Eagles edge Cardinals in five-set thriller

Humphrey, who had a .667 attacking percentage in the decisive fifth frame and a .300 clip for the match, was one of four Screaming Eagles to finish with double-digit kill totals on the night. Sophomore middle hitter Elexis Coleman (Joliet, Illinois) racked up 14 kills and a .583 attacking percentage, while sophomore right side hitter Amanda Jung (Belleville, Illinois) tallied 13 kills and a .267 clip.

Senior middle hitter Te’Ayla Whitfield (Fort Wayne, Indiana) contributed 11 kills, a .375 attacking percentage and a match-high six blocks for the Eagles, who finished with a season-high 70 kills as a team.

Freshman setter Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri) finished with 58 assists, 14 digs and six kills as USI hit .314 as a team.

The Eagles got a team-high 26 digs from senior libero Shannon Farrell (Munster, Indiana) as well as 11 and 10 digs, respectively, from junior defensive specialist Haley Limper (Springfield, Illinois) and senior defensive specialist Jessica Lee (Mackinaw, Illinois).

William Jewell (9-16, 3-9 GLVC) had 69 kills as a team, but also had a .180 hitting percentage thanks to 33 attacking errors.

USI, which had a season-high 85 digs to go along with eight blocks, returns to action Saturday at 3 p.m. when it travels to Kirksville, Missouri, to take on Truman State University. The Bulldogs (12-12, 5-7 GLVC) defeated the University of Indianapolis in three sets Friday night.

Set 1
The Eagles saw a late 21-18 lead fall by the wayside as William Jewell won seven of the final nine rallies to earn the two-point win. USI had four blocks in the first set, but a 17-13 deficit in kills hindered the Eagles’ chances. Humphrey had four kills to pace USI’s offense, while Farrell tallied eight digs in the opener.

Set 2
USI used surges of 5-0 and 12-2 to run away with the 11-point win in the second stanza and tie the match at a set apiece. The Eagles had just 10 kills in the second frame, but a .370 attacking percentage, coupled with a .000 opponent hitting percentage, aided USI in the win. Humphrey led USI’s offense with three kills.

Set 3
The Eagles saw a six-point lead slip away as the Cardinals outscored USI 13-5 throughout the final 18 rallies to earn another two-point win. Te’Ayla Whitfield had five kills, two blocks and a .833 attack percentage to lead the Eagles in the third frame.

Set 4
USI opened the fourth frame with a 13-5 advantage and cruised to a seven-point victory to tie the contest at two sets apiece. Coleman had six kills and a .857 attacking percentage for the Eagles, who racked up 21 kills and a blistering .667 attacking percentage as a team in the fourth set.

Set 5
It took five opportunities at match-point, but on the fifth try, the Eagles finally put the Cardinals away in a back-and-forth fifth set. Humphrey had six kills and a .667 attacking percentage, while Cepicky racked up nine assists to aid USI in the decisive frame.