No. 25 Volleyball Set to Traverse Final Road Trip, Battles Rival UIndy on Saturday
University of Southern Indiana Volleyball prepares to traverse its final three matches of the season, all of which take place on the road, prior to the GLVC tournament in East Peroria. The 25th-ranked Screaming Eagles kick off their season-ending road trip at Indianapolis on Saturday, April 3rd at 2 P.M. (central).
The Eagles recovered well with a thrashing of GLVC East-rival McKendree on March 26, 3-1, snapping a two-game losing streak. The back-to-back losses came at the hands of conference-foes Quincy and Drury on March 20, which marked the first time this season the Eagles lost back-to-back matches. Against McKendree, then-No. 25 USI dropped the first set, 26-28, before taking full control over the final three sets behind efficient attacking from GLVC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week and sophomore outside hitter Katherine Koch. With the win, USI swept McKendree in the season series and improved to 11-4 overall.
The Screaming Eagles look ahead to their final three matches, beginning with the Indianapolis Greyhounds this Saturday. Earlier this season, the Greyhounds visited Screaming Eagles Arena and were swept, 3-0, by the hosting-Eagles behind a strong performance from USI outside hitter Leah Anderson. Anderson led the USI offense in the first matchup against UIndy along with Casey Cepicky, who dished out 33 assists, as well as Taylor Litteken (8 kills), Abby Weber (7 kills) and Sidney Hegg (6 kills). Indianapolis plays host to USI with a two-game win streak and a 7-8 overall record on the season. The Hounds most recently swept McKendree (3/27/21) and Southwest Baptist (3/20/21).
NOTES:
The Eagles have made strides on the season, receiving a national ranking for the first time in program history and reaching as high as 12th (3/3/21 poll). USI Volleyball currently ranks 25th nationally.
USI’s sophomore outside hitter Leah Anderson earned the program’s first AVCA National Player of the Week award since 2011 with her performance against Rockhurst and Lindenwood where she posted 34 kills and a hitting percentage of .446, amassing 38.5 points (6.42 points per set). (Release)
Sophomore outside hitter Katherine Koch collected the first GLVC weekly award of her career following her performance in the trouncing of McKendree. Koch bombarded the Bearcats with 17 kills (career-high) and 19.0 total points (career-high) on .300 attack percentage. (Release)
Senior setter Casey Cepicky has forced her way higher in the USI record book in career assists, ranking fourth all-time with 2,768. She ranked sixth to begin the season, dishing out 505 over 15 matches so far this year.
In the GLVC, USI has multiple players ranking highly in statistical categories, including: Kills - Leah Anderson 4th (3.35 per set), Katherine Koch 10th (2.83 per set); Aces - Leah Anderson 1st (0.61 per set), Casey Cepicky 9th (0.32 per set); Hitting Percentage - Taylor Litteken 4th (.336); Assists - Casey Cepicky 5th (9.42 per set); and Points - Leah Anderson 3rd (4.20 per set).
USI Volleyball posted multiple impressive feats this season, recording five-striaght matches without losing a set, beating Illinois Springfield, UIndy, McKendree, Rockhurst, and Lindenwood. The 15-straight set wins were included in an eight-match win streak of victories as well with the Eagles beating Maryville, WIlliam Jewell, and Missouri S&T prior to their loss to UMSL.
USI Softball hosts No. 9 UIndy Friday, visits McKendree Saturday
University of Southern Indiana Softball returns to action Friday at noon when it hosts No. 9 University of Indianapolis in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at the USI Softball Field. The Screaming Eagles also visit McKendree University for a GLVC twinbill Saturday at noon in Lebanon, Illinois.
USI’s doubleheader with UIndy is Awareness Day for breast cancer and clear cell sarcoma at the USI Softball Field.
UIndy Head Coach Melissa Frost, a breast cancer survivor, will throw-out the first pitch to USI junior catcher Courtney Schoolcraft (Crest Hill, Illinois), who has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for clear cell sarcoma since last spring. The Greyhounds will be in their pink uniforms with yellow bows, while the Screaming Eagles will be wearing yellow belts and socks with pink bows.
Outdoor Spectator Policies
• USI: Spectators at the USI Softball Field will be limited to two pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete/coach and masking/social distance policies must be followed.
• McKendree: A limited number of spectators will be allowed in designated viewing areas (down the leftfield bleachers and on the hill overlooking the field). Masking and social distancing will be enforced and fans are encouraged to bring folding chairs.
Ways to follow
Friday’s games at USI will be carried on the GLVC Sports Network, while Saturday’s games are TBD on GLVCSN coverage due to the busy slate of home athletic events McKendree has on Saturday. Live stats for all four games will be provided at GoUSIEagles.com, while USI Athletics and USI Softball will have updates on their Twitter accounts (@USIAthletics and @USISOFTBALL).
Notes
• Recapping last week. The Eagles went 3-1 last week, sweeping a home doubleheader against Quincy before salvaging a doubleheader split against Truman State. USI hit .390 as a team and had five players hit .429 or better on the weekend and nine players hit no worse than .333. Freshman first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) hit .556 to lead USI at the dish, while sophomore second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) hit .500 with a double and seven RBI.
• Back had strong week. Junior pitcher Katie Back (Indianapolis, Indiana) had a strong week for the Eagles, going 2-0 in the circle with a 0.58 ERA and .174 opponent batting average.
• Scouting the Eagles. USI enters the week with a 5-10 overall record and 3-5 mark in GLVC play. Senior outfielder Alicia Webb (Elberfeld, Indiana) ranks third in the GLVC with a .440 batting average, while freshman outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) is fourth. Bedrick also is tied for fourth in the GLVC with 12 stolen bases in as many attempts.
• Scouting the opposition (UIndy). UIndy enters the week with a 17-2 overall record and an 8-0 mark in GLVC play after winning its previous 10 games. The Greyhounds have a strong one-two punch in the circle in freshman Kenzie Smith (7-0, 1.19 ERA) and senior Hallie Waters (9-1, 1.30 ERA). Senior Haylie Foster, younger sister to former USI player Sadie Foster ’17, is hitting .490 to pace the Hounds at the plate.
• Seniority. USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle and UIndy Head Coach Melissa Frost are the two most tenured softball coaches in the GLVC and have cemented their respective programs among the best in the nation year-in and year-out. The two have combined for nearly 1,300 wins during their careers and have combined to win five regional titles. Frost recently won her 700th career game, while Kunkle is closing in on 600 wins after leading the Eagles to the 2018 national title.
• Scouting the opposition (McKendree). The Bearcats are 10-6 overall and 9-3 in GLVC play after winning their previous eight games. Senior Miranda Gajewski is hitting .370 with two home runs and seven RBI to lead the Bearcats at the plate. She also is 6-2 in the circle with a 3.97 ERA in 45.1 innings of work.
• Webb adds to her streak. Webb had a hit in all four of USI’s games last week, bringing her career-high hitting streak to 19 games dating back to the end of the 2020 campaign. It is the longest hitting streak since prior to the 2000 season and is believed to be the longest hitting streak since Amber Huse set the program record with a 27-game hitting streak in 1994.
• Bedrick’s streak ends at 10. Bedrick’s season-high 10-game hitting streak came to a close in USI’s game-one loss to Truman State on Sunday. Bedrick, however, has stolen a base in five straight games.
• Kihega ties record. Sophomore catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana) tied a record for walks in a single game when she drew four free passes in USI’s 5-0 game-two victory over Quincy last Saturday. Kihega actually drew six straight free passes as she was walked in her final plate appearance in USI’s 9-1 win over Quincy in game one and hit by a pitch in her first trip to the plate in USI’s 10-7 game-one loss to Truman State the following day.
• USI’s returns home. USI’s home games against Quincy marked the first time in 713 days that the Eagles had played a game on their home field. USI had played 42 games away from the USI Softball Field after last playing there on April 13, 2019.
• USI picked to finish second in GLVC. League coaches predicted that the Eagles will finish second in the GLVC in 2021. USI received 170 points and two first-place votes, while Indianapolis was picked to finish first, receiving 190 points and four first-place votes.
• Eagles in 2020. USI finished the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign with a 15-4 record. The Eagles were set to host Indianapolis in their GLVC-opener when the season was canceled.
• Kunkle going for 600. USI Head Coach Sue Kunkle, now in her 20th year leading the Eagles, is 568-395-1 overall record. She is 35 wins from becoming the first coach in USI history with 600 wins.
• Eagles looking to continue NCAA run. The Eagles were on pace for their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth in 2020 and their seventh in the last eight years when the season was cut short due to COVID. USI won back-to-back NCAA II Midwest Region titles in 2017 and 2018 before capturing the 2018 national championship.
HOT JOBS IN EVANSVILLE
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Responsive employer
USI at home to host UMSL this weekend
University of Southern Indiana Baseball returns to the friendly surroundings of the USI Baseball Field this weekend (April 1-3) to host the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The first pitch each day of the three-day slate is 6 p.m. Thursday for the opener; 2 p.m. Friday for a doubleheader, and noon Saturday for the series finale.
The Screaming Eagles (7-11, 5-7 GLVC) return home on a three-game winning streak after taking three of four from Maryville University last weekend, scoring 29 runs in the three victories. USI junior second baseman Ethan Hunter led the Eagles during the series, batting .438, while senior outfielder Manny Lopez hit three home runs on the road swing.
USI, currently, is fourth in the GLVC Blue Division with its 5-7 conference record.
The UMSL Tritons (5-14, 3-9 GLVC) are after starting the week with split with Drury University Tuesday (W 12-8; L 21-3) in St. Louis. UMSL, which sits in last place in the Blue Division this year, has lost six of its last eight.
The Eagles lead the all-time series with UMSL, 57-42, after sweeping a three-game series at the USI Baseball Field in 2019. The Eagles outscored the Tritons, 36-18, in sweeping UMSL’s last visit to Evansville.
USI implemented a spectator policy in 2021 due to COVID-19. For the safety and well-being of the players, coaches, and officials, the following guidelines have set in place:
• Attendance is limited to two pre-approved guests per USI student-athlete.
• Masks/face coverings for entry into the facility and must be worn at all times.
• Social distancing must be observed at all times.
Fans can catch all of the game coverage for the 2021, including live stats, video stream, and audio broadcasts, on GoUSIEagles.com. Selected games also can be heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.
Fans can watch free of charge on the GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN), which is available both on your desktop, mobile/tablet devices, as well as four over-the-top (OTT) platforms (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV). GLVCSN.com is the official website of the GLVC Sports Network, while the GLVCSN mobile app is available for iOS in the App Store and Android on Google Play. More information can be found at GLVCSN FAQs.
Preparing Indiana’s Future Workforce
Community Partners Take a Crucial Step
Top southwest Indiana community leaders, businesspeople and higher education representatives will spend Friday morning engaging in a vital dialogue about how to enhance the area’s talent development through educational opportunities.
Hosted by the University of Southern Indiana, the three-hour virtual workshop will begin with a welcome by Ronald S. Rochon, PhD, USI President, followed by a keynote address from Dr. Michelle R. Weise, author of Long Life Learning: Preparing for Jobs That Don’t Even Exist Yet, published in November 2020. Weise’s commentaries on redesigning higher education and developing more innovative workforce and talent pipeline strategies have been featured in The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review and on PBS Newshour.
Following the keynote, participants will break into discussion groups with the goal of addressing one big question: How can education and business partner together to grow and sustain our economy?
“Working together as a community to discuss our future needs is foundational to preparing our students for meaningful, important work that positively contributes to society,†said Dr. Ann White, Dean of the USI College of Nursing and Health Professions and co-chair of the workshop. “Identified future competencies needed in the business community will be mapped to our curricula.â€
Community leaders Greg Wathen, President and CEO of the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana, and Tara Barney, President and CEO of the Southwest Indiana Chamber of Commerce, will close out the workshop.
Alondra Vazquez earns All-MVC First Team recognition
Junior led the MVC with 4.43 kills per see
ST. LOUIS – University of Evansville junior Alondra Vazquez capped off a spectacular 2021 spring season by being named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team in an announcement by the league on Wednesday.
Vazquez paced the MVC with an average of 4.43 kills per set over the course of the season. Her success was not limited to the offensive side as her defensive mark of 3.55 digs per set finished in the top 15 in the league. The native of Toa Alta, Puerto Rico finished the regular season as the national leader with 1,060 attacks while finishing second with 14.13 attacks per set.
“I am so proud of Alondra, she worked really hard from becoming a defensive player to an all-around player,†UE head volleyball coach Fernando Morales said. “From beginning to end, she was one of the most dominant players in the conference and, in my opinion, the most complete player.â€
In total, Vazquez completed the season with 332 kills, a total that paced the Valley and ranked 10th in the NCAA. Her career mark of 32 kills came in a dominant effort that was the first of its kind in the history of the conference. On March 7 at Drake, Vazquez totaled 32 kills and 32 digs in what was the first 30-dig, 30-kill performance in MVC history and one of fewer than 10 such efforts that have been recorded in the entire NCAA since the 1980’s.
After leading the Purple Aces in double-doubles in 2019, she did the same with 13 in 2021. She finished with 20+ kills on eight occasions while posting 20 or more digs in four matches this spring. In her most consistent series of the season, she averaged 5.57 kills and 4.43 digs per frame in a pair of wins against Southern Illinois on her way to MVC Player of the Week accolades on March 16.
This marks the fifth time that an Evansville player has received MVC First Team honors in volleyball. Vazquez is the first to do so since 2014 when Ashley Ring earned a spot on the team.
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Eagles best Panthers in shortened match Tuesday, 4-0
University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (3-4) picked up a road victory Tuesday evening over Kentucky Wesleyan College (3-4), 4-0.
DOUBLES:Â
In the already shortened match, the Screaming Eagles wasted no time, grabbing both the No. 1 & No. 2 matches to secure the doubles point.
First, the freshmen duo of Rachel McCorkle and Lauren Rowe dispatched of their opponents without surrendering a game, moving their doubles record to 4-2 on the year.
Then, the pairing of senior Lauryn Thompson and sophomore Chloe McIsaac bested their foes, 6-1, upping their record together at 3-4 on the season.
SINGLES (Matches were shortened due to limited courts):Â
McCorkle kept her success for the evening rolling with a resounding 8-0 victory over the No.1 singles opposition. McCorkle is inching back to .500 on the season as a singles player, 3-4.
Rowe notched a two-win night after defeating one of the Panthers in the No. 2 singles, 8-0, running her singles record on the season to 6-2. Rowe has now won three straight singles matches: a team high.
McIsaac added another 8-0 victory in the No. 3 singles for her second straight singles match victory and to push her season record to 4-3.
Up Next: The Eagles will host University of Missouri St. Louis at Evansville Tennis Courts, Saturday April 3. First serve is scheduled to go up at 1 P.M.