EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball grabs the win over Lindenwood University in four sets inside Liberty Arena Thursday night.
The Screaming Eagles improve to 11-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 15-12 overall, remaining in third place in the conference standings.
Set 1: LU 25, USI 23
Lindenwood went on a five-point scoring run at the start of the match. Freshman Carley Wright led the court in kills, landing four on no errors to hit a .500 percent. She was able to swing the momentum for the Eagles in pivotal moments, ending the Lions’ serving runs to get the side out. Sophomore Audrey Small picked up four digs to lead the back row, keeping the Lions offense to a low .172.
Set 2: USI 25, LU 15
The Screaming Eagles quickly took control of the match with a 14-4 scoring run to start the first half of the set. Freshman Aysa Thomas landed three kills in the set, leading the offense with senior Bianca Anderson, who also added three. Junior McKenzie Murphy was a wall at the net for the Eagles. She added a solo block and five block assists, for six total in the set.
Set 3: USI 25, LU 13
USI maintained the lead for the entirety of the set, finishing with a 12-point advantage over the Lions. Anderson led the offense with three kills, followed by Thomas, Murphy, and Wright, who each added two. As a team, the Eagles hit a .429 hitting percentage, recording just one error in the set. Senior Keira Moore kept the pressure on Lindenwood from the service line, landing three aces during her six-point serving run.
Set 4: USI 25, LU 19
The Lions came back for the final set to fight, taking the lead three times in the first 10 points, before the Eagles took it over. Junior Ashby Willis landed four of her six kills for the evening in the final set. Small and Thomas each picked up three digs to keep the pressure on the LU offense.
For the game, OVC Freshman of the Week, Thomas tabbed her 19th career double-double, finishing with 35 assists, 10 digs, and a career-high seven kills. Anderson led the team with 10 kills, followed by Wright with nine.
