Eagles sweep Highlanders to split opening day

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-1) kicked off the 2023 campaign at Wilkinson Hall on Friday afternoon with a 3-1 loss (25-19, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21) to the University of New Hampshire before taking down Radford University in sweeping fashion, 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 26-24). The Screaming Eagles are one of four teams in this year’s Indiana Invitational hosted by Indiana University and competed in the first two matches of the tournament.
 
USI vs. New Hampshire
An early deficit from the Wildcats handed the Eagles a 25-19 opening-set loss. UNH started off hot on the attack, earning four kills and a pair of aces to go up 8-2 early. The Wildcats’ run ended after back-to-back kills from sophomore middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) and some key mistakes from UNH that put USI back in the game, trailing 9-8. Even though the Eagles tied it at 10 apiece, the Wildcats responded with a 6-1 stint that put USI in a deep hole, 16-11. After trading off points, UNH stole the show and took home the first-game victory. Senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) racked up four kills, all coming in the final points for the Eagles.
 
Despite holding a late lead, USI watched UNH go on a streak to hand the Eagles their second loss of the match, 27-25. The Wildcats kicked off the set with a 7-3 advantage until a 6-0 rally from the Eagles made it a 9-7 game. The surge started with junior setter Carly Sobieralski (Indianapolis, Indiana) throwing down a kill before Leah Anderson put up a pair of kills and junior outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana) added back-to-back service aces. Later in the set, USI held a 23-19 lead until UNH added five straight points to shift the momentum. Even though L. Anderson’s two kills forced extra serves, the Wildcats stormed off with a two-set advantage. USI had a team-high 14 kills in the second frame.
 
A late push from the Eagles kept them alive, taking a 25-20 win over the Wildcats in the third set. USI jumped out to an early 6-4 lead after tallying five kills from three different Eagles. UNH later responded with a 6-0 surge that made it 15-10. After some mistakes from the Wildcats’ offense and a kill from senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), the Eagles were back in it but trailing 18-14. USI hit the gas and went for a dominating 8-0 run that left the Wildcats in the dust. The stint was led by Weber’s four aces and Bianca Anderson’s three kills. USI ended the set on an 11-2 sequence that gave the Eagles their first win of the season.
 
USI could not catch fire in the final frame, falling 25-21 to UNH and losing the match. The Eagles and Wildcats were tied at five apiece before a couple of kills and an attacking error gave UNH the 8-5 advantage. Back-and-forth play went on throughout the rest of the match and led to a 19-14 Wildcats advantage. The Eagles were able to capitalize off some UNH miscues, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. The Wildcats put up a match-high 16 kills in the fourth frame compared to USI’s 12 kills.
 
Sobieralski and Bednar each posted the team’s first double-double of the season. Sobieralski nabbed a match-high 40 assists paired with a team-high 16 digs. Bednar posted 12 kills along with 14 digs, each the second-most for the Eagles. Leading the offensive attack was Leah Anderson with 16 kills while Weber provided a match-high six aces. Bianca Anderson was able to secure four blocks to lead USI at the net.
 
As a team, the Eagles earned 48 kills off 46 assists along with 70 digs and six blocks. USI got the upper hand on UNH in service aces, securing eight in comparison to the Wildcats’ four.
 
USI vs. Radford
A set-ending 6-0 run gave the Eagles the 25-15 opening-frame victory. USI was trailing Radford 8-7 before the Eagles scored three straight off a pair of attacking errors and a kill from senior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois). USI would add four more with the help of a Leah Anderson ace and a kill from sophomore middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) to make it 14-9. After the Highlanders cut the Eagles’ lead to four, USI went on a 6-0 tear that gave them a 1-0 match advantage. Both Andersons scored kills during the run and three each in the set. The Eagles were also able to take advantage of the 12 Radford errors, the most in the match.
 
 USI had a pair of runs that secured the 25-18 second-set win over Radford. The Eagles kicked off the set with three straight points before back-and-forth play led to an 8-7 lead for USI. The Highlanders would take a 12-10 lead off a pair of errors from the Eagles. Down 13-11, USI put up an 11-1 stint with 5-0 and 6-0 runs. Senior outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) was the heavy force during the surge, posting a kill and three aces. Even after a late push by Radford, USI held their ground and defeated the Highlanders to hold a 2-0 match lead. The Eagles’ net pressure forced 10 Radford errors that led to a negative .100 hitting percentage.
 
Radford’s late run was no match as USI earned the sweep, 26-24. The Eagles went down 4-1 early before catching up and forcing a 7-7 tie. Both sides traded points until the Highlanders’ 5-1 surge put them up 14-12. USI responded with four kills from four different Eagles to knot it up at 17 apiece. Radford regained the lead, 19-18, before giving up three straight off attacking errors, handing the Eagles a 21-19 advantage. USI held on to a 24-21 lead until Radford stormed back to tie it at 24-24 until junior middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) threw down back-to-back kills to end the Highlanders’ night and give the Eagles their first victory of the season.
 
USI led in all five categories with 33 kills, 30 assists, 44 digs, seven blocks, and six aces. A total team effort was used to earn the sweep as Leah Anderson was the lone Eagle to have double-digit kills with a match-high 11 and a team-leading four blocks to add to her stat line. Sobieralski nabbed a match-high 26 kills while sophomore libero/defensive specialist Keira Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) captured a team-high 14 digs. At the line, Bednar served up four aces to lead all players.
 
NEXT UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles wrap up the Indiana Invitational tomorrow at 9 a.m. (CT) when USI faces Indiana University. This will be the first time the two schools have faced off in program history.