VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University sophomore middle blocker Jamie Russell (East St. Louis, Ill.) signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. Tuesday afternoon.

“I chose Stephens College because they have a great volleyball program and compete against some very competitive teams,” Russell said.

Russell helped guide the Trailblazer volleyball team to a record of 37-15 over the past two seasons, while averaging 7.5 kills, 2.7 blocks and 2.5 digs per match at Vincennes, including leading the Trailblazers in points and kills her freshman season with 259.5 points and 226 kills.

Russell was also part of the first VU Region 24 Volleyball Championship team at the NJCAA Division I level this past season, the first Region title in the last 15 years for Vincennes.

“Being a part of last year’s Region Championship team means a lot to me,” Russell added. “It showed all the hard work and sacrifices my teammates and I had to go through to be able to make it that far and win.”

Russell said one of the things she will miss the most about her time at Vincennes University is her teammates and the bond they have on and off the court.

Russell also said her biggest take away from these past two seasons at Vincennes is, “that nothing comes easy and to not take these two years for granted because they go by very fast.”

Russell will be joining a NAIA Stephens College squad under newly hired Head Coach Mikayla Ell, who was brought on in February to guide a Stars program that finished 12-14 last season, with a 4-5 record in the American Midwest Conference (AMC).

“I am extremely excited to have Jamie Russell joining us in the fall,” Stephens Head Volleyball Coach Mikayla Ell said. “She brings a lot of quality experience to the team and is going to make a big impact at the net. We are looking forward to welcoming her to the Stephens family.”

“Jamie is a very versatile player,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “Her first year here she played more as an outside and she led the team in attack attempts. She actually has more experience in the past as a middle and we always knew that if we needed someone to put in the middle she could do that. Jamie was also able to play some back row and serve for us in the fall, something she did not do at all her first year. Really in every category of her game she’s improved upon and become more consistent during her time here.”

“The one thing that I would say about Jamie is that she is very active,” Sien added. “She’s really one of the more active middles I’ve ever had. One thing you are always going to get from Jamie is consistency. Her mindset is going to be the same day-in and day-out and as a coach you like that because you know what you are going to get.”

“Jamie also has a really good work ethic, which sets a great example for any of the younger players on our team,” Sien said. “She’s not going to be the most vocal of leaders but she is very vocal as a player and everybody can learn from that. She’s always calling for the ball and calling for sets, so our setters know that she’s available to hit. We always want our middles to be vocal. That’s why she was always a part of our offense. Her consistency is always something that is great to have as a coach both in her mindset and her play.”

“I just don’t think a lot of people understand how competitive the NAIA level is,” Sien said. “My personal experience comes from coaching at a couple of NAIA schools, both on the men’s and women’s side, as well as continuing to follow along with the teams at that level.”

“The NAIA is historically older than the NCAA and has some really fine athletes,” Sien added. “For where Jamie is going, it is very competitive in the Midwest at the NAIA level and specifically where she will be playing. Stephens College is in the same conference with Missouri Baptist University, who have won back-to-back NAIA National Championships, as well as several other ranked volleyball teams. So, if you want competitive volleyball at the NAIA level, that’s where you need to go.”

“I believe that Jamie will do extremely well at that level,” Sien said. “I would compare the competition level to maybe a high-level NCAA Division II or a smaller NCAA Division I level, but there are some pretty good athletes and players out there in the NAIA and it’s just that most people either don’t know about it or just ignore it. But Jamie should do extremely well out there, being as athletic as she is and drawing from my own experience of coaching at that level.”

Russell plans to major in psychology at Stephens College. The Vincennes University Athletic Department wishes Jamie Russell good luck as she continues her career at Stephens College next season.

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EVANSVILLE – Continuing its winning streak, the University of Evansville baseball team captured its fifth-straight victory in an 8-4 triumph over Indiana on Tuesday evening at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

“Really proud of this team as we started the season 3-10 and have fought back to .500 at 14-14. Getting back to .500 going into Valley play against the schedule we have faced shows what we are capable of,” said Aces head baseball coach Wes Carroll. “We overcame some elements tonight and it started with Shane Harris coming back out after the mound getting fixed and performing. The offense delivered with some at bats and homeruns. Brent Widder came up with a big blast but the two-out at bats from Shallenberger, Tanner and then Simon delivering a big blow gave us enough. We are ready for Valley play this weekend.”

On the mound, redshirt sophomore Shane Harris recorded one of his best outings as an Ace. Harris went five innings, allowing just one run on five hits, while striking-out three and earning his second win of the season. In relief, lefty Tyler Denu pitched three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and recording three Ks.

At the plate, Brent Widder and Simon Scherry powered the Aces, recording five of the team’s seven hits and five of the team’s six RBI. Also adding hits on the evening were Evan Berkey and Ty Rumsey.

Evansville generated its initial offense in the second inning as Widder scored on a fielder’s choice for the first run and scored another later in the inning as Danny Borgstrom scored on a wild pitch. Indiana took a run back in the top of the third with a solo homer from Bobby Whalen.

The Aces fifth and sixth innings proved to be crucial to the win. In the fifth with a and runner on, Widder smashed a home run down the left field line, giving UE a 4-1 lead. Just an inning later, this time with two runners on, Scherry blasted a dinger to left, boosting Evansville to a 7-1 advantage over the Hoosiers.

In the eighth, Evansville added another run on a wild pitch as Tanner Craig came home. Looking to close out the victory, Evansville allowed three runs to Indiana, but Drew Domonik put a stop to the Hoosiers rally as the Aces secured an 8-4 win.

The Aces open Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend with a home series against Southern Illinois, beginning on Friday at 6 PM at German American Bank Field at Charles H. Braun Stadium in Evansville.

Game time set for 4 p.m. at Cooper Stadium

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the anticipated weather forecast in the Evansville area, the University of Evansville softball team will take on Bellarmine in a single game at 4 p.m. inside Cooper Stadium on Wednesday.  This was originally slated to be a doubleheader.

Sitting at 20-11 overall and 5-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Purple Aces face Bellarmine in a midweek contest.  UE is coming off a road series win at Loyola, taking both games in Sunday’s doubleheader.  After rallying for a 4-2 win in the opener, Evansville shut out the Ramblers by a 4-0 final in game two.  Loyola rallied for a 4-3 win in Monday’s finale.

It has been an unbelievable sequence for UE catcher Alyssa Barela.  Prior to the series finale on Monday, she had four hits in seven at-bats, two home runs, two doubles and six RBI.  She got it started last Sunday against UNI, belting a 3-run walk-off home run to seal a victory.  Sunday’s opener at Loyola saw her pick up a double and a run before putting the finishing touches on the week in game two.  Barela was 2-3 with a home run and double while leading the Aces to a 4-0 win.  She opened the season going 10-for-51 (.196) but since March 20, she is batting .428 (6-of-14).

For the third time in 2022, Sydney Weatherford threw a complete game shutout, earning a 4-0 win at Loyola on Sunday.  The start lowered her season ERA to 2.37, which ranks fourth in the MVC.  Weatherford has been effective in her nine starts, allowing three or fewer earned runs in eight of those contests.  In road and neutral site starts Weatherford has allowed just seven earned runs in 34 innings of work.  That translates to an ERA of 1.44.

OLD HICKORY, Tenn.— Senior Hannah Herma (DeMotte, Indiana) tied for 7th out of 36 competitors to lead University of Southern Indiana Women’s Golf to a third-place team finish out of seven teams at the Music City Invitational Tuesday afternoon at the Hermitage Golf Course. This is Herma’s fourth top-10 finish as a Screaming Eagle.

Herma saw success in round one after carding a 77 (+5) to cement herself in sixth. A similar start in round two gave her a two-round score of 156 (+12).  

Freshman Baileigh Schneider (Huntingburg, Indiana) and sophomore Katelyn Sayyalinh (Rockford, Illinois) tied for 11th after each shooting a two-day score of 159 (+15). Schneider shot an impressive first round of 76 (+4) to secure a tie for fourth after day one. Struggles on day two dropped Schneider out of the top-10. She shot a round two score of 83 (+11). Sayyalinh tallied a first-round score of 80 (+8) before surging in round two to card a two-round total of 79 (+7) to climb in the standings.
 
The Eagles completed the tournament with a two-day score of 636 (+60). USI held a close race in round one after shooting a 317 (+29). The Eagles shot identical in round two after posting a 319 (+31).

Lewis University won the tournament after a two-day score of 610 (+34) while Lewis’ Kasey Kane won the invite after carding an imposing two-round score of 142 (-2).

COMING UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles conclude the regular season with a trip to St. Louis, Missouri to compete in the Triton Invitational Sunday and Monday hosted by University of Missouri St. Louis.
 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Golf saw three top 25 finishers on Tuesday. The Screaming Eagles finished tied for sixth out of 13 teams at the Music City Invitational at the Hermitage Golf Club in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
USI saw a slow start in round one on Monday. The Eagles found themselves tied for ninth place after shooting 290 (+2) as a team. USI picked it up in round two, shooting a 287 (-1) which saw the Eagles move up three places to finish the tournament tied for sixth, with a two-day tournament total score of 577 (+1).
 
Junior Zach Williams (Mt. Vernon, Illinois) led the way for USI, finishing tied for 14th. Williams carded a 142 (-2) on the tournament, shooting 72-70, he also finished with the third most birdies with 10. Freshman Jason Bannister (Laguna Niguel, California) was the second leading scorer, and second top 25 finisher, for the Eagles, finishing tied for 17th after carding a 144 (E) and shooting 72-72 on the tournament. Senior Matthew Kingston (Springfield, Nebraska) finished tied for 22nd, carding a 145 (+1) while shooting 72-73, the third top 25 finish for USI.
 
Sophomore Jace Day (Bloomington, Indiana) finished tied for 28th after carding a 146 (+2), shooting 74-72 on the tournament. Sophomore Peyton Short (Greenwood, Indiana) rounded off the competitors for USI, finishing tied for 53rd and carding a 151 (+7), shooting 75-76.
 
UP NEXT FOR USI:
The Eagles head to Urbana, Ohio on April 9 and 10 to compete in the Bill Blazer Memorial at the Urbana Country Club.