University of Southern Indiana Athletics

EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball marked a four-set win over the Western Illinois University Leathernecks to open Senior Day weekend.
 
In USI's fifth home win, the Screaming Eagles move to 3-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 8-11 overall for the season so far.
 
SET 1: USI 25, WIU 14
The Screaming Eagles dominated the opening set, taking control of the lead confidently after seven points. Senior Ashby Willis tallied seven kills, while freshman Aubrey Fair added four on zero errors to lead the team in hitting percentage. Sophomore Aysa Thomas dished out 16 assists and led her offense to a match-high .516 hitting percentage.
 
SET 2: USI 25, WIU 13
USI maintained control of the second set for the duration of the frame, posting the highest point margin of the evening. As a team, the Screaming Eagles tallied five aces to keep the Leathernecks out of system. Fair, Willis, and sophomore Mackenzie Nettles each tallied three kills to fill out the offensive attack. USI's libero and OVC Defensive Player of the Week, Audrey Small, picked up seven digs in the set to lead the court's defense.
 
SET 3: WIU 25, USI 23
The Leathernecks rallied in the third frame, forcing 14 tie scores and six lead changes as the two teams went point for point. Wright had her best set, adding nine kills, and Willis recorded three. Senior Jillian Moonan came off the bench for her first appearance in an OVC match this season to add two kills on no errors and a dig. Thomas and Small split the back row coverage, each picking up seven digs.
 
SET 4: USI 25, WIU 15
The Screaming Eagles came back in the fourth to tally the match win, opening the set with a 5-0 run. Four USI players finished the set with three kills, including Willis, Wright, freshman Vita Sensenbrenner, and senior Leah Coleman. Thomas split setting duties with senior Aspen Jankowski as they each dished out six to lead the offense to the second-highest percentage of the match.
 
For the match, the team maintained a season-high .336 hitting percentage, led by freshmen Fair and Sensenbrenner, and Moonan. The match marks the fourth match of the season that the team has tallied nine or more service aces, led by Willis with three.
 
Willis and Wright each tallied 16 kills to lead the point scoring. Thomas connected on 41 assists and tallied a double-double with 15 digs. Small picked up a season-high 22 digs, along with her two aces.
 
Tomorrow, as USI closes out the series against WIU, the team will celebrate its four seniors, Coleman, Maeve Moonan, Jillian Moonan, and Jankowski.
 
For game updates on the Screaming Eagles' Senior Day against WIU at 2 p.m., fans can follow USI Athletics and usivolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.