USI Volleyball travels to unfamiliar territory this weekend
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-19, 1-8 OVC) will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas for a battle against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (4-18, 1-8 OVC) Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. at Jack Stephens Center. The Screaming Eagles and Trojans are both first-year Ohio Valley Conference members and look to keep their postseason hopes alive as they sit in the final two spots of the standings with only the top eight teams making the conference tournament.
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Game Coverage
Information about USI Volleyball, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available on USIScreamingEagles.com.Â
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Tickets
Tickets to the USI, Little Rock volleyball match are $7 for general admission. You can purchase tickets online by following this link.
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Screaming Eagles Headlines:
Eagles Outsoard by Redhawks. The Screaming Eagles lost both matches against Southeast Missouri State last weekend. On the bright side, USI put up 40 or more kills and 30 or more assists in both matches.
You Have To #OVCit. The Eagles are set to face Ohio Valley Conference newcomer, Little Rock, this weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas. This will be the first match between the two programs.
History in the Making. With junior Leah Anderson becoming the 15th player to reach 1,000 kills, her new goal is to become the 13th player to reach the 1,000-dig plateau (992). If successful, Anderson would become the fifth player in program history to reach both milestones. She will join a historic group that includes Shannon Wells, Jamie Roth, Danielle Peter, and Leeanne Gross in the 1,000 kills/1,000 digs club.
Season Leaders. Anderson leads the group with 208 kills and 15 aces as junior Katherine Koch holds a team-high 341 assists. On defense, freshman Keira Moore has received 259 digs as sophomore Paris Downing has earned 60 blocks.
OVC Leaders. There are four Eagles who sit atop the best in five different categories within the OVC individual standings. Anderson ranks eighth in points (241.5) and kills (208) while Koch holds sixth most assists per set (6.31). Moore has tallied 259 digs and 3.92 digs per set, putting her at seventh, while Downing is sixth with 1.03 blocks per set.
Digging Out. The Eagles’ defense is third in the conference with 15.42 digs per set. USI also is fifth in total digs with 1,110.
Level 200. Anderson is the lone Eagle to reach 200 kills this season. She is one of nine OVC players to have accumulated 200 kills.
Keeping it 100. Three Eagles have reached the 100-kill club this season. Anderson leads the pack with 208, sophomore Abby Bednar has 167, and sophomore Abby Weber has 153.
Double-Doubles. There have been six Eagles who have reached the double-double mark this season. Anderson leads the team with eight while sophomore Carly Sobieralski has earned five. Koch has tallied four while Weber has recorded three. Bednar has nabbed two while sophomore Evie Duncan earned one.
USI by the Set. This season, the Eagles have accumulated four opening set wins compared to winning 11 sets between frames two through five. USI has lost in the third set 16 times and lost in the fourth set seven times. The Eagles are 0-3 in the fifth frame.
About Little Rock. The Trojans are 4-18 overall and 1-8 in the OVC after winning their first conference match against Morehead State on 10/14, 3-2. Little Rock’s defense at the net has been stellar, ranking first in the conference and 69th in NCAA I with 2.34 blocks per set and second in the OVC and 32nd in NCAA I with 180.5 total blocks. The Trojans will face Southeast Missouri State Tuesday night at home before facing the Eagles.
Leading the Trojans. Junior Zanobia Willis sits second in the conference with 1.17 blocks per set and third with 81 total blocks. Leading the passing game is freshman Gabrielle Spankus who is fourth in the OVC with 7.19 assists per set while freshman Daedrianna Cail stands in fourth with a .300 hitting percentage to lead Little Rock. The Trojans’ roster consists of nine freshmen and three sophomores with just four upperclassmen.
Eagles picked 7th in OVC preseason poll Simmons selected for the preseason All-OVC squad
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball team is predicted to place seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference, as voted by the league’s 10 head coaches and athletic communications directors in a poll released today. The Screaming Eagles also have been picked fifth by Blue Ribbon Magazine and eighth by Lindy Basketball Magazine.
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The Eagles, who received 78 points in the preseason poll, enter their first season of NCAA Division I play looking to build off last season’s 18-8 record during the final season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
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Morehead State University is predicted to win the conference, earning 138 points and seven first place votes. Tennessee State University followed with 130 points and two first place votes, while the University of Tennessee Martin rounded out the top three with 120 points and seven first place votes.
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USI senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) was the Eagles’ lone representative on the Preseason All-OVC team. Simmons averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
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Senior forward Jacob Polakovich, who will join the team in December after recovering from an ankle injury, averaged 11.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game in 2021-22. Polakovich, who had 11 double-doubles last year, leading the GLVC and ranked fourth nationally in rebounding.Â
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The Eagles also are tipping off 2022-23 campaign under leadership of Head Coach Stan Gouard. Gouard has compiled a 234-124 record as a head coach (30-13 at USI; 204-112 at UIndy). The 2020 NCAA II Midwest Region Coach of the Year also produced a 162-89 record in GLVC action (23-10 at USI; 139-79 at UIndy).
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USI Men’s Basketball opens the 2022-23 campaign with an exhibition game November 2 versus Midway University and opens the regular season November 7 at the University of Missouri. The regular season home opener is November 13 when Southern Illinois University visits Screaming Eagles Arena.
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The complete 2022 OVC Preseason Poll (first-place votes):
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 1. Morehead State (7 first-place votes) 138
 2. Tennessee State (2) 130
 3. UT Martin (7) 120
 4. Southeast Missouri (2) 115
 5. SIUE (2) 111
 6. Little Rock 102
 7. Southern Indiana 68
 8. Tennessee Tech 62
 9. Eastern Illinois 31
10. Lindenwood 23
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USI Women’s Basketball picked 7th in OVC
Haithcock selected for the preseason All-OVC squad
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball is projected to place seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference in a vote submitted by the league’s head coaches and communication directors. USI heads into its first season as an OVC member and NCAA Division I program.
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The 10-team OVC will feature a schedule with each team playing each other twice for an 18-game conference schedule from December 29, 2022, through February 25, 2023. The conference’s season concludes with the OVC Basketball Championship Tournament taking place at Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana March 1-4, 2023.
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Tennessee Tech University topped the OVC preseason poll with 147 points and 11 first-place votes. The University of Tennessee at Martin was picked second with 134 points and four first-place votes. The University of Arkansas-Little Rock, one of three new members in the OVC this season, also received four first-place votes and picked up 129 points for a third-place finish.
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Eastern Illinois University was picked fourth with 115 points, and Tennessee State was selected fifth with 95 points and one first-place vote. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is picked sixth with 83 points while Southern Indiana earned 66 points for seventh place. Southeast Missouri State University (61), Lindenwood University (33), and Morehead State University (33) round out the poll.
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As part of the OVC’s preseason announcement, senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) represented USI on the 2022-23 Preseason All-OVC Women’s Basketball Team. Coming off a terrific junior season in 2021-22, Haithcock averaged 12.3 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, and shot 46.7% (135-289) from the floor. She also connected at the free throw line at an 80.5% (66-82) clip. Haithcock made 13 starts in 28 appearances on her way to earning second-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference accolades for a second consecutive season.
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Last season, Haithcock scored in double-figures 20 times, increasing her career total to 48 such performances. She had a pair of double-doubles and two 20-plus games, matching a career-high 22 points in back-to-back contests midway into the conference season. She led the team in scoring in 11 of USI’s 29 games last year. She helped USI to a 23-6 overall record, a 16-2 conference record, a GLVC regular season championship, and an appearance in the 2022 NCAA Division II Midwest Region Tournament.
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Haithcock enters the 2022-23 season 26th all-time at USI in career scoring (823) and 33rd all-time in career rebounding (374).
The 2022-23 USI Women’s Basketball squad features returning players in 14 of 15 roster spots and begins its 24th season under Head Coach Rick Stein, who has a 411-237 record leading the last 23 years. The three-time GLVC Coach of the Year earned his 400th career win last January and led the Screaming Eagles to the GLVC regular season championship en route to the program’s 12th NCAA Division II Tournament selection.
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Alongside Haithcock, USI has their main frontcourt trio back in the fold this season as the team’s returning leading scorers. Junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) and graduate student Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) also headline USI’s post presence after averaging 11.8 points per game and 9.2 points per game, respectively. Raley also grabbed a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game, which finished just ahead of Brown’s 5.0 caroms per contest. Sharp-shooting senior guard Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) leads the USI backcourt once again this season, coming off a 2021-22 season in which she shot 43.9% (47-107) from three. Blackwell averaged 9.2 points per game, pulled down 3.1 rebounds per game, and totaled 54 assists last season. Raley, Brown, and Blackwell also earned All-GLVC honors a season ago.
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USI gets the 2022-23 season rolling on November 7 at 6 p.m. against Oakland City University from Screaming Eagles Arena, starting their season with a pair of home games that week. The first OVC matchup for the Screaming Eagles is on December 29 when USI hosts Southeast Missouri.
Eagles Head on the Road for Two​​​​​​​
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer heads on the road for back-to-back matches starting with a flight to Denver, Colorado to take on the University of Denver on Wednesday, October 18 at 8pm (CDT). The Screaming Eagles then head to St. Charles, Missouri to take on familiar foe in Lindenwood University for the second time this season on Sunday, October 23, with kickoff at 2pm. USI will then return home for their final homestand of the season with matches against Western Illinois University and the University of St. Thomas.
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USI had an extended break from play this past week. Having 11 days between matches. The break will try to boost the Eagles back into form, coming off two losses following their first win of the season at Eastern Illinois University. The Eagles had been outscored in their last two matches, 6-1, and have allowed 44 shots. With a tough matchup with the 8th ranked Pioneers looming on Wednesday, the Eagles have a favorable schedule to look forward to after. USI’s next three opponents have a combined five wins on the season, and each have just one conference win on the year. The Eagles will face Lindenwood for the second time this season. The Lions were victorious when these two met on September 16 at Strassweg Field in a non-conference match, 2-1. USI will then host two new opponents in Western Illinois and St. Thomas.
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USI has been trying to find that consistent goal scorer up front all season. The Eagles have three players leading the team with two goals this season. Nick Faddis (St. Louis, Missouri), Sam Benoist (Foristell, Missouri), and Ryan Nevins (St. Peters, Missouri) lead the team in goals while Faddis is one of four Eagles with two assists this season. Zach Barton (St. Louis, Missouri) has been the head man up front for USI, playing 12 games and starting 10. Barton leads the team with 18 shots and 11 shots on goal but has scored just one goal.
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The USI defense has been one of the talking points this year. The defensive line is what has been keeping this team in so many games. In eight of the teams 12 matches this season they have allowed two goals or less. With the main stays of Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri), Travis Sides (Evansville, Indiana), and Damian McGregor-Wickahm (Toronto, Canada), the team has gone seven of their last eight matches allowing two or less. Only recently has the team allowed double digit shots on goal, allowing double digits in their last three matches. The Eagles have been struggling to find that final defender to fit in. Marky Lara (Evansville, Indiana) looked like the man for the job but recently we’ve seen Head Coach Mat Santoro mix it up with the likes of Aevar Ofjord (Grindavik, Iceland) and Luke Lindsay (Plymouth, Minnesota) getting starts.
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Junior Alec Meissner (St. Charles, Missouri) has been the main man in goal for the Eagles this season. Meissner has starting in 11 of the 12 games this season. He has allowed 23 goals and has made 47 saves while facing 144 shots. Meissner was also the man in net when USI earned a shutout against the University of Evansville earlier this season. Freshman Giancarlo Varano (Woodbridge, Canada) looked like another one to throw their name in the hat early in the season, starting against Norther Kentucky University and coming on against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Varano has allowed four goals and has made nine saves while facing 20 shots.
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MAYOR WINNECKE ANNOUNCES DOLLAR GENERAL TO LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN JACOBSVILLE AREA
After months of searching, we’re excited to announce the opening of a new retailer to provide fresh foods and affordable essentials in the Jacobsville food desert.Dollar General agreed to invest in the roughly 11,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space at Evansville’s newest mixed-use, workforce housing development, The Forge on Main—and add their differentiated DG Market.This store will provide dairy, fresh meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen and canned vegetables, grains and other foods—in addition to the everyday household items customers trust them to provide. The addition of this store further supports Dollar General’s commitment to offer fresh produce in more than 10,000 total stores.Pulling this all together has been a collaboration between ECHO Housing, House Investments and, of course, Dollar General.
Abortion Ban Remains Blocked As Lawsuit Heads To Indiana Supreme Court
Abortion Ban Remains Blocked As Lawsuit Heads To Indiana Supreme Court
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Supreme Court ordered a lawsuit claiming the state’s abortion ban violates Indiana’s constitution to be brought before itself instead of the Indiana Court of Appeals Wednesday.
There is currently a preliminary injunction blocking the ban from taking place—meaning abortions are available for up to 20 weeks and can be performed by abortion clinics. This will likely remain the case until at least Jan. 12, when the court will hold oral arguments.
In response to the news, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, the group that filed the lawsuit with Planned Parenthood, said on Twitter, “It is a tremendous relief to know that abortion will remain accessible and legal in Indiana while we continue to fight this ban in court. What matters most is that Hoosiers will continue to be able to maintain control over their own bodies, families, and futures.â€
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita went one for two, having requested the court take up the case but wanting the injunction lifted in the meantime.
“Indiana’s Constitution says nothing about abortion, and our legislature outlawed abortion before, during and after the period when our citizens adopted our Constitution,†Rokita said in a statement provided to The Statehouse File. “Planned Parenthood can present no textual or historical argument in support of a right to abortion, and the Indiana Supreme Court rightly concluded that it needs to resolve the issue right away.â€
Mike Fichter, CEO of Indiana Right to Life, a group against abortion, also issued a statement.
While “confident the law will be upheld,†Fichter said the organization was “deeply disappointed†the injunction is remaining.
“We estimate at least 3,000 unborn babies, whose lives otherwise might have been saved, will now needlessly die from abortion as the law remains blocked,†Fichter said. “Thousands more will die as we await a final ruling after the January hearing.â€
FOOTNOTE: Jack Sells is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERSÂ REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS REGULAR MEETING In The KEVIN WINTERNHEIMER CHAMBERS ROOM 301, CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2022 12:00 NOON
                                      AGENDA
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. MEETING MEMORANDUM Â OCTOBER 5, 2022
3. CONSENT AGENDA Â
       N/A Â
4. Â Â Â Â OLD BUSINESS Â
       N/A
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5.     NEW BUSINESS Â
       a. Request Re: Any Other Business the Board Wishes to Consider and Public Comments   Â
6.     REPORTS
       a. Steve Schaefer – Deputy Mayor, Interim Parks Director
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7.     ACCEPTANCE OF PAYROLL AND VENDOR CLAIMS
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8.     ADJOURN
VISIT EVANSVILLE ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM MEMBERSÂ
VISIT EVANSVILLE ANNOUNCES NEW TEAM MEMBERSÂ
 Evansville, IN – October 17, 2022 – Visit Evansville, the official tourism organization for Evansville and Vanderburgh County, has announced the addition of three, key new employees. Â
 Kathy Glaser, Director of Finance & Administration: Kathy Glaser joins Visit Evansville with a background in financial operations, office coordination, employee development, and customer service. Glaser also brings a strong knowledge of government relations, having worked for Vanderburgh County in a variety of offices for over 12 years, including appointments in the Auditor’s office and, most recently, as Superintendent of County Buildings for the Board of Commissioners. In her new role, Glaser will oversee the financial and administrative operations of Visit Evansville, with a focus on updating and streamlining processes across the five organizations that the tourism bureau serves.Â
 L’Oreal Mitchell, Assistant Director of Sales: L’Oreal joins Visit Evansville with a wealth of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, most recently having served as the Assistant General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing at TownePlace Suites in Warrick County.  In her new role, Mitchell’s sales focus will be targeted toward the sports, agriculture, and faith-based meeting markets, along with representing Visit Evansville through industry events and professional organizations to increase the visibility of the Southwest Indiana region.Â
 Dawson Sinclair, Operations Manager, Evansville Sports Complex: Dawson received a sports Management degree in 2020 from the University of Southern Indiana, where he was heavily involved in sports intramural coordination. While in school, he also served as a customer service representative for the Indianapolis Indians. More recently, Sinclair served as a personal banker for Fifth Third Bank. As Operations Manager at Evansville Sports Complex, Sinclair will oversee the day-to-day activities at Deaconess Sports Park and Goebel Soccer Complex. Â
 “We are so excited to welcome these three incredibly talented people to our team. Each one brings a unique set of skills to their roles, as well as enthusiasm and passion for our community. I am confident that they will help drive our organization towards achieving our goals and discovering new opportunities for success,†said Alexis Berggren, President & CEO of Visit Evansville.Â
About Visit EvansvilleÂ
Visit Evansville is the official sales and marketing agency for tourism in Evansville, Indiana and Vanderburgh County. Visit Evansville is dedicated to marketing and supporting local hotels and attractions and enhancing the area’s economy by selling the region as a premier destination for conventions, meetings, sports events, leisure, and business. Additionally, Visit Evansville operates the Evansville Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art, multi-use sports facility, home to Deaconess Sports Park and Goebel Soccer Complex. Â
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Trailblazers Drop Pair Of Hard-Fought Matches To Close Out Cardinal Classic Weekend
Trailblazers drop pair of hard-fought matches to close out Cardinal Classic weekend
PARK HILLS, Mo – The Vincennes University Trailblazer volleyball closed out their tough weekend tournament Saturday afternoon with a pair of tough losses.
Vincennes fell in the first game of the day to No.3-ranked Indian Hills in four sets 19-25, 13-25, 25-23, 7-25 and closed out the weekend with a hard-fought five-set match against Barton Community College, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22, 17-25, 9-15.
The Trailblazers began the day with a very tough matchup against NJCAA’s No. 3-ranked Indian Hills Community College.
The Warriors wasted little time in the first game of the day, jumping out to a 15-6 lead midway through the opening set.
Vincennes would battle back and cut the deficit to five but were unable to complete the comeback as Indian Hills took set one 25-19.
Indian Hills broke the second set open with a 5-0 scoring run after battling early in the set. The Warriors closed out the second set by scoring nine of the final 11 points to take set two 25-13.
VU looked to avoid the sweep in the third set and got off to a great start, scoring the first six points unanswered.
Indian Hills would battle back to even the score but were unable to take the lead as Vincennes grabbed set three, going the distance, 25-23.
The Warriors returned the favor in set four, scoring the first four points unanswered. The Trailblazers would keep the margin at four until Indian Hills broke free with a 4-0 scoring run.
Indian Hills would close out the fourth set and the match on an 11-0 scoring run to take set four 25-7 and the match 3-1.
“Any team, at any level, you really have to attack them with your serves,†VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “If nothing else, you can make it more difficult for them to run their offense, but even before all of that, you have to win the side out to get that opportunity. Against a team of that caliber, that’s always a struggle.â€
“At least in the third set we were able to get enough side outs to be able to string together several service runs,†Sien added. “We also had a little offense and a bit of blocking which, against Indian Hills, they are hard to block and it’s really hard to get a ball down against them. But you just have to keep going after them. There were several big plays throughout the set that got us those points and the set win.â€
“This is probably one of, if not the strongest team I have seen out of Indian Hills,†Sien said. “They are really strong top to bottom in every single position.â€
The VU offense was led by freshman Paige Parlanti (Las Vegas, Nev.) who picked up her 20th double-double of the season with 10 kills, 12 digs and 3 blocks.
Freshman Audrey Buis (Franklin, Ind.) ended the match with six kills, three digs, and one block for the Blazers.
Sophomores Hannah Graber (Montgomery, Ind.) and Malgorzata Banasiak (Gdynia, Poland) each finished with three kills, with Graber adding an ace, four digs, and a team-high 14 set assists, while Banasiak finished with three blocks.
Freshmen Alexis Chrappa (Effingham, Ill.), Nisa Salis (Ankara, Turkey) and Tuana Turhan (Ankara, Turkey) rounded out the VU offense with all three recording two kills.
Chrappa would also finish with five digs and three blocks, while Salis led the Blazers with four blocks and Turhan added three blocks, three digs and a set assist.
Sophomore setter Josephine Mulligan (Saint John, Ind.) ended the first match of the day with eight set assists and four digs.
Freshman libero Morgan Netcott (Montague, Mich.) and sophomore Lara Gomes de Castro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) controlled the back row defense with Netcott leading VU with 13 digs and two set assists and Gomes de Castro finishing with five digs and a team-high three aces.
The tough weekend for the Trailblazers continued in the final match of the two-day Cardinal Classic where Vincennes faced off against Barton Community College.
The opening set showed how close of a battle this match was going to be with both teams trading points until a late 5-0 run gave the Cougars the advantage they needed as Barton took set one 25-19.
VU responded in the second set, making quick adjustments to take an early lead.
Barton would battle back and force set point on the Trailblazers. With VU facing a possible 2-0 match deficit, Vincennes rallied to score six unanswered points to come back and take set two in overtime 26-24.
The Trailblazers continued this momentum into the third set, jumping out to a three-point lead before each team traded small scoring runs.
Vincennes would get the upper hand by being the last team to put together a scoring run, closing out set three on a 3-0 run to win 25-22 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Set four was again a back-and-forth battle with the Cougars grabbing the lead midway through the set on a 4-0 scoring run and building on their lead with a late 5-0 run to take the fourth set 25-17 and force a winner-take-all fifth set.
The two teams began the fifth and final set trading side outs, with neither team able to separate themselves until Barton put together a small 3-0 run and would go on to finish the set on a 4-0 scoring run to take set five and the match 15-9.
Vincennes was led in the final match of the weekend by three Trailblazers who each recorded double-doubles.
First was Audrey Buis who picked up her fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 17 kills, 10 digs, and four blocks.
Paige Parlanti added another double-double, giving her 21 on the season, with 13 kills, 23 digs and three blocks and Josephine Mulligan came away with her sixth double-double of the season with a team-high 28 set assists, 15 digs, and one kill, and one ace.
Alexis Chrappa also reached double-digit kills against the Cougars, finishing with 11 kills, four digs, two blocks, and a set assist.
Malgorzata Banasiak finished the day with seven kills, five digs, and three blocks, while Tuana Turhan rounds out the VU offense with a pair of kills, four digs, three blocks, and an ace.
Nisa Salis had a big day at the net defensively, leading the Blazers with five blocks and a pair of digs.
Freshman setter Maecy Johnson (Chrisman, Ill.) had a big match, finishing with 21 set assists and two digs.
Morgan Netcott and Lara Gomes de Castro also had big games defensively, with Netcott ending the weekend with an outstanding 38 digs and two set assists and Gomes de Castro adding eight digs.
“At a certain point against Barton, I thought we kind of hit a wall,†Sien said. “Whether it was because of the intensity of the whole weekend or whatnot, we just didn’t respond back as we did in the second and third sets.â€
“We really had some struggles at times to put together some offense,†Sien added. “I thought we passed the ball pretty well all weekend but these teams that we faced know what is going on. Playing ranked Division I teams or in the case of Barton who plays in a very tough D-I Region, they have done their research on us. I knew that ahead of time and said that they were going to be keying in on Paige all weekend with her being one of the top kill leaders in the Nation this season.â€
“They were getting after her on the serves and at times ignoring any of our other hitters and sending two blockers at Paige every time,†Sien said. “That’s when someone or several other people have to step up because that is going to happen and that’s what we try to do against other teams too.â€
“In that match, I thought several of our other hitters did step up,†Sien added. “I thought Audrey had an awesome match. In a number of situations in the second and third sets and really the rest of the match I thought she had some big kills. Alexis came through too with double-digit kills as well.â€
“Another factor all weekend was because of the level of competition, it really felt like the National Tournament,†Sien said. “That’s something that is new to us. We have faced some good competition this season, but not where every team we played this weekend and every play felt like it was crucial. That’s the thing that I think we had to get adjusted to. The thing that I told them afterward was that we need to learn and be able to sustain that level, something we haven’t been challenged with this season.â€
The Trailblazers will return to the P.E. Complex floor next weekend as VU looks to close out the regular season on a high note in tri-match action against Region 24 opponent Kaskaskia, Saturday, Oct. 22 at 10 a.m. eastern and Kankakee at 2 p.m. eastern.
This tri-match will also serve as Sophomore Recognition Day, with the VU volleyball program honoring their five sophomores before the Kaskaskia match Saturday morning.
“In general, after facing this level of competition this weekend, we just need to realize that we are good, but if we want to advance further than any other Vincennes University volleyball team has, we have to be a lot better,†Sien said. “It is definitely about improving on the skills of the game, but it’s also about the attitude and mentality, the mental and emotional endurance to go through that.â€
“As a coach, I didn’t play this weekend and even I was tired after these matches,†Sien added. “I just can’t even imagine how they felt when they were on the floor. I hope this weekend did press upon everybody that that is the level that we still need to strive for. There were definitely some positives out of this weekend. Audrey, I thought, played really well all weekend. Against Barton, we put Josephine in a different rotation and I thought she did a great job, probably one of the better matches of her career. Being the second setter in a 6-2 offense, sometimes you don’t get as many opportunities, but when she moved up to that first rotation, she had 28 set assists and a double-double. If we have to do that again, we definitely won’t hesitate to put her in that same rotation again.â€
“We are good, but we have to be great to go to Nationals,†Sien said. “It starts with the mindset and the attitude on the floor. Having that mental and emotional endurance. It’s good for us to have this weekend on the schedule. Last year we didn’t go and who knows, maybe if went last year we would have had a different result at Districts. Now we are hoping for a different result at Districts because of this weekend.â€
BOX SCORE
GAME ONE
Indian Hills – 25  25  23  25  x
VUVB (25-7, 9-0) – 19  13  25  7  x
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Josephine Mulligan – 4 digs, 8 set assists
Audrey Buis – 7 points, 6 kills, 1 solo block, 3 digs
Lara Gomes de Castro – 3 points, 3 aces, 5 digs
Morgan Netcott – 13 digs, 2 set assists
Paige Parlanti – 11.5 points, 10 kills, 3 block assists, 12 digs
Alexis Chrappa – 3.5 points, 2 kills, 3 block assists, 5 digs
Nisa Salis – 4 points, 2 kills, 4 block assists
Tuana Turhan – 3.5 points, 2 kills, 3 block assists, 3 digs, 1 set assist
Hannah Graber – 4 points, 1 ace, 3 kills, 4 digs, 14 set assists
Malgorzata Banasiak – 4.5 points, 3 kills, 3 block assists
GAME TWO
Barton – 25   24  22  25  15
VUVB (25-8, 9-0) – 19   26  25  17  9
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Josephine Mulligan – 2 points, 1 ace, 1 kill, 15 digs, 28 set assists
Audrey Buis – 20 points, 17 kills, 2 solo blocks, 2 block assists, 10 digs
Lara Gomes de Castro – 8 digs
Morgan Netcott – 38 digs, 2 set assists
Paige Parlanti – 14.5 points, 13 kills, 3 block assists, 23 digs
Alexis Chrappa – 12 points, 11 kills, 2 block assists, 4 digs, 1 set assist
Nisa Salis – 3 points, 1 solo block, 4 block assists, 2 digs
Maecy Johnson – 2 digs, 21 set assists
Tuana Turhan – 4.5 points, 1 ace, 2 kills, 3 block assists, 4 digs
Malgorzata Banasiak – 8.5 points, 7 kills, 3 block assists, 5 digs
FOOTNOTE: The Vincennes University volleyball team falls to 25-8 on the season, while still holding a 9-0 record in Region 24 play.