EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The task is simple. Improve to 13-0 at home and advance to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three years.
That is what the University of Southern Indiana volleyball team will try to accomplish when it hosts the GLVC Tournament this weekend at the Physical Activities Center.
The Screaming Eagles (21-6, 15-1 GLVC), winners of the GLVC regular-season title, were a perfect 11-0 at home during the regular season and have won their last 15 at the PAC since last season.
USI, which has a first-round bye and will not play until 7:30 p.m. Friday, will play the winner of Thursday's 7:30 p.m. match, featuring the fourth-seeded University of Indianapolis Greyhounds and the fifth-seeded Lewis University Flyers.
The top-seeded Eagles swept the Greyhounds earlier this season to take control of the GLVC standings, while the Flyers were the only GLVC team to defeat USI in 2004. USI won the first match with Lewis, 3-1, at the PAC in September, but lost to the Flyers, 3-1, in Romeoville, Illinois, in October.
Indianapolis enters the GLVC Tournament with a 22-12 overall mark and was 12-4 in the GLVC, while Lewis was 18-9 overall and 10-6 in the GLVC.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (24-6, 14-2 GLVC), the second seed in the tournament, also has a first-round bye and will not play until Friday at 5 p.m. The Cougars will face the winner of Thursday's 5 p.m. match, featuring the third-seeded Northern Kentucky University Norse and the sixth-seeded Saint Joseph's College Pumas.
NKU was 21-8 overall and 13-3 in the GLVC during the regular season, while SJC finished the regular season at 12-21 overall and 7-9 in the GLVC.
The championship match will be Saturday at 2 p.m. USI has played in the last four GLVC Tournament championship matches, winning the tournament crown in 2002.
Ticket prices for the GLVC Tournament have been set at $5 for a single-day individual pass and $10 for a single-day family pass. Admission is free for children under the age of five as well as all USI students with valid student identification.
