EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Following a 3-0 setback at Lewis University and a tough road match with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside looming the next day, the University of Southern Indiana volleyball team was just looking to stay in the GLVC Tournament picture.
Flash forward nearly two weeks and three matches later, the Screaming Eagles are looking to clinch a spot in the GLVC Tournament, and with a pair of wins and some help, move as high as fifth in the GLVC standings.
USI (15-13, 7-5 GLVC), which closes the regular season with trips to the University of Illinois-Springfield (Friday at 7 p.m.) and Quincy University (Saturday at 3 p.m.), has won three straight matches dating back to the loss to Lewis, including a 3-2 victory over Wisconsin-Parkside and a 3-1 win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the third-ranked team in the GLVC to date.
A pair of USI wins, coupled with a pair of Rockhurst University losses, would propel USI from the sixth seed to the fifth seed in the GLVC Tournament, which begins November 13 in either Indianapolis, Indiana, or Romeoville, Illinois. Rockhurst closes the regular season with matches at Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis.
The Eagles still need a win to clinch a spot in the GLVC Tournament as they are currently tied with Drury University and are a game ahead of Bellarmine University. USI has the head-to-head tie-breakers over Drury and Bellarmine, but ninth-place Saint Joseph’s College, which is a game-and-a-half back of USI, has the head-to-head tie-breaker with the Eagles.
Leading the Eagles into this weekend’s contests is sophomore middle blocker Danielle LaGrange, who is averaging better than three kills per set and attacking at a blistering .374 clip against conference foes.
Overall, junior outside hitter Brittani Oliver continues to lead the Eagles with 2.89 kills per game, while senior middle blocker Ashley Henricks leads USI with a .304 attacking percentage and 0.93 blocks per set.
USI’s matches against Illinois-Springfield (9-19, 1-11 GLVC) and Quincy (6-20, 3-9 GLVC) are scheduled to be broadcast live via the web on B2 Networks.