Southern Indiana (18-10): 3
Rockhurst (22-10): 2
Box Score

ROMEOVILLE, Ill.—The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team racked up 29 kills and a blistering .540 attacking percentage in the fourth and fifth frames to rally from a one-set deficit and defeat Rockhurst University 25-20, 17-25, 16-25, 25-14, 15-13 Friday in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament.

Junior middle blocker Danielle LaGrange, a first-team All-GLVC performer, had 10 of her match-high 20 kills in the final two stanzas while attacking at a .667 clip as the third-seeded Screaming Eagles posted their first-ever victory over the sixth-seeded Hawks.

Early in the match, the Eagles (18-10) had to overcome a seven-point deficit to claim a five-point win in the opening set. USI hit .310 and got five kills from LaGrange as it built a 1-0 lead in the match.

Rockhurst (22-10) bounced back with dominating wins in both the second and third sets. The Hawks had a combined nine team blocks in the second and third stanzas, holding USI to a mere .103 attacking percentage, as they took a 2-1 advantage in the match.

The Eagles, however, used a 14-4 run in the fourth set to turn a slim 9-8 advantage into a commanding 23-12 lead, shifting momentum into their favor in the process.

After closing the fourth frame with an 11-point win to tie the match at 2-2, the Eagles used a 4-0 push midway through the deciding set to build a 10-6 cushion.

Rockhurst eventually closed the gap to a single digit on two occasions, but a kill by freshman middle blocker Emily Diedrich secured the Eagles' victory and put USI into the semifinals of the GLVC Tournament for the third straight season and the eighth time since 2000.

Diedrich ended the match with nine kills and a pair of blocks, while first-team All-GLVC senior outside hitter Brittani Oliver added 13 kills, 13 digs, and a .303 attacking percentage. Senior right side hitter Katie Knott finished with a career-high 11 kills and three blocks.

Overall, the Eagles finished with a .294 attacking percentage, with freshman setter Jorae Bradbury finishing with a match-high 54 assists to go along with four kills, a .800 attacking percentage, and eight digs.

Freshman libero Kayla Heldman and senior defensive specialist Janae Curnutt added 18 and 13 digs, respectively, while junior defensive specialist Krista Coccaro chipped in 11 digs.

USI, which kept its NCAA II Tournament hopes alive with the victory, faces the winner of the University of Indianapolis-Bellarmine University match in the semifinals Saturday at 5 p.m.