The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team announced its 2016 schedule Thursday.
USI begins its season at the Flagler Invitational in St. Augustine, Florida, September 2-3 and will play in the Augustana Volleyball Showcase at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, September 9-10 before opening up its home and Great Lakes Valley Conference slate with William Jewell College September 16.
The Screaming Eagles play 10 home matches in 2016, including nine against GLVC opposition. Highlighted in the Eagles’ GLVC home slate are bouts against 2015 NCAA Division II Tournament participants Rockhurst University (September 17) and Lewis University (October 8).
USI hosts Drury University for Senior Day October 29 before playing its final five matches of the regular-season on the road.
Visits to 2015 NCAA II Tournament participant Trevecca Nazarene University as well as GLVC Tournament finalist University of Indianapolis highlight USI’s 10-match regular-season road schedule. Five of those 10 matches will be played prior to the Midwest Region Crossover, which is October 21-22 in Aurora, Illinois.
The Eagles, who were 21-11 overall and 10-8 in GLVC play a year ago, are looking to make their 18th consecutive post-season appearance in 2016 after advancing to the GLVC Tournament a year ago.
For the third straight season, the GLVC Tournament (November 18-20) will be hosted at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois. The NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament will be contested at a site to be determined December 1-4, while the NCAA II Volleyball Championship is December 8-10 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
Under the direction of Head Coach Leah Mercer ’02 for the 12th year, the Eagles are looking for their fourth NCAA II Tournament appearance since 2010 and their first since 2013.
The Eagles return eight letterwinners and five starters from last year’s squad, including junior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) and junior outside hitter Shelbi Morris (Brazil, Indiana). Farrell racked up 575 digs a year ago, coming within 15 digs of Kayla Heldman’s single-season mark of 590, set in 2013; while Morris was third on the team with 2.84 kills per set a year ago.
