EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (17-12, 11-7 GLVC) completed the 2021 regular season Saturday with a four-set (24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 18-25) loss to No. 20 Lewis University (23-6, 17-1 GLVC) at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles finish the regular-season ranked second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division and will play GLVC West Division champion Rockhurst University in the first round of the GLVC Tournament Friday at 8:30 p.m.

Junior middle hitter Taylor Litteken (Foristell, Missouri) posted a team-high in multiple categories with 12 kills and a .444 hitting percentage to lead the Eagles on offense. Sophomore outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) racked up 11 kills, three aces, and a team-high 14.5 points. USI recorded 50 kills, six aces, and a .201 hitting percentage in four sets of action.
 
USI rallied with a late 4-0 surge but could not catch up to the Flyers' high-powered offense to fall in the opening frame. Litteken accounted for four kills and a .500 attack percentage to lead the Eagles' offense. The Eagles produced 10 kills compared to the Flyers' 22 kills in the two-point set one loss.
 
The Flyers used 19 kills and a .306 hitting clip to defeat the Eagles in the second set. Litteken racked up six more kills to clinch double digits in the category while Anderson and senior middle blocker Sidney Hegg (Menasha, Wisconsin) powered three kills each. USI racked up a .293 attack percentage and 15 total kills in the two-point loss.
 
USI's third frame defense held Lewis to a .022 attacking clip and just seven kills to stay alive and force a fourth set. The Eagles' offense produced 15 kills and three aces en route to a five-point win. Anderson paved the way for USI with three kills and two aces.
 
Lewis never looked back after a 4-0 start in set four to run away with the seven-point, match-clinching victory. Anderson led the Eagles with five kills in the fourth frame, while freshman outside hitter Taya Dazey (Fort Wayne, Indiana) batted down four kills. Freshman outside/right side hitter Abby Bednar (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) finished with three kills in set four.
 
Closing out the regular season in style was senior setter Casey Cepicky (St. Louis, Missouri), who tallied a double-double with 27 assists and 14 digs. Senior libero Callie Gubera (Thorntown, Indiana) closed out with 20 digs, while Dazey and Bednar both finished with nine kills in four frames of work.
 
COMING UP FOR THE EAGLES:
The Eagles will be the No. 6 seed and will take on the No. 3 overall seeded Rockhurst Hawks in the opening round of the GLVC Volleyball Championship Tournament, which is November 19-21 at the East Side Centre in East Peoria, Illinois. USI is the reigning GLVC Tournament Champion after defeating Missouri University of Science & Technology in five sets (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9) in last spring's championship match. The Eagles have claimed three tournament championships, which is fourth most upon current conference opponents.