Volleyball Set to Begin Season with Pair of Matches; Picked Fourth in GLVC East

University of Southern Indiana Women’s Volleyball enters the 2020-21 season with a pair of matches over the weekend against two divisional rivals, No. 14 Lewis and Illinois Springfield.

USI returns to action with a bout against 14th-ranked Lewis at 7 P.M. on Friday, January 29, and an afternoon matinee on Saturday, January 30, against UIS at 4:30 P.M.

The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the GLVC East after it ended the 2019 campaign on a positive streak, winning four of six matches in the month of November.

Head Coach Randi Raff regarding the upcoming season: “We look forward to the opportunity to have a season this spring; we recognize not all programs across the country are not as fortunate as we are in the GLVC. Most importantly, our players need to  get back into the feeling of competing against someone other than their teammates and be able to do what they love most. We look forward to challenging the top teams in the conference as we continue to grow into our own as a transitioning program. The league is challenging and competitive from top to bottom so we will have our work cut out for us each week. Our ultimate objective this spring semester is to stay healthy and compete at our highest potential, continuing the push towards a championship culture.”

HOW TO WATCH AND FOLLOW:
While fans are not permitted to attend the games, they can watch free of charge on the GLVC Sports Network, which is available both you’re your desktop, mobile/tablet devices, as well as four over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV (4th Generation). GLVCSN.com is the official website of the GLVC Sports Network, while the GLVCSN mobile app is available for iOS in the App Store and Android on Google Play. Apple users also can use AirPlay with their Apple TV or some of the newer smart TVs. (GLVCSN FAQs)

Previews, live game updates, and post-game information can be found via USI Athletics (@USIAthletics | #GoUSIEagles) social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

PRESEASON POLL:
USI Volleyball was picked to finish fourth (27 points) in the East Division of the GLVC behind foes Lewis (1st | 68), Indianapolis (59), and Illinois Springfield (41).  The GLVC conference schedule will feature 18 games, playing divisional teams twice and all other GLVC-rivals once. The top eight GLVC teams will earn a berth into the GLVC Volleyball Championship Tournament, which will take place on April 16-18 in East Peoria, Illinois at EastSide Centre. The top eight teams will be determined through the GLVC Point Rating System (PRS), which awards points based on wins, losses, and opponent records.

In the GLVC West, Rockhurst was picked to win with 65 points and in the GLVC Central, Missouri-St. Louis earned the top sport with 70 points.

*The full GLVC Volleyball preseason poll can be viewed below*

SEASON PREVIEW:
The Screaming Eagles ended the 2019 season by winning four of their last six matches, finishing 15-15 overall.

Head Coach Randi Raff will begin her second season at the helm of USI Volleyball with back-to-back games on Friday, January 29th against Lewis and Saturday, January 30th against Illinois-Springfield. In her first season as head of the program, USI posted its first .500-or-better season in three years and beat an eighth-ranked Lewis Flyer squad in four sets.

The Screaming Eagles enter the season led by senior setter and team captain Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri), a seasoned veteran of the USI Volleyball program, playing in 87 of 90 matches over her first three seasons. Cepicky owns 2,263 assists in her career (26.01 assists per match, 8.67 assists per set), which is good for sixth all-time at USI. She sits 258 assists behind 5th all-time, held by Melanie Pund (2007-2009), and 406 assists shy of 4th all-time, owned by Carly Messman (1997-99).

Raff on Cepicky: “Casey will run our offense this spring. She has put in a lot of work on and off the court and is playing a very clean, disciplined game. We anticipate a balanced attack as she is distributing the ball exceptionally well and has increased the level of athleticism she brought to the position last year.”

Multiple freshmen made their mark during the 2019 season as well, with outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Indiana) and outside hitter Katherine Koch (Belleville, Illinois) both earning Academic All-GLVC honors by playing in all 30 matches. Anderson led the Eagles in kills with 334 and points with 386 (10th in GLVC) on the season. She also recorded eight double-doubles on the season, including one in her USI debut against Winona State (19 kills, 14 digs) and another to help USI over No. 8 Lewis (November 1 | 14 kills, 18 digs). Koch was second for the Eagles in both kills (242) and points (283.5).

Raff on Anderson and Koch: “Leah and Katherine had to grow up quickly during the 2019 fall season as they played big roles as freshmen and we are seeing them grow into their game even more this school year. They both have been highly committed to the work off the court as well, making big strength gains in the weight room.”

Also returning for USI is junior Sidney Hegg (Menasha, Wisconsin), a two-time Academic All-GLVC right side hitter, and sophomore libero/defensive specialist Audrey Crowder (Avon, Indiana), who earned the Eagles’ first GLVC Defensive Player of the Week award since 2015.

Raff on the mid-court: “In the middle, Casey has a trio of reliable hitters in Sidney Hegg, Taylor Litteken, and Lauren English. These three have improved a great deal offensively and with their blocking game as well. They have all bought in to our system and are thriving. There’s a really neat comradery among them that they take a lot of pride in. They compete in practice with each other and simultaneously help each other; middles are often the unsung ‘work horses’ in the gym and these three embody that. This is something I’m incredibly proud of as it further adds to our team chemistry and competitive practice dynamic.”

UP NEXT:
The Screaming Eagles will host six matches at home following this weekend, two of which are tri-meets hosted at Screaming Eagles Arena against opposing divisional teams.

Remaining home matches:
February 6 | Indianapolis
February 20 | Rockhurst*
February 20 | Lindenwood*
March 13 | Southwest Baptist*
March 13 | Truman State*
March 26 | McKendree

*GLVC East|West|Central Tri-Meet

2020-21 GLVC VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL

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