EVANSVILLE, Ind.—After going from eighth place in the GLVC standings to fifth in the span of four games, the University of Southern Indiana softball team hopes to ride the momentum gained in the final weekend of the regular season when it squares off against Quincy University in the first round of the double-elimination conference tournament Friday at 10 a.m. The GLVC Tournament will be played at the EastSide Centre in East Peoria, Illinois.

USI (29-22-1, 13-10-1 GLVC), which was in ninth place two weeks ago, won its final four conference games and was 7-2-1 in its final 10 games to qualify for the league tournament for the 15th consecutive year.

The Screaming Eagles are in search of their first conference title since 1998, and their fourth since 1993. A GLVC title this weekend also would put the Eagles into the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament for the second consecutive year.

First, however, the Eagles need to get by a tough Quincy squad that swept them in a doubleheader during the opening weekend of the conference season. Quincy (26-20, 14-10 GLVC) was 13-7 in the month of April and won four of its final six games to secure the fourth seed in the GLVC Tournament.

If the Eagles get by the Lady Hawks in round one, they would face the winner of the contest between top-seeded and No. 7 Lewis University and eighth-seeded University of Indianapolis Friday at 4 p.m.

A loss would send the Eagles into the elimination bracket to take on the loser of the contest between second-seeded and No. 13 SIU Edwardsville and seventh-seeded Saint Joseph's College Friday at 2 p.m. The other first-round match-up slates the third seed, University of Missouri-Rolla, against the sixth seed, University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

The second round of the elimination bracket is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, while the third round of the winner's bracket is Saturday at 3 p.m. The GLVC Championship round is Sunday at 1 p.m., with a deciding game scheduled for 3 p.m. if necessary.