Trailblazers get back on track with split at Parkland Fall Challenge
Trailblazers get back on track with split at Parkland Fall Challenge
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Vincennes University volleyball team got back in the win column Saturday evening with a two game split at the 2024 Parkland College Fall Challenge in Champaign.
The Blazers fell in their opening game of the day to NJCAA Division II No. 5-ranked Heartland Community College 20-25, 21-25, 13-25 before closing out the weekend strong with a sweep over Lincoln Land Community College 26-24, 26-24, 25-15.
Vincennes opened the day with a very tough test against a top five nationally ranked Heartland C.C. squad.
VU got the day started strong, building an early 9-6 advantage over the Hawks before Heartland was able to swing the momentum back with five unanswered points to take an 11-9 lead.
Vincennes would even the score before Heartland used a late 7-1 scoring run to pull away late and pick up the 25-20 victory in set one.
Set two began as another back-and-forth battle, with Heartland being the first team to break away with a 5-0 run to take a 17-12 lead.
VU would continue to battle, cutting the deficit down to two but were unable to completely erase the Heartland lead as the Hawks closed out set two 25-21 to take a 2-0 match lead.
Looking to avoid the sweep, the Trailblazers came out firing in set three, holding an early 6-4 lead before the Hawks grabbed the lead back with a 9-1 scoring run.
Vincennes would get the Heartland lead down to just a single point before the Hawks closed out the match with 11 straight points to take set three and the match 25-13.
The VU offense was led by sophomores Isadora Dias (Rio Grande de Norte, Brazil) and Elisa Dalla Pozza (Vincenza, Italy) who each finished with eight kills.
Dias would add one block, while Dalla Pozza added two blocks to her totals.
Sophomore Laura Tavares (Merida, Venezuela) finished the match with six kills, two blocks and one dig, while sophomore Allison Czyzewski (Louisville, Ill.) and freshman Martyna Sadowska (Pila, Poland) each recorded four kills.
Czyzewski led the Blazers with three blocks in the match, while Sadowska finished with two blocks.
Freshman Paulina Fister (Tuszyn, Poland) rounded out the VU offensive numbers with two kills, five digs, one block and one set assist.
Freshman Rylee Edwards (Fairfield, Ill.) ran the Trailblazer offense from the setter position, finishing the match with 18 set assists, eight digs and one ace.
Sophomore Libby Mehringer (Jasper, Ind.) shared time with Edwards at the setter position, finishing the match with 13 set assists and three digs.
Sophomore libero Grace Flexter (Oblong, Ill.) led the Blazers back row defense with nine digs and three set assists, while freshman Julianna Rettig (Antioch, Ill.) finished with eight digs.
Sophomore Dylan DeCoursey (Montgomery, Ind.) and freshman Ashley Earp (Mattoon, Ill.) each saw the floor in the match, but did not record a stat.
“We were right with them for most of the match,” VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. “I thought we played well in all phases and probably needed some better connections at the end of each set. They scored by other means as we picked up quite a few of their shots.”
The Trailblazers then had to quickly turn around and look to close out the weekend strong against Lincoln Land Community College.
This match proved to be very even right from the start with the two teams trading the lead seven times in the first set.
Vincennes found themselves facing set point before rallying back to close out the first set in overtime 26-24 to take a 1-0 match lead over the Loggers.
Set two started off strong for the Blazers, scoring seven straight points to take an early 7-1 lead.
Lincoln Land again refused to go away, battling back to take a 17-14 lead before Vincennes again swung the momentum back to take a late 20-18 lead.
Lincoln Land would reclaim the lead late in set two and again serve set point before VU closed out the set with three straight points to take set two in overtime 26-24 and gain a 2-0 match lead.
VU carried this momentum into set three, looking to close out the sweep and get back in the win column, VU opened set three with four straight points.
Vincennes would build on this early lead with a 4-0 scoring run and a 5-0 run midway through the set to take a 18-11 lead.
Lincoln Land tried to battle back and avoid the sweep but were unable to overcome the Vincennes lead as VU pulled away late to take set three 25-15 and complete the three set sweep over the Loggers.
VU sophomores Isadora Dias and Elisa Dalla Pozza again led the Trailblazer offense, finishing with eight kills each, while Dias added one block and Dalla Pozza finished with five digs, four blocks and one ace.
Allison Czyzewski ended her weekend with five kills and one block, while Martyna Sadowska ended the match with four kills, four blocks and a pair of digs.
Paulina Fister and Laura Tavares rounded out the offensive numbers with two kills each, with Fister leading the Blazers with 13 digs.
Libby Mehringer again led controlled the VU offense from the setter position, filling the stats sheet with 19 set assists, three kills, three digs, two aces and one block.
Rylee Edwards also helped move the ball for Vincennes as a setter, finishing the match with 14 set assists, six digs and one ace.
Libero Grace Flexter had a big match for the Trailblazers, finishing with six digs, an outstanding five aces and a pair of set assists.
Julianna Rettig ended her weekend with 10 digs in the match.
Ashley Earp saw the floor against Lincoln Land but did not record a stat.
“The changes in the line up we made in the Heartland match was able to jell better against Lincoln Land,” Sien added. “I thought Rylee and Libby ran a very good offense as the middle attack was more established. If the statistics are correct, our middles hit a combined .543 percent for both matches as Allison and Elisa had good numbers.”
“We served very tough as Grace, Libby and Rylee had a numbers of service runs,” Sien said. “We just played exceptional on defense as well, picking up a lot of roll shots and tips. Just the execution from beginning to end that we talked about after last night was there.”
The Trailblazers will look to build on this momentum as they head into next week, hitting the road for a Region 24 match against Frontier Community College Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. eastern.
This game will be played at Center Street Middle School in Fairfield, Ill.
VU will then return home to close out the week by hosting the 2024 Showdown on the Wabash Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Blazers will open the weekend tournament with a Region 24 match against Southwestern Illinois College Friday at 3 p.m. eastern before closing out day one against Wallace State Community College at 7 p.m. eastern.
Vincennes will close out the weekend slate Saturday by facing St. Louis Community College at 10 a.m. eastern and Calhoun Community College at 2 p.m. eastern.
“I’m stating the obvious that we had a rough week,” Sien said. “After the highs of last weekend from Alabama to the realities of Region play this week. Toss the records out the window. Region play is a whole different animal. It is a whole different level of competition as everyone you play with will be at a high level. We have to have our very best to meet their best at all times.”
Aces men’s soccer earns first MVC win at Bradley
USI splits SEMO in the OVC opening weekend with a 3-1 victory
EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (6-8, 1-1 OVC) rallied to win three straight sets after dropping the opener against preseason conference favorite Southeast Missouri State University (4-9, 1-1 OVC). USI splits the two-game weekend series in their Ohio Valley Conference opener.
The difference from Friday’s loss was the Eagles cleaning up their own mistakes and creating less errors with a season best .291 hitting percentage. USI committed 37 errors on a .122 attacking percentage on Friday compared to their 21 errors and .291 percentage on Saturday. The Eagles also attacked from a variety of different directions with five different Eagles tallying double digit kills.
Set 1: SEMO 25, USI 23
The Redhawks came out of the gate strong taking the first five points. Junior Keira Moore helped the Eagles dig out of the hole with two straight aces giving her a team leading 17 on the season. Sophomore Ashby Willis and senior Paris Downing both tallied three kills to stay within four down 18-22. Three kills from graduate senior Jasmine Green and four impressive digs from Moore helped the Eagles mount a late five-point run. However, the early SEMO lead became too much to overcome. Both teams cleaned up their errors from Friday night with only nine combined in set one. The Redhawks hit a set high .342 hitting percentage.
Set 2: SEMO 18, USI 25
Senior Carly Sobieralski spread the wealth to five different Eagles as USI led 13-12. Sophomore Leah Coleman took her turn at the end of the set with three huge kills. USI finished SEMO with 5-1 run capped off by a Downing rejection. Sobieralski finished with a massive 17 assists on nearly every Eagle attack. USI committed a set low three errors looking more like themselves.
Set 3: SEMO 23, USI 25
USI struggled to start the set with seven errors falling behind 15-6. However, USI charged back on a 16-5 run with the help of three kills from Willis and Coleman each, along with five from junior Bianca Anderson to make it 22-19. Coleman smashed two more kills to give her five on the set as USI finished the Redhawks.
Set 4: SEMO 20, USI 25
The Eagles jumped out to an early 8-2 lead as senior Abby Weber and Moore continued to frustrate the Redhawks offense digging attacks. Anderson added five more kills from different angles confusing SEMO as the Sobieralski to Anderson duo was deadly tonight leading 19-14. USI closed the match on five straight points from Coleman and Downing to earn their first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season. USI smashed a set high .375 hitting percentage.
Anderson led the Eagles offensively again with 15 kills, but four different Eagles trailed right behind her with double digit kills. Sobieralski finished with a monstrous 58 assists nearly breaking her season high of 59. Willis played a big role defensively with 19 digs and Moore and Sobieralski trailed right behind with 16 and 14, respectively. Anderson swatted a team high three blocks, while Moore placed three perfect service aces.
As a team, USI finished with 69 kills, 65 assists, 72 digs, four aces, six blocks, and a .291 attacking percentage. The Redhawks earned 52 kills, 51 assists, 64 digs, four aces, 11 blocks, and a .242 hitting percentage.
Next up for the Eagles
USI hosts University of Tennessee at Martin on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for Mental Health Awareness Night.
Cardona sets UE kills record against UIC
Senior finished with 21 against the Flames
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – There is a new all-time kills leader in University of Evansville volleyball history – Giulia Cardona. With 21 kills on Saturday against UIC, Cardona now has 1,916 in her career. She passed Alondra Vazquez’ mark of 1,911.
Cardona’s tally led all players as the Purple Aces dropped a 3-1 contest to UIC. She also led the team with nine digs while Ainoah Cruz finished with eight. Lexi Owen finished with 27 assists, seven digs and three aces. UIC was led by Zahria Woodard’s 13 kills.
Set 1 – UIC 25, UE 16
From the outset, the Flames had the momentum, scoring the first five points of the night and would extend their lead to 11-4. A kill from Giulia Cardona helped the Aces rally to make it a 19-14 game, but UIC proved to be too much as they took the set and a 1-0 lead.
Set 2 – UE 25, UIC 19
Following a quick 2-0 start by the Flames, Evansville came back to tie it at 4-4 on a Jenna Heidbreder kill. UIC wrestled away an 10-8 lead before Evansville countered with five in a row to go up 13-10. Cardona had two more kills while Blakeley Freeman added an ace.
Madisyn Steele and Angelica Gonzalez assisted on a block while Lexi Owen registered an ace to extend the lead to 20-15. The Flames did their best to rally, but a solo block by Chloe Cline was followed by Cardona’s 13th kill of the night to seal the set and tie the match.
Set 3 – UIC 25, UE 10
Lexi Owen opened the third with an ace, but the Flames quickly assumed control as they reeled off the next eight points. Following a kill by Gonzalez, UIC continued to add to their lead before cruising to a 25-10 win.
Set 4 – UIC 25, UE 17
Another quick start saw UIC open a 3-0 lead. Another ace from Freeman highlighted a 3-0 stretch that tied the set. The Flames answered each time and made their move in the middle stages. Hanging on to a 13-11 edge, UIC scored the next three before completing the game on a 12-6 margin to win the match.
MVC road play opens next weekend when the Aces travel to Belmont and Murray State.
Podcast: Meet Jerome Stewart. Bringing devotions to CCO and talking about the parks board
New This week City-County Observer podcast.
Jerome Stewart Joins Johnny Kincaid for a conversation that covers a variety of topics. Jerome is joining the City-County Observer to provide a daily audio devotional called The Word in 120. Jerome also talks about his time on the parks board and the latest $24 million bond issue.
USI to host Health Professions Day for high school students October 25 HP Day Circle.png
The University of Southern Indiana Kinney College of Nursing and Health Professions is hosting a Health Professions Day for high school juniors and seniors exploring careers in healthcare on Friday, October 25. The day will incorporate hands-on experiences within various health professions programs, as well as interaction with USI faculty and current students.
The event, from 8 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. in the USI Health Professions Center, will include lunch and an optional campus tour. Representatives from the following programs will lead breakout sessions: Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene; Diagnostic Medical Sonography; Food and Nutrition; Health Administration and Health Services; Health Informatics; Nursing; Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant; Radiology and Imaging Sciences; and Respiratory Therapy.
“Visiting a college campus offers high school students a firsthand glimpse into the world of healthcare careers,” says Sean Weir, Chair of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. “This Health Professions Day is an opportunity to explore different majors at USI, meet future mentors and take the first step toward making a meaningful impact on the lives of others.”
This event is free, but capacity is limited. Registration is required. For more information, visit USI.edu/hp-day.
How to Help Those Affected by Hurricane Helene
If you are looking for how you can help people who Hurricane Helene has impacted, here are some suggestions for assisting:
Give Money
It’s the most efficient way to provide help. Charities often get bulk discounts, giving them more buying power for items needed by the people in the area. The funds can be spent locally to support businesses that need help.
Good-hearted people often clean out closets to send used clothing or other physical items. The items are loaded into a rented truck and hauled to a distribution center in the disaster zone, where exhausted, overwhelmed volunteers struggle to keep up with the supplies arriving. In the end, piles of clothing, toys, blankets, and other supplies end up in a landfill.
Who is accepting donations?
American Red Cross: One of the first relief agencies that we think of, the Red Cross offers food, shelter, and supplies to people in disaster areas. Click here to donate.
Samaritan’s Purse: Franklin Graham’s Christ-centered relief organization has relief teams on the ground all along Helene’s path. They provide assistance with cleanup and rebuilding after the storm. Click here to learn more about what they are already doing and how you can donate or volunteer.
The Salvation Army: Responding quickly to the disaster, the Salvation Army provides food, drinks, shelter, and emotional and spiritual care. Donate to their efforts here.
GoFundMe: For people who want to contribute to assisting individuals and families, GoFundMe has a dedicated hub of vetted Helene requests. Check it out here.
This list is not meant to be complete, and we do not recommend any particular relief agency. The need in these areas is great, and there will be a need for assistance for some time to come.
One more tip: do not just show up to try to assist. Volunteer through one of the established agencies to avoid becoming a burden. The established agencies have contacts with locals to determine the community’s needs.
Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report
