Eagles face Lions in final roadtrip

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (10-15, 6-8 OVC) will hit the road one last time in 2023 to battle former GLVC and NCAA Division II rival, Lindenwood University (13-12, 9-5), in a critical matchup on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 5 p.m. at Hyland Arena. The Screaming Eagles are fighting for an Ohio Valley Conference Championship berth for the first time in program history.
 
Game Coverage
Information about USI Volleyball, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available on USIScreamingEagles.com. 
 
Tickets
Tickets to USI vs. Lindenwood at Hyland Arena are free.
 
Screaming Eagles Headlines:
Eagles Downed by Tennessee Tech. The Screaming Eagles dropped both matches last weekend against a red-hot Tennessee Tech group. USI fell in the first match, 3-2, before losing Saturday’s Senior Day match, 3-1. The Eagles have now lost six of their last seven matches and are looking to clinch their first OVC Championship berth.
 
You Have To #OVCit. USI will battle a solid team of Lindenwood who is third in the conference standings. The Eagles stand in a four-way tie for fifth in the OVC. USI and Lindenwood have been facing off since their GLVC and DII days with the Eagles holding a 5-1 all-time record against the Lions dating back to 2019.
 
Magic Number 4. USI’s number to clinch a tournament spot is four as the Eagles only need to be a top-eight team in the conference to earn a berth. To clinch as of Monday, USI has to either win all four matches or hope for losses from Tennessee Tech, Little Rock, and Tennessee State who are on the outside looking in.
 
Nearing 1,000 Again. Junior Carly Sobieralski has 934 assists this season and is closing in on 1,000 assists in 2023. Only five USI setters since 2000 have earned 1,000 assists in a season. Earlier this season, Sobieralski nabbed 1,000 career assists.
 
Anderson’s Double Life. Senior Leah Anderson has earned 10 double-doubles this season and has posted five straight and six in her last seven matches. She has also nabbed 22 double-digit kill matches along and 11 games with double-digit digs.
 
Party Like It’s 2005. In the match against Western Illinois, junior Carly Sobieralski put up 62 assists and 22 digs which marks the first time since Stephanie Wilson in 2005 that a USI setter has earned at least 60 assists and 20 digs in a match.
 
Assisting the Nation. Junior Carly Sobieralski nabbed a career-high 65 assists in the win against Western Illinois. Sobieralski’s 65 assists were the most in a four-set match in the OVC and NCAA DI. With 127 total assists over a two-match span, Sobieralski was rightfully named OVC Setter of the Week on October 23.
 
Anderson On The Rise. Senior Leah Anderson is the fourth Screaming Eagle to rank in the top five in three categories in USI Volleyball history. She currently ranks second in aces and kills while being fourth in digs all-time at USI. Anderson joins an elite group that includes Leeanne Gross, Sheri Kaiser, and Shannon Wells.
 
Blocking The Haters. Junior Paris Downing has excelled at the net this season, securing a league and team-leading 108 blocks. She has already surpassed her season-high after earning 92 blocks last season.
 
OVC Leaderboard. Within the OVC, USI ranks fourth in service aces per set (1.61) and blocks per set (2.12) while being fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.198) and digs per set (15.70). In conference matches only, the Eagles stand second in total blocks (131) and third in services aces (90).
 
OVC Leaders. Senior Leah Anderson has her name in three categories, nabbing second in points/set (4.25), fourth in kills/set (3.57), and seventh in aces/set (0.39). Senior Abby Bednar sits eighth in points/set (3.93), fifth in aces/set (0.39), and eighth in kills/set (3.19). Junior Carly Sobieralski ranks fourth in assists/set (9.53) while junior Paris Downing posts the second-most blocks/set (1.10). Sophomores Keira Moore and Bianca Anderson round out the leaders with Moore standing eighth in digs/set (3.92) and Anderson 10th in hitting percentage (.272).
 
About Lindenwood. The Lions enter the weekend boasting a 13-12 overall record and a 9-5 OVC record. Lindenwood has scored an OVC win in every weekend series of the conference season. This will be the Lions’ final home matchup of the season and will be looking to clinch an OVC Championship berth with one win. Lindenwood has posted a league-best 100 aces in conference action and is top-five in the OVC in hitting percentage (.196), points/set (16.10), assists/set (11.75), kills/set (12.75), opponent aces/ set (1.35), opponent digs/set (15.94), and aces/set (1.66).
 
Leading the Lions. Jessie Seidel has been the leader for the Lions this season, posting a fifth-best 4.69 digs/set margin along with a team-leading 36 aces. Allie Otten stands eighth in the league in assists/set (6.51) while Rebecca Janke ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.294).
 
More Information. For more information about USI Volleyball and Athletics, go to USIScreamingEagles.com or follow USI Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.