EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (8-9, 3-2 OVC) brought the energy on Friday afternoon completing the two-game sweep of Eastern Illinois University (4-10, 0-4 OVC) in three sets (25-23, 25-20, 25-16). USI finished with a season high .310 attacking percentage with 12 service aces as ten different Eagles contributed points on only 14 errors.
Set 1: USI 25, EIU 23
Graduate senior Jasmine Green, senior Carly Sobieralski, junior Bianca Anderson, and sophomore Leah Coleman all tallied kills giving the Eagles an early 7-5 lead. More Eagles got involved as senior Abby Weber, junior Keira Moore, sophomore Ashby Willis, freshman Kerigan Fehr manufactured five service aces as USI led 20-18. Coleman finished her third kill to extend the lead to 23-20 and Willis finished the job with an emphatic cross court kill to clinch the set. USI used their depth once again to tame the Panthers in set one as eight different Eagles earned points.
Set 2: USI 25, EIU 20
The Eagles forced EIU into calling two early timeouts leading 10-5. Green added another kill giving the Eagles a six-point lead after Moore recorded a highlight reel dig. Willis fired home her sixth kill hitting .500 along with another service ace to make it 21-16. Willis helped clinch the set as she continued her outstanding weekend leaving the Panthers with no answer leading the Eagles with nine kills.
Set 3: USI 25, EIU 16
USI’s energy was electric on Friday as Anderson fired a kill through the middle as the Eagles continued to beat the Panthers to the net at 5-2. Willis converted her ninth kill from only 19 attempts expanding the Eagles lead to 12-8. Coleman was also extremely efficient swatting a cross court kill for her ninth kill and a three-point USI lead. Anderson was determined to finish this match in three sets with two straight kills making it 22-16. USI was relentless finishing the Panthers on a five-point run to clinch the weekend sweep.
The win marks the fifth Ohio Valley Conference sweep for the Eagles in the past two years and the first against the Panthers. The Eagles are now back in the thick of things in the OVC regular season race at 3-2.
Willis finished with a signature weekend as a Screaming Eagle leading both nights as she finished with 11 kills on Saturday. Sobieralski set up 34 Eagles finishing the three-game week with 134 assists. Moore led in digs all week as well with 15 on Friday afternoon. Weber finished a season high four service aces, while Green and Anderson both swatted three blocks.
As a team, USI finished with 45 kills, 41 assists, 35 digs, 12 aces, five blocks, and a .310 attacking percentage. The Panthers earned 35 kills, 31 assists, 34 digs, three aces, seven blocks, and a .261 hitting percentage.
Next up for the Eagles
USI is back on the road next weekend at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
