EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is set to host Lindenwood University in the final home series of the 2025 regular season on Thursday and Friday.
 
Both matches will be played at 6 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers. Admission to both matches and all USI Volleyball home games this season will be free, courtesy of ProRehab.
 
The Screaming Eagles are coming off a three-game week, going 2-1. After dropping the match against Tennessee Tech University at home last Wednesday, the Screaming Eagles went on the road to sweep (2-0) the University of Tennessee at Martin. USI remains in third place in the Ohio Valley Conference rankings, boasting a 10-4 conference record and a 14-12 overall record.
 
Setter Aysa Thomas earned her third OVC Freshman of the Week award for her all-around performance in the Eagles' three games. She tallied 108 assists, 36 digs, and 10 kills, averaging 9.82 assists per set and 3.27 digs per set. Thomas picked up her 17^th and 18^th career double-doubles in the TTU game, and the second UT Martin win.
 
Leading the offense in last week's games were juniors Ashby Willis and Leah Coleman, who together made up almost half of the team's kills in the three games last week. Willis added double-digit kills in each game for 35 total to lead the team. She also had 28 digs, marking a double-double in each of the games at UT Martin, in her best game in the final match with 14 kills and 12 digs. Coleman also recorded her best game of the week in the final match at UT Martin with 13 kills, three digs, and one block.
 
The Screaming Eagle defense was led by sophomore Audrey Small, who picked up 51 digs over the three games for 4.64 per set, helping the team to maintain a 16.55 digs per set average for the week. Small had her best game in the second win at UT Martin, tying her season-high with 26 digs. Behind Thomas, senior Keira Moore followed Small with 29 digs. Moore reached 1,500 career digs in the win over TTU on October 28 and now sits at 1,534. She will be honored for her achievement in the game against LU on Friday.
 
The defense at the net was led by junior McKenzie Murphy, who added 12 blocks, including three solo blocks. Murphy remains the blocks leader in the OVC, with 103 so far this season, averaging 1.10 per set.
 
Scouting the Opponent:
USI has a long history with Lindenwood University, with the first matchup between the programs in 1992. The Screaming Eagles hold an 11-1 record over the Lions, winning the last two matches in 2023 in four sets at Lindenwood. The Lions are coming off a series loss at Southeast Missouri State University, which has moved them to 6-8 in OVC play and 10-12 overall. Lindenwood is the reigning OVC champion, which was picked to finish second in the OVC, and currently sits in eighth place in conference standings.
 
In Lindenwood's last match, SEMO swept them 3-0. Sophomore Autumn Bax, and reigning OVC Freshman of the Year, led the Lions' offense in both SEMO matches, with 16 kills in game one and 14 in the second. Bax leads the team in kills for the whole season with 279 kills so far, averaging 3.44 kills per set. With the third most kills, Kylee Richey has 199 for 2.46 kills per set. In the SEMO series, she tallied 20 kills. Richey has earned three OVC Freshman of the Week awards. Leading the defensive effort at the net is redshirt sophomore Jade Roth, who has 67 blocks so far this season for .93 per set. In the back row, junior Dana Grib has 354 digs and averages 4.37 digs per set. Head Coach Will Condon, the 2024 OVC Coach of the Year, is in his ninth season at the helm. He holds a 536-271 record in his career as a coach and a 123-107 record at Lindenwood.
 
For updates on the final two regular-season games inside Liberty Arena, fans can follow USI Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, and X for game coverage, as well as online at usiscreamingeagles.com.