EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT) when it visits Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, and Saturday at 2 p.m. (CDT) when it takes on Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Kentucky.
USI (6-6, 0-0 GLVC), which is one win shy of the program's 500th all-time victory, is trying to bounce back from a tough weekend that saw the Screaming Eagles go 1-3 at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Volleyball Classic. The Eagles took a large step in the right direction when they recorded a five-set, come-from-behind victory over Angelo State University to conclude the four-match weekend.
Sophomore middle blocker Danielle LaGrange led the Eagles against Angelo State with a match-high 17 kills and nine blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Brittani Oliver had 12 kills, 18 digs, and four blocks.
For the season, Oliver leads the Eagles and is eighth in the GLVC with 2.98 kills per set, while LaGrange is eighth in the league with a team-high 0.93 blocks per frame. Senior middle blocker Ashley Henricks leads USI and is fifth in the GLVC with a .355 attacking percentage. She also is ninth in the conference with 0.88 blocks per set.
Bellarmine (3-2, 0-0 GLVC) opens league play after a near three-week layoff. The Knights are coming off a sweep of Kentucky State University on September 2 after going 2-2 in their season-opening weekend.
USI defeated the Knights in five sets last season in Louisville and have won 13 straight in the series dating back to 1999. The Eagles also outdueled the Knights in a five-game match in 2007.
Northern Kentucky (8-5, 0-0 GLVC) opens league play when it hosts Kentucky Wesleyan College Friday night. The Norse are coming off a four-set loss to Lock Haven University after winning their previous four matches.
The Eagles lost the regular-season meeting to Northern Kentucky in four sets in Evansville last season, but bounced the Norse from the GLVC Tournament in five sets. USI win over Northern Kentucky in the conference tournament stopped a four-match slide against the Norse.
