EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is projected to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll voted by the conference’s head coaches’ and sport communicators.
 
The conference returns all 11 OVC schools from the 2023 season. The schedule features an 18-game conference slate nine home, nine away playing nine OVC squads twice. The regular season champion hosts the OVC tournament to culminate the seasons efforts in an eight-team single elimination tournament. 
 
Following a second-place finish in 2023, Southeast Missouri State University was picked to finish first in the preseason poll. The Redhawks received 167 total votes and six first-place votes. The 2023 regular season and tournament champions, Eastern Illinois University were selected right behind SEMO with 166 total votes and five first-place votes. Morehead State University also received five first-place votes coming in at third with 163 total votes. Morehead State was eliminated by the Eagles last year in the OVC tournament quarterfinals.
 
Tennessee Tech University returns multiple key returners including two on the All-OVC Preseason team. The Golden Eagles earned 153 total votes along with four first-place votes to place fourth. Lindenwood University also earned two All-OVC Preseason team members. The Lions are projected just above USI at fifth with 145 total votes and one first-place vote.
 
After a vastly improved 2023 conference season making it to the conference semifinals, the Screaming Eagles earned 97 total votes at sixth-place. USI returns four of the six starters from 2023, looking to rely on key returners to step up, along with the addition of two freshman and two key transfers. Rounding out the final five is University of Tennessee at Martin (84), Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (83, one first-place vote), Western Illinois University (74), University of Arkansas at Little Rock (51), and Tennessee State University (29).
 
As part of the OVC’s preseason announcement, junior middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) represented USI on the 2024 OVC Volleyball Preseason Players to Watch List. Anderson looks to continue to improve, stepping into a bigger role in 2024. The middle hitter nearly doubled her production in 2023 collecting 244 kills, 63 blocks, along with leading the team in hitting percentage at .259.
 
USI kicks off the season with three straight road invitationals, matching up with three different schools at each invite. The Eagles open the season traveling to Bradley University (Aug. 30-31), University of Florida (Sep. 6-8), and Indiana University (Sep. 13-14). The squad returns to town to play at University of Evansville (Sep. 17), before their home opening weekend in a re-match with UE (Sep. 20), along with a battle against Indiana University Indianapolis (Sep. 21). USI starts conference play hosting SEMO on back-to-back days (Sep. 27-28).
 
2024 OVC Soccer Predicted Order of Finish
(as voted on by the league’s head coaches and communication directors)
1. Southeast Missouri (6) – 167
2. Eastern Illinois (5) – 164
3. Morehead State (5) – 163
4. Tennessee Tech (4) – 153
5. Lindenwood (1) – 145
6. Southern Indiana – 97
7. UT Martin – 84
8. SIUE – (1) 83
9. Western Illinois – 74
10. Little Rock – 51
11. Tennessee State – 27

2024 OVC Players to Watch
Kaitlyn Flynn, Eastern Illinois
Allie Otten, Lindenwood
Bella Cherry, Little Rock
Peighton Isley, Morehead State
Sydney Hummert, SIUE
Abby Johnson, Southeast Missouri
Bianca Anderson, Southern Indiana
Sagaia Reilly, Tennessee State
Mallory Jenkins, Tennessee Tech
Dylan Mott, UT Martin
Maggie Craker, Western Illinois

VUVB starts season strong with Region sweep over Wabash Valley

VINCENNES, Ind. – The three-time defending Region 24 Champion Vincennes University Trailblazer volleyball team opened their 2024 regular season Thursday night in the Physical Education Complex in style by winning over Wabash Valley College 25-11, 25-8, 25-14.

The win extends VU’s winning streak over Region 24 opponents to 39 matches.

Vincennes opened the season strong in the first set, scoring six of the first seven points to grab an early lead before extending their lead to 13-5 midway through the set.

VU closed out the opening set of the season on a 10-2 scoring run to take set one 25-11 over the Warriors and gain the early 1-0 match lead.

The Blazers continued to ride this momentum into set two, again jumping out to an early 6-1 lead before using a 7-0 scoring run to build a 16-6 advantage.

Vincennes gained complete control of the set by closing out set two on with nine unanswered points to take the second set 25-8 and gain a 2-0 match lead.

Set three got off to a slow start for the Trailblazers as the visiting Warriors looked to avoid the sweep.

Wabash Valley used an early 5-0 run to swing the momentum and built a 12-10 lead midway through the set.

Vincennes responded very well in front of the home crowd, scoring 13 straight points as part of a larger 15-2 scoring run to close out the second set 25-14 and finish out the three set sweep over Wabash Valley.

“From beginning to end, our serving was really next level,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “We finished with six aces, but that’s not how we judge effective serving. We want to target certain players and take them out of their offense. Wabash Valley has a nice middle attack but we didn’t really get to see that tonight because we took them off of their passing game. To be able to run the middle, your passing has to really be on point right at the net. So we wanted to take that away and also target certain players to take them out of the game, tire them out and take them out of their rhythm.”

“Our serving was very effective at that,” Sien added. “It was a tough serve and was able to move the passer around. When you have that and you set it up to where you kind of know where the offense is going to go, then you have a very strong block and we had that tonight as well. It’s not a stat that’s tracked, but we got a number of points tonight on shots that Wabash Valley hit out because of our block.”

“Elisa had a big blocking night and she was in several plays where she would block two or three,” Sien said. “The first couple didn’t get down but she kept after it and got the block kill. Elisa, Dylan and Libby each had some big serving runs in the game as well. Elisa and Dylan each had 12 serving attempts and Libby had 27. When your servers can get that many attempts, that means you are going on some big runs. Libby finished with 27 attempts and only one error, that means we scored. We always want our setters to be some of our top servers and she was pretty strategic throughout the match.”

The Trailblazer offense was led by a two-headed attack from sophomores Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) and Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil).

Both hitters led the Blazers with nine kills each, while Tavares added two blocks and one set assists and Dias added a pair of aces and two digs.

Sophomore Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) had a very nice match at the net, finishing with four kills, a team-high six blocks, including four solo blocks and a pair of aces.

Freshman Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) played well in her collegiate debut, finishing with three kills, four digs, one ace and one set assist.

Sophomore Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) finished her night with two kills and one set assist, while freshman Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) and sophomore Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) rounded out the VU offense with one kill each.

Sadowska would also add one dig and Mehringer would lead the Blazers with 12 set assists, one dig and one ace on the night.

Sophomore Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) also helped run the VU offense, finishing her night with nine set assists and one dig.

Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) rounded out the VU box score with some outstanding defense on her way to a team-high seven digs and three set assists.

“I thought Isadora had a nice match tonight,” Sien said. “She only recorded two digs but she read the offense really well and she didn’t really play any defense last year. I thought she serve received very well. That’s another part of the game I thought we did really well. I thought we serve received extremely well tonight and finished with only one error as a team tonight.”

“Serve receiving is so mental,” Sien added. “You have to be out there and just be so confident. If you feel off, frustrated or scared, you are never going to get that. I always found as a player that was a very tough skill. If we handle that part well and are able to run our offense, then that prevents teams from being able to go on runs against us.”

“Elisa did really well tonight with her blocking,” Sien said. “Isadora had a good all-around game, hitting and playing back row. Laura swung really well. I said in the season preview, if you give her a nice set, it’s hard to stop her. I thought Grace had a pretty nice match too. She read the offense really well and serve received extremely well. Libby ran a really nice offense, served really well and played some good defense. So we had several players who had really nice matches out there tonight.”

“But it was the mentality that we want,” Sien added. “During the scrimmages we were up and down, but tonight we weren’t waiting for one person to step up, everybody stepped up. We grew up a little bit from yesterday’s scrimmage. There were times when we played okay and there were time when we just played bad but that’s why we scrimmage. I thought we took some big steps forward as a team from yesterday to tonight.”

The Trailblazers will look to keep this early season momentum going into their next match when VU hosts Region 24 opponent Shawnee Community College Saturday, Aug. 24 inside the Physical Education Complex for a Region 24 doubleheader.

The first match of the day is set to begin at 12 p.m. eastern, with match two to follow.

“We have to stay on task,” Sien said. “Shawnee is going to be a much different team than Wabash Valley and we have to treat them like we did Wabash Valley. We can’t take anybody for granted. We’re not going to disrespect someone. We are just going to play hard and compete. Otherwise, we’re just wasting our time.”

“Everybody better come ready to play with back-to-back matches,” Sien added. “We rarely play back-to-back matches, especially at home. We just have to be competitive. It doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the net. Every game is big, that way we are consistent in our mindset. Our goal is to treat Shawnee like we did Wabash Valley. If we do that, then we will be fine.”

BOX SCORE

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer lost a tough season opener at Butler University, 2-1, Thursday evening in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Screaming Eagles, who are on the road for the first five matches of 2024, start the year 0-1-0, while Butler begins 2024 1-0-0.
 
Following a Butler tally at 7:33 of the opening half, USI evened the score at 11:11 when freshman midfielder Ahiro Nakamae (Fishers, Indiana) recorded his first collegiate goal and the Eagles’ first official tally of the season. Nakamae was assisted on the play by senior midfielder Garland Hall (Evansville, Indiana) and sophomore midfielder Pablo Juan (St. Louis, Missouri).
 
The score would remain a 1-1 draw through the remainder of the first half. Butler had the advantage through much of the first 45 minutes with a 12-2 lead in shots.
 
In the second half, Butler regained the lead, 2-1, with a goal 6:29 into the final 45 minutes. The Bulldogs would control the second half, outshooting USI, 8-2, and posting a 3-0 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The Eagles’ chances came at 70:48 off the foot of Nakame, a shot on-goal, and at 83:57 when freshman forward David Davila (Elkhart, Indiana), blast that was blocked by the defense.
 
Between the posts, sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Klott (St. Charles, Missouri) allowed the two goals after facing 20 shots, seven on-goal. He also made five saves in the opener.
 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the final Thirsty Thursday of the year at Bosse Field, the Evansville Otters pulled out the brooms against the Windy City ThunderBolts, completing the sweep with a 4-2 victory.

The Otters (40-48) jumped ahead early and never trailed in the ballgame. More good pitching highlighted the contest as the staff kept the ThunderBolts (34-54) at bay.

Right-handed starter Parker Brahms (6-6) went seven innings on the hill, throwing just 83 pitches. He allowed both runs with no walks and six strikeouts in a dominating win. Grif Hughes (Sv. 1) came out of the bullpen for the final two innings and worked clean frames, picking up two strikeouts. ThunderBolts starter Michael Barker (3-8) took the loss and allowed all runs in five innings.

Opening the scoring in the first, David Mendham flared an RBI double down the left field line to make it 1-0.

Windy City tied the game in the fourth, but the Otters punched right back in the home frame.

Leading off, Randy Bednar walked. Three batters later, a two-out rally was sparked by a single from Amani Larry. JJ Cruz then hit a base hit to score a run and Clayton Keyes followed by smoking one off the left field wall for a two-RBI double.