MACOMB, Ill.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball picks up the sweep (3-0) at Western Illinois University in the first half of the final series of the 2025 regular season. With the win, the Screaming Eagles move to 13-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 17-12 overall.
Set 1: USI 25, WIU 13
With five aces from the Screaming Eagles’ service line, they maintained possession of the ball for the majority of the set. Senior Bianca Anderson and junior Leah Coleman each landed three kills to lead the court. Ashby Willis led the back court, picking up five digs and leading the team with two aces. Junior McKenzie Murphy, who leads the conference in blocking, continued her dominance at the net, adding three blocks to help keep the WIU offense in the negative hitting percentage.
Set 2: USI 25, WIU 23
To kick off the second set, the Eagles saw a difficult serving run from the Leathernecks, which tallied four aces. USI fought back, regaining control of the lead after chipping away at the five-point lead the WIU serve had gained them. Freshman Carley Wright swung the momentum for the Eagles’ side, tying the score with three back-to-back kills. She finished the set with seven kills on one error for a game-high .462 hitting percentage. Murphy kept up the net defense with two more blocks. Freshman Aysa Thomas had her best set with 12 assists and six digs in the set.
Set 3: USI 25, WIU 21
After some back and forth to start the final set, Willis went on an eight-point serving run, gaining the Eagles a seven-point lead. The Leathernecks fought back with their own serving run to tie the game back up. Willis had her best offensive set, adding six kills, followed by Anderson, who added five. Libero Audrey Small kept the WIU offense at bay, picking up eight digs.
For the game, Willis finished with a double-double with 11 kills and 13 digs. Tying her in kills was Wright, who also finished with 11, and she ended with a .391 hitting percentage, committing just two errors for the best efficiency on the court.
OVC Freshman of the Week, Thomas, committed to her all-around performance with 28 assists, 11 digs, and three kills, marking her 20th double-double in her debut season.
The team finished with 70 digs for 23 per set, led by Small, who ended with 14, along with four other Eagles with double-digit digs. Defense at the net was led by Murphy, who finished with five blocks, including two solo. The team had seven blocks, adding to their season total so far of 244, to top the conference rankings.
The top seed of the OVC Tournament remains up for grabs after Tuesday’s games as results around the league keep USI in a close third-place position, behind top seeds Morehead State University and Eastern Illinois University.
