INDIANAPOLIS---University of Southern Indiana senior outside hitters
Fawn Ryan (Batesville, Indiana) and
Lauren DeShaney (Appleton, Wisconsin), along with junior middle blocker
Abbey Winter (Germantown, Illinois) combined for 37 kills, but it wouldn't be enough as the Screaming Eagles fell in four sets to Great Lakes Valley East Division leader University of Indianapolis Friday evening.
Falling 8-9 in conference play, USI's post-season fate has still yet to be determined as McKendree University and University of Wisconsin-Parkside are tied at 1-1.
The Greyhounds dominated the first set, outhitting USI .433 to .103. Several multiple-point runs by Indianapolis set the Eagles back as far as 10 points, which eventually led to a 25-15 defeat in the opening frame
After maintaining the lead for most of the second set, USI watched as the Hounds closed in, taking a 15-11 lead after a 6-0 run. The Eagles were able to tie it up with a four-point run of their own and soon grabbed a 20-17 lead, forcing the Hounds to take a timeout.
Back on the court, USI fired away, evening the match-score at 1-1 following a 25-21 win.
The Eagles opened the third frame with a 4-0 run and maintained the lead until a late run by Indianapolis tied the set at 19-19. A back-and-forth battle ensued between both teams with UIndy clinching the 25-23 win to take a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth frame.
Indianapolis powered through the fourth frame, overtaking USI's 6-3 lead in the opening minutes of the set. The Hounds used three 4-0 runs to separate themselves from the Eagles, taking the set 25-19 and leaving USI with a 3-1 loss.
Ryan ended the night with a match-high 16 kills, while Winter and DeShaney followed up with 11 and 10, respectively. Winter also came up big at the net, totaling six kills. Defensively, freshman
Jessica Lee (Mackinaw, Illinois) led with 11 kills, with sophomore setter
Quin Shoultz (Columbus, Indiana) keep the pace on the court with 36 assists.
The Eagles close out regular-season play against Saint Joseph's College Saturday at 3 p.m. in Rensselaer, Indiana.
