EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (0-14, 0-3 OVC) welcomes back former NCAA Division II and Great Lakes Valley Conference competitor, Lindenwood University (3-8, 0-2 OVC), to Screaming Eagles Arena for a pair of matches set for Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. This is the first meeting between the two clubs since joining the Ohio Valley Conference and NCAA DI in early 2022.
 
Game Coverage
Information about USI Volleyball, including live stats, video, and audio broadcasts, is available on USIScreamingEagles.com. 
 
Tickets
USI Volleyball tickets are on sale now, with adult tickets at $8, non-USI students at $5, and all USI students, staff, and faculty with a valid ID and any child 11-and-under are admitted free.
 
Screaming Eagles Headlines:
Eagles Fall To Panthers. University of Southern Indiana Volleyball ended its Tuesday night with a 3-1 loss to Eastern Illinois. The Screaming Eagles showed valiant effort and kept each set within four. Juniors Leah Anderson and Katherine Koch each tallied double-doubles to lead USI as Anderson finished with a team-high 11 kills and 13 digs while Koch recorded a match-high 30 assists and 13 digs.

You Have To #OVCit. The Eagles welcome back former NCAA Division II and GLVC foe, Lindenwood, for a Friday and Saturday showcase. USI is looking for its first NCAA Division I and Ohio Valley Conference victory of the 2022 campaign. The Eagles and Lions have battled three times in DII play with USI winning all three matches.

Season Leaders. Anderson leads the group with 144 kills as Koch holds a team-high 299 assists while sophomore Abby Bednar sits atop with 11 aces. On defense, freshman Keira Moore has received 178 digs as sophomore Paris Downing has earned 41 blocks.

OVC Leaders. There are five Eagles who sit atop the best in five different categories within the OVC individual standings. Anderson ranks fifth in points (163) and sixth in kills (144) while Koch holds fourth most assists per set (7.47). Moore has tallied 4.05 digs per set, putting her at fifth. Downing is currently third with 1.13 blocks per set while sophomore Lauren O’Neill is ninth with 27 blocks.

Defense Wins Games. The Eagles’ defense is fourth in the OVC with 1.96 blockers per set and fifth with 729 digs and 14.58 digs per set. USI is also fifth in the conference with 98 total blocks (13 solo and 170 assists).

Keeping it 100. Three Eagles have joined the 100-kill club this season. Anderson has racked up 144, sophomore Abby Weber has nabbed 117, and Bednar totals 103.

Double-Doubles. There have been four Eagles who have reached the double-double mark this season. Anderson leads the team with five while Koch has tallied four. Weber has recorded two as sophomore Carly Sobieralski has totaled one.

All-Tournament Eagles. Bednar and Anderson each earned all-tournament titles in the non-conference slate. Bednar was named to the Kent State Invitational All-Tournament team before earning a bid to the NIU Tri-Match All-Tournament team. Anderson was able to secure all-tournament honors at the Chattanooga Classic.

USI by the Set. This season, the Eagles have accumulated three opening set wins compared to winning just five sets between frames two through five. USI has lost in the third set nine times and lost in the fourth set four times while only falling in the fifth set twice.

History in the Making. With 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 (933). If successful, Anderson would become the fifth player in program history to reach both milestones.

About Lindenwood. The Lions are 3-8 overall and 0-2 within the OVC. Lindenwood has totaled 460 kills, 421 assists, and 75 aces while earning 595 digs and 74 blocks (13 solo and 122 assists). The team ranks first in the conference with 1.92 aces per set. The Lions are still searching for their first conference win after being swept by Morehead State in the conference opener. Lindenwood joins the OVC this season after spending 13 years in NAIA and nine years in NCAA Division II, spending three seasons in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Leading the Lions. Sophomore Taylor Gentemann has helped the Lions from her serve, tallying 19 aces and ranking first in the OVC with 0.66 aces per set. Leading the attack is sophomore Madilyn Dement who has 108 kills while sophomore Abby VanBuskirk leads the team with 252 assists along with posting 8.69 assists per set, third highest in the conference. Guarding the net is junior Rebecca Janke who has nabbed 40 blocks, sixth most in the OVC.

Record Book Watch. The Eagles have one player climbing up the USI Volleyball Record Book:

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving teams prepare for their first meet of the 2022-23 season as they host Valparaiso University on Saturday, October 1st at 1pm at the USI Aquatic Center. This is the first meet of the inaugural season for both programs.
 
Both teams will season will consist of eight meets, including three home meets, and will conclude with the Summit League Championships beginning February 22nd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The three home meets for the Screaming Eagles will consist of back-to-back home meets to open the season, hosting Valparaiso and Quincy University on October 22nd.  USI will then compete in five road meets from October to January. The Eagles will then finish the regular season at home hosting Southern Illinois University on January 21st.
 
USI comes into this season under the direction of Head Coach Cameron Kainer. Kainer came to USI in August 2021 after being the head coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the 2020-21 season. He also spent seven seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, the University of Texas Permian Basin from 2013-2020. In his time as a head coach, Kainer was 54-21 in dual meets.
 
USI Men
USI Men’s Swimming & Diving was predicted to finish eighth in the Summit League this season. Garrett Crist (Bargersville, Indiana) was named your swimmer to watch this season for the Eagles while Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) was named the diver to watch this season.
 
Crist is a Center Grove High School product who was a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-State competitor. He was also named to the NISCA All-American swim team in 2021. Pollock, the Eagles lone diver, comes out of Boonville High School where he collected 12 athletic letters in three different sports. He tallied two state appearances and led his team to back-to-back conference championships.
 
The USI Men’s Swimming & Diving roster is consisted of 21 athletes, 20 of which are freshman.  The lone sophomore for the Eagles is Payton Buse (Lynnville, Indiana) who transfers to USI from Eastern Illinois University.
 
USI Women
USI Women’s Swimming & Diving was predicted to finish eighth in the Summit League this season. Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) was named your swimmer to watch for the Eagles this season and Autumn Turley (Hobart, Indiana) was named the diver to watch this season.
 
Smith is a Buter County High School product and was named All-Region and Academic All-State in four straight years and was crowned regional champion in the 200 and 500 freestyle in 2022. Smith was also named the 2022 Regional Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Year and was a top-10 finisher at the state level in the 1,000 and 1,650 for Southern Kentucky Swim Club. Turley, the Hobart High School graduate, was an Indiana High School Diving sectional qualifier and led the team to a Western Invite championship and Hobart Invite championship. She was also a part of the All-American Gold Team Scholars in 2020.
 
The USI Women’s Swimming & Diving roster is consisted of 22 athletes, 20 of which are freshmen. Junior Jordan Ambrose (Mt. Vernon, Indiana) and sophomore Adele Schnautz (Evansville, Indiana) are both local products of Reitz High School and Memorial High School respectively.

Tickets will be available at the door; $5 for adults 18+, $3 for ages 3-17, under 3 are free. USI Students and Staff are free. Doors will open at noon and the USI Aquatic Center’s capacity is 285.
 

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf finished ninth in the F&M Bank APSU Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday at Clarksville Country Club in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Screaming Eagles shot a 1028 (338-354-336).
 
Belmont University took the top spot in the 36-hole tournament with a 920 (307-312-301).
 
Individually for the Eagles, junior Halle Gutwein (DeMotte, Indiana) led the Eagles after three rounds with a 258 (86-91-81) to place 45th. The USI junior tied junior Haylee Exline (Poseyville, Indiana) for the Screaming Eagles’ best round of the tournament with an 81 in the final round.
 
Senior Kelci Katterhenry (Newburgh, Indiana) (86-87-86) and sophomore Baileigh Schneider (Huntingburg, Indiana) (84-87-88) rounded out the top three for the Eagles, tying for 46^th with identical scores for 259.
 
USI resumes action October 10-11 in the Saluki Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The tournament is being hosted by Southern Illinois University at the Dalhousie Golf Club.  
 

MADISON, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana completed the three-round Derek Dolenc Invitational with a 14^th-place finish Tuesday at the Gateway National Golf Club in Madison, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles completed the three-rounds with 897 (299, 305, 293), finishing 32 strokes off the pace set by the University of Idaho, who posted an 865 (286-290-289).
 
Individually, senior Zach Williams (Mt. Vernon, Illinois) paced the Screaming Eagles with a 54-hole 217 (72-76-69). Williams had one of the top seven scores in the final round with a 69, posting four birdies and an eagle.
 
Freshman Carter Goebel (Breese, Illinois) was second on the team and tied for 31^st overall with a three-round 222 (76-75-71). The USI top three was rounded out by junior Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana), who had a 225 (75-76-72) and tied for 48^th.
 
 The Eagles return to action next week when they play in the Big-O Classic in Omaha, Nebraska, October 3-4. The tournament, which is being hosted by Creighton University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha, is being played at The Club at Indian Creek.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (0-14, 0-3 OVC) started a comeback but fell short as the Screaming Eagles lose to Eastern Illinois University (8-8, 2-1 OVC), 3-1 (24-26, 22-25, 25-23, 21-25). USI dropped the first two sets before issuing a comeback by winning the third set until EIU sealed the match after defeating the Eagles in the fourth frame.
 
A late Panthers’ run gave EIU the 26-24 opening set win over USI. The set opened with a service ace from sophomore outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) that kicked off the Eagles’ 4-2 early lead. EIU was able to pull together three-straight points to keep them in the game. Back-and-forth action proved to be unstoppable until USI pulled away with a 20-17 advantage. The Panthers put together a 4-0 run that caught the Eagles off-balance. USI retaliated with some impressive rallies that pushed the score to 23-22 in favor of the Eagles. EIU tallied the final two points of the match to secure the win. Errors struck both teams heavily in the first frame, combining 17 attacking errors. The set ended with 17 tie scores and seven lead changes, most in the match.
 
A blown Eagles’ lead in the early stages of the second set proved to be costly as EIU came away with a 25-22 victory. Bednar got things rolling with an opening-set kill to spark the 6-2 USI surge. With USI holding an 11-9 lead, the Panthers stormed back and went on a 7-0 run that proved to be costly as the Eagles did not take the lead back the rest of the set. After the EIU stint, Bednar nabbed two kills and an ace while junior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) provided one kill to keep the Eagles within striking distance; however, it was the six of the eight Panthers’ errors in the second frame that allowed USI to close the gap and put the Eagles within two. EIU secured the win after striking down their 15th kill of the set to go up 2-0.
 
High-powered offense and EIU errors lifted the Eagles to a third-frame victory, 25-23. USI played exceptionally well on offense, nabbing a team-high 11 kills, and only having two hitting errors. On the opposite end, the Panthers were able to strike down 14 kills but put up a match-high 12 attacking errors to drop their hitting percentage to .042. The Eagles went on a late 4-0 run to push the score to 18-13. Kills from freshman middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois), sophomore outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana), and Bednar helped the Eagles soar to its first set win since September 16 versus Rhode Island.
 
Despite a valiant comeback, USI watched EIU secure the win, 25-21. The Eagles were down by as many as five late into the set before a late spark tied it at 21 apiece. The Panthers avenged their mistakes and scored four straight to defeat USI in four frames. EIU totaled a match-high 19 kills and a .289 hitting percentage in the set.
 
Anderson and junior outside/right side hitter/setter Katherine Koch (Belleville, Illinois) each earned double-doubles in the match. Anderson racked up 11 kills and 13 digs while Koch tallied a match-high 30 assists and 13 digs. Also earning 13 digs was freshman libero/defensive specialist Keira Moore (Newburgh, Indiana) as sophomore middle hitter Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) threw down a match-high seven blocks. Bednar led the team with two aces while sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Anna Ballengee (Montgomery, Indiana) earned one ace.
 
As a team, the Eagles recorded 36 kills, 33 assists, and three aces while nabbing 18 blocks and 65 digs. The Panthers ended the match with 62 kills, 54 assists, and six aces while tallying 83 digs and eight blocks.
 

CENTRALIA, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team extended their Region 24 winning streak to 18 games Tuesday night after battling back in a tough five-set win at Kaskaskia College 27-25, 23-25, 19-25, 27-25, 15-11.

The Trailblazers grabbed the early lead in set one but quickly had to play from behind as the set went back and forth, heading into overtime before the Blazers closed out the 27-25 win.

Vincennes fell behind again in set two, trailing by seven before rallying back to tie the game at 19-19.

VU held tough in set two, going the distance before the Blue Angels came away with the 25-23 win to even the match at 1-1.

Vincennes looked to be in good position in set three, leading 16-15 with both teams struggling to put together big scoring runs.

Kaskaskia would take control of the third set however with a 4-0 scoring run and go on to close out the third set on a 10-3 scoring run to win 25-19 and hold a 2-1 match lead.

VU looked to extend the match in the fourth set but fell behind after a 9-0 scoring run by the Blue Angels put the Blazers down by five.

Vincennes would slowly chip away at the deficit, battling back to tie the game at 19-19. Vincennes would force the set into overtime and come away with the final three points of the set to take set four 27-25 and send the match to a winner-take-all fifth set.

The Trailblazers continued their momentum from the fourth set into the fifth, jumping out to an early 10-5 lead.

Kaskaskia would answer back on their home floor to cut the deficit to just a single point but were unable to take the lead away from the Blazers as VU took set five and the match 15-11.

VU volleyball’s Region 24 winning streak survives five-set road thriller at Kaskaskia

VU volleyball’s Region 24 winning streak survives five-set road thriller at Kaskaskia