Southern Indiana (16-13, 8-5 GLVC): 3
at Illinois-Springfield (10-20, 1-12 GLVC): 1
Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.—Senior outside hitter Courtney Bealor racked up 18 kills and a .441 attacking percentage as the University of Southern Indiana volleyball team recorded a 25-14, 19-25, 25-18, 25-18 victory over the University of Illinois-Springfield Friday night.
USI's win assures the Screaming Eagles (16-13, 8-5 GLVC) their 11th consecutive trip to the GLVC Tournament, which begins November 13 in Romeoville, Illinois.
The Eagles, who will be the sixth seed in the GLVC Tournament regardless of Saturday's outcome at Quincy University, attacked at a .273 pace and used a late 9-2 run to build a 1-0 lead in the match. USI held the Prairie Stars to a negative .065 attacking percentage in the opening frame as it built the one-game cushion.
Illinois-Springfield (10-20, 1-12 GLVC), however, used an 8-1 run midway through the second stanza to build a 10-point lead. The Prairie Stars hit a team-best .263 in the second game as they evened the match at a set apiece.
USI, though, buckled down on the defensive end in the third set to reclaim a one-game advantage. The Eagles held the Prairie Stars to just eight kills and a .030 attacking percentage as they ran away with a seven-point victory.
The Eagles attacked at a team-best .310 pace in the fourth set to secure the 3-1 victory. Junior outside hitter Brittani Oliver had five kills and a .571 attacking percentage in the fourth game, while sophomore middle blocker Danielle LaGrange added four kills and a .667 attacking clip in the final set.
Oliver finished the match with 13 kills and a .346 attacking percentage, while LaGrange added 13 kills, a .296 attacking percentage, and a match-high five blocks. Senior setter Melanie Pund had a match-high 49 assists and three service aces, while sophomore libero Krista Coccaro racked up a match-high 17 digs.
USI also got 13 digs from junior defensive specialist Janae Curnutt as well as 12 digs from Bealor, who had six kills in both the first and second sets.
The Eagles conclude the regular season when it visits Quincy. Saturday's match is slated for a 3 p.m. start in Quincy, Illinois.
