USI Volleyball Opens Season Friday
University of Southern Indiana Volleyball opens the 2016 season Friday and Saturday when it competes at the Flagler Invitational in St. Augustine, Florida.
The Screaming Eagles take on Brevard College Friday at noon (CDT) before taking on host Flagler College Friday at 6 p.m. USI concludes its opening weekend against Valdosta State University and Brevard Saturday at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
Live stats and video for all four matches will be available at GoUSIEagles.com.
USI Volleyball Notes
Openers. USI is looking to win its season-opener for the fourth consecutive year. The Eagles had lost their previous three season-openers prior to the 2013 season.
Neutral site. The Eagles will play six of their first eight matches this season on a neutral site. USI was 6-1 when playing on a neutral site a year ago after going 3-1 on a neutral site in 2014. The Eagles are opening the year on a neutral site for the first time since 2013 after hosting the Dunn Hospitality Invitational in 2014 and 2015.
Scouting the opposition. USI’s opponents at the Flagler Invitational posted a combined record of 58-32 a year ago. While Brevard was 12-17 overall a year ago, Flagler went 23-8 and won the Peach Belt Conference title before losing in the first round of the NCAA II Southeast Regional. Valdosta State was 23-7 and advanced to the semifinals of the Gulf South Conference Tournament in 2015.
Early returns. USI returns five starters and eight letter winners from a team that went 21-11 overall and 10-8 in the GLVC a year ago.
Dig it! Junior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) led the Eagles in a digs last season, amassing the second-highest total (575) in school history. Her 4.87 digs per set in 2015 are the most in program history.
All-around effort. Senior setter Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana) displayed an all-around game in 2015 when she averaged 10.16 assists, 2.22 digs, and 0.54 blocks per set. Shoultz, who led USI in assists and was second in blocks a year ago, twice came within three kills of a triple double last season. She also had a .306 attacking percentage.
Returning leader. Junior outside hitter Shelbi Morris (Brazil, Indiana) is USI’s leading returning attacker from the 2015 season. Morris finished third on the team a year ago with 2.84 kills and 2.52 digs per set a year ago.
