 21-16, a lead they would not relinquish.
The Eagles used a pair of 6-0 runs to earn the win in the second set. The first outburst gave the Eagles an early 8-2 advantage and the second surge put the Eagles up 24-16.
USI dominated the third stanza, hitting a match-best .370 while holding the Cardinals to a negative .172 attacking clip. The Eagles used a 4-0 run to break a 6-6 stalemate early in the final set; then scored eight straight points in an 11-1 run to end the match.
In addition to Oberbroeckling, the Eagles got eight kills and two blocks from sophomore outside hitter Shelbi Morris (Westfield, Indiana) as well as sophomore middle hitter Te’Ayla Whitfield (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Junior setter Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana) had 28 assists and set the Eagles’ attack to a .303 hitting percentage, while sophomore libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) and freshman defensive specialist Haley Limper (Springfield, Illinois) finished with 15 and 10 digs, respectively.
USI returns to action Friday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Quincy University in a GLVC match at the Physical Activities Center. The Eagles also host Truman State University next Saturday at 3 p.m.
