EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball is projected to finish third in the Ohio Valley Conference, as announced on Wednesday in the 2026 preseason release in a vote by the league's head coaches and communicators.
 
USI received 99 votes and three first-place votes. The third-place slot marks the highest OVC preseason ranking in program history since joining the league in 2022.
 
Morehead State University, the 2025 OVC Tournament runner-up, claimed the top spot in this year's poll with 116 points and nine first-place votes. Southeast Missouri State University came in second with 102 points and three first-place votes. Below USI in fourth place are the 2025 OVC Champions, Eastern Illinois University, taking 98 points and three first-place votes.
 
Lindenwood University landed in fifth place with 77 points, followed by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with 63 points in sixth. University of Tennessee Martin with 37 points and Western Illinois University with 34 points covered the seventh and eighth slots. Rounding out the poll was Tennessee State University with 13 points in eighth place.
 
As part of the OVC's preseason announcement, sophomore right side Carley Wright and junior libero Audrey Small were named to the 2026 OVC Volleyball Players to Watch List.
 
Wright is coming off a dynamic freshman season in 2025, where she ended the year by being named to the OVC All-Tournament team for her performance at the OVC Tournament. She tallied 256 kills from the right side in her debut season, averaging 2.56 per set, with 87 digs and 71 blocks.
 
In her first season as a Screaming Eagle after transferring from the University of North Alabama, Small earned the libero spot. She tallied 530 digs in the 2025 season, marking the fifth most in program history for a single season. She tallied a career-high 36 digs in the regular-season finale at WIU, helping set a new team record for single-game digs. The junior averaged 4.49 digs per set, ranking third in the OVC.
USI's returning all-conference players, sophomore Aysa Thomas and senior Ashby Willis, were also highlighted in the OVC's preseason announcement.
 
Thomas returns for her sophomore season as the reigning OVC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-OVC. The setter tallied 1,125 assists in her debut season, averaging 9.30 per set. Thomas ranked second on the team in digs with a total of 391, along with 79 kills, 43 blocks, and 22 aces. She dished out a career-high 56 assists in the regular-season finale at WIU last November. The sophomore was named OVC Setter of the Week four times and Freshman of the Week four times last season.
 
Senior outside hitter Willis returns as the second First Team All-OVC in program history. In her junior season, she led the offense with 428 kills, marking a career single-season high. Willis also helped the team defensively, tallying 354 digs and 58 blocks. She set career highs with 25 kills and 24 digs in the 2025 regular-season finale at WIU. Willis ranked third in the conference last season in points and kills.
 
The Screaming Eagles are set to start the 2026 season with an exhibition match on Saturday, August 22^nd, hosting Austin Peay State University at 2 p.m. inside Liberty Arena. The season will officially kick off on Friday, August 28^th, when the Screaming Eagles host the USI Invitational, taking on Murray State University, Eastern Michigan University, and Northern Illinois University.
 
 
Predicted Order of Finish
1. Morehead State (9) - 116
2. Southeast Missouri (3) - 102
3. Southern Indiana (3) - 99
4. Eastern Illinois (3) - 98
5. Lindenwood - 77
6. SIUE - 63
7. UT Martin - 37
8. Western Illinois – 34
9. Tennessee State – 13
 
Returning All-OVC
OPP - Katie Kopshever, Jr. - Eastern Illinois
L - Ariadna Pereles, Jr. - Eastern Illinois
RS - Autumn Bax, Jr.- Lindenwood
OH - Hollan Everett, Sr. - Morehead State
MB - Amelia Nott, Sr. - Morehead State
S - Sydney Sennett, Sr. - Morehead State
OH - Lucy Arndt, Sr. - Southeast Missouri
OH - Marin Johnson, Jr. - Southeast Missouri
S - Aysa Thomas, So. - Southern Indiana
OH - Ashby Willis, Sr. - Southern Indiana
 
2026 OVC Volleyball Watch List
Hannah Hawkins, Sr., S – Eastern Illinois
Jorah Rutter, So., OPP – Eastern Illinois
Ashley Geluck, Sr., MH - Lindenwood
Dana Grib, Sr., L – Lindenwood
Courtney Fitzgerald, Sr., DS – Morehead State
Ella Warrick, Fr., OH – Morehead State
Reagan Nelson, So., OH – Southeast Missouri
Katy St. John, So., RS – Southeast Missouri
Sophie Robinson, Jr., OH – SIUE
Vienna Elliott, Sr., MB – SIUE
Audrey Small, Jr., L – Southern Indiana
Carley Wright, So., RS – Southern Indiana
Brie Blevins, Jr., MB – Tennessee State
Triniti Jackson, Fr., S – Tennessee State
Chyler Martin, So., OH/OPP – UT Martin
Luli Arcucci, Jr., MB/OPP – UT Martin
Kennedy Adair, Sr., OH – Western Illinois
Georgia Haynes, RS-Fr., RS – Western Illinois
 
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