EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana volleyball team will dress in pink Friday at 7 p.m. when it hosts No. 10 University of Indianapolis in its “Dig for the Cure” match at the Physical Activities Center.
With seven matches left in the regular season, the Screaming Eagles (12-12, 8-3 GLVC) find themselves tied for third in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division, just a game back of second-place Lewis University.
USI (12-12, 8-3 GLVC), which also hosts Saint Joseph's College Saturday at 3 p.m., has had to be resourceful as of late due to the absence of junior middle blocker
Emily Diedrich, who is out with a shoulder injury.
Sophomore outside hitter
Fawn Ryan shifted into the middle a week ago and responded with 11 kills, a .391 attacking percentage, and four blocks in the Eagles' four-set victory over Maryville University Sunday afternoon.
Ryan, as well as freshman middle blocker
Abbey Winter, needs to be at her best Friday if the Eagles are to slow down a high-powered Indianapolis attack that includes GLVC kills leader Kristina Kerrigan.
Kerrigan leads the Greyhounds (22-3, 11-0 GLVC), who have won five straight matches and 19 of their last 20, with 4.87 kills per set this season. She had 15 kills in UIndy's three-set win over the Eagles a month ago in Indianapolis.
In their previous encounter with UIndy, the Eagles saw large leads in both the first and second sets evaporate as the Greyhounds rallied in both frames to forge a two-set advantage. USI battled back from a large deficit in the third stanza, but a late Indianapolis run closed the door on the Eagles' comeback attempt.
Saint Joseph's (6-18, 1-10 GLVC), which is coming off its first conference win of the year Sunday, pushed the Eagles to the brink in its first meeting with USI last month in Rensselaer, Indiana. The Pumas rallied from a two-set deficit to force a deciding fifth game, but the Eagles used a block from Diedrich and junior setter
Jorae Bradbury to claim the final point of the stanza and avoid Saint Joseph's upset bid.
Live stats and video for both matches will be available at gousieagles.com. Fans coming to Friday's match against UIndy are encouraged to wear pink to help the Eagles raise breast cancer awareness.
