EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team saw a 2-1 lead and its 19-match home winning streak slip away Friday night as No. 21 Rockhurst University defeated the Screaming Eagles 22-30, 30-28, 21-30, 30-25, 16-14 at the Physical Activities Center.
Senior middle blocker
Laura Ellerbusch (Newburgh, Indiana) finished with a match-high 18 kills and recorded her 1,000th career kill, while junior libero
Amanda Probst (Wheeler, Illinois) set a school-record with a match-high 33 digs.
USI (10-9, 2-3 GLVC) stormed out of the gates, hitting .441 in the first set, as it grabbed a quick 1-0 lead. Rockhurst (15-2, 6-0 GLVC) held off an Eagle surge in the second game to knot the match at one.
The Eagles used an 8-0 run to close out the third frame, but the Hawks were able to grind out the win in the fourth set to tie the match at two. USI found itself playing catch-up for most of the fifth game and fought off a pair of match-points to tie the contest at 14.
Rockhurst, however, took advantage of a USI serving error and a reception error to close the door on the Eagles. USI had 15 service errors and seven reception errors in the match as it lost at the PAC for the first time since the 2003 season.
The Eagles had four players finish with 10 or more kills and 10 or more digs. Ellerbusch added 12 digs and six blocks to her 18 kills, while junior outside hitters
Emily Ryan (Batesville, Indiana) and
Chelse Doubler (Griffin, Indiana) finished with 16 and 15 kills, respectively. Ryan also had 10 digs, while freshman middle blocker
Meg Buschman (Reynolds, Indiana) added 13 kills and a .345 attacking percentage.
Sophomore setter
Stephanie Wilson (Terre Haute, Indiana) added 16 digs to go with a match-high 60 assists, while sophomore middle blocker
Molly Rahman (Ferdinand, Indiana) finished with nine kills and a match-high tying seven blocks.
USI returns to action Saturday when the Eagles host Drury University at 2 p.m. Drury (6-11, 3-3 GLVC) fell to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 3-0, Friday night.
