EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Defense reigned supreme at the Physical Activities Center for the University of Southern Indiana volleyball team Friday night as it dropped its Great Lakes Valley Conference rematch with the University of Illinois Springfield in four sets (25-22, 23-25, 25-16, 25-12).

Neither the Screaming Eagles (10-18, 2-15 GLVC) nor the Prairie Stars (23-6, 14-3 GLVC) posted a hitting percentage above .150, with USI barely staying above .000 for the match. There were a combined 24 blocks in the match, 13 for the Stars and 11 for the Eagles.

Junior outside hitter Lindsey Stose (Elkhart, Indiana) led USI with 12 kills on the evening, a whopping seven of them coming in the victorious second set. Four Eagles landed in double figures in digs.

UIS 25, USI 22
 

• USI relinquished the lead to UIS in the midst of a 6-1 run for the Stars at 13-12, but clawed back into it to tie at 21-21 before suffering the opening-set loss
• Stose, junior right side hitter Elexis Coleman (Joliet, Illinois) and sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Yochum (Columbia, Illinois) each posted three kills to lead the Eagles...Yochum also led with seven of USI's 19 digs in the frame
• Coleman and freshman middle blocker Sidney Hegg (Menasha, Wisconsin) each posted a solo block
• All three of USI's service aces came in the first set, one each from junior defensive specialist Lizzy Gardner (Lafayette, Indiana), sophomore setter Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri) and freshman middle hitter Taylor Litteken (Foristell, Missouri)

USI 25, UIS 23
 

• The Eagles took control at the midway point on a 7-1 run, and fought off a comeback attempt from UIS at a 19-19 tie to take their lone set of the match
• Stose exploded for seven kills, including three in row for the 18th, 19th, and 20th USI points
• Cepicky led the back row effort with six digs, followed closely by Yochum with five, combining for 11 of the team's 21
• Hegg and junior middle blocker Amanda Jung (Belleville, Illinois) each posted two blocks, holding UIS down for a .065 hitting percentage

UIS 25, USI 16
 

• The Prairie Stars put together runs of 8-1 and 9-2 in the third and held USI to a negative .071 hitting mark with six blocks
• None of the Eagles managed a third kill in the frame, though Hegg added a block to her two kills to lead with three points

UIS 25, USI 12
 

• The Eagles allowed a 17-4 stretch for the Prairie Stars in the match-clinching set despite opening the final frame with the lead
• Hegg finished her solid night at the net with three blocks in the fourth, for seven total on the evening
• Three Eagles posted five or more digs: Cepicky, Yochum and senior libero Haley Limper (Springfield, Illinois)

Up Next

USI finishes its season against McKendree University on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the PAC. Limper, senior setter Erika Peoples (Bloomington, Illinois) and graduating-junior middle hitter Shawntel James (Elkhart, Indiana) will be recognized for their careers for USI prior to the match with the Bearcats.