Eagles clash against reigning champions in crucial road slate

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (6-9, 2-2 OVC) looks for its first road win in the NCAA Division I era this weekend as the Screaming Eagles face the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Champion, Tennessee State University (2-10, 2-0 OVC). USI is fifth in the conference standings and needs to be in the top eight to make it to the conference tournament in November.
 
Game Coverage
Information about USI Volleyball, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available on USIScreamingEagles.com. 
 
Tickets
Admission to the USI Volleyball matches this weekend is free.
 
Screaming Eagles Headlines:
Eagles Can’t Tame Panthers. The Screaming Eagles took a tough loss to Eastern Illinois Tuesday night at home. USI bounced back with a stunning second set but could not keep the momentum, falling 3-1.
 
You Have To #OVCit. USI hits the road for a crucial matchup against the reigning OVC Champion, Tennessee State. The Eagles have yet to win on the road since joining NCAA DI and the OVC.
 
Consistent Starts. Junior Carly Sobieralski has totaled 20 or more assists in all 15 matches. Senior Leah Anderson has racked up 10 or more kills in 13 matches while sophomore Keira Moore has nabbed 10 or more digs in 12 matches.
 
Double-Doubles. Three Eagles have secured double-doubles this season. Junior Carly Sobieralski leads the team with eight double-doubles while senior Leah Anderson has recorded five and senior Abby Bednar has totaled four.
 
Nationally Acclaimed. Due to USI being in the DI reclassification period, the Eagles are not ranked in the NCAA statistical rankings. However, USI would rank 34th in service aces (98) and 47th in total attacks (1,946). Senior Leah Anderson would stand 15th in total attacks (556), 32nd in attacks per set (10.93), 36th in total points (231.5), and 45th in total kills (195) while senior Abby Bednar would stand 45th in aces (24). (as of 9/26)
 
OVC Leaderboard. USI ranks third in service aces per set (1.78), fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.191), and fifth in opponent aces per set (1.51). The Eagles are fifth in the OVC standings going into the weekend.
 
Team Leaders. Senior Leah Anderson leads the pack with 195 kills with senior Abby Bednar trailing close behind with 176 kills. Bednar leads the team with 24 aces. Junior Paris Downing has nabbed 53 blocks while sophomore Keira Moore has added 194 digs. Junior Carly Sobieralski has shown true potential in the passing game, putting up 473 assists.
 
OVC Leaders. Senior Leah Anderson has her name in three categories, nabbing second in points per set (4.21), fourth in kills per set (3.55), and 10th in aces per set (0.38). Senior Abby Bednar sits fourth in aces per set (0.44) and fifth in points per set (4.00) and kills per set (3.26). Junior Carly Sobieralski ranks fifth in assists per set (8.60) while junior Paris Downing and sophomore Keira Moore round out the OVC leaders with Downing being fifth in blocks per set (0.96) and Moore being seventh in digs per set (3.53).
 
About Tennessee State. The Lady Tigers are on a roll going into the weekend after defeating Tennessee Tech, 3-2 in a pair of matches. TSU is 2-10 overall with a 2-0 OVC record. The Lady Tigers are one of the best defensively, leading the conference in blocks per set (2.45) and standing fourth in opponent digs per set (14.33) and opponent assists per set (11.25). TSU leads the all-time record against USI, 2-0.
 
Leading the Lady Tigers. The reigning defensive player of the week, Kennedy Davis, leads the conference and Lady Tigers in blocks per set (1.15) while Gabrielle Johnson stands close behind with 1.04 blocks per set. Celianiz Cabranes leads the pack in digs and is fifth in digs per set (4.54) within the conference. Hennesys Lalane is the leading passer for TSU with 256 assists and ranks seventh in the OVC in assists per set (7.31).
 
More Information. For more information about USI Volleyball and Athletics, go to USIScreamingEagles.com or follow USI Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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