EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball sweeps the series against University of Evansville, to take the first annual Battle of the Lloyd win in four sets.
Set 1: USI 25, UE 22
The Screaming Eagles fought back from a seven-point deficit (14-7) to take the first set. Junior Ashby Willis led the court with seven kills, hitting a .312 percent, with just two errors. Three different Eagles landed a service ace to help swing the momentum.
Set 2: UE 25, USI 20
The Purple Aces took the lead quickly in the second set, gaining a six-point advantage halfway through. The Eagles put up six blocks at the net and picked up 21 digs to fight off UE’s offensive moves. UE picked up 22 digs to keep the Eagles in a negative hitting percentage and took the set win.
Set 3: USI 25, UE 21
Sophomore Aurdrey Small made the difference in the third set, picking up 10 digs. Willis tallied another four kills, followed by freshman Carley Wright with three on the right side. The Eagles hit for their best hitting percentage at .217, keeping their errors to just three for the set.
Set 4: USI 26, UE 24
The final set was a battle to the very end, with USI going into extra points to close it out, ending with a kill from setter Aysa Thomas. Willis recorded five kills to help swing the offense at the net. The defense put up four more blocks, bringing the total at the net to 12 total for a team season-high.
For the game, Willis tallied 17 kills, and Leah Coleman followed with 10. Thomas recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 34 assists and 15 digs. Four Eagles picked up double-digit digs, led by Small who finished with 20.
Next up, the Screaming Eagles move into Ohio Valley Conference play, starting on the road against Morehead State University. The first game in the series will take place on Friday, September 26, at 6 p.m.
