EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball swept (3-0) the University of Evansville to win the Battle for the Lloyd championship for the second year in a row.
The Screaming Eagles are now tied 6-6 in the all-time series with Evansville, a matchup that dates back to 1989. For the 2026 season, USI moves to a 5-6 overall record in the final weekend of non-conference play.
SET 1: USI 25, UE 20
The Screaming Eagles dominated the first set. Senior
Ashby Willis tallied eight kills, her best set of the night. Sophomore
Aysa Thomas, the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Setter of the Week, dished out 14 assists for a well-rounded offense.
SET 2: USI 25, UE 22
Sophomore
Carley Wright picked up her offense from the right side in the second set, landing four kills, followed by Willis with three more. Thomas dished out eight assists, reaching her 1,500 career assist milestone. Junior libero
Audrey Small was one of three USI players who picked up three digs. Wright and Willis led the USI attack from the service line, helping the Screaming Eagles to six total aces in the set.
SET 3: USI 25, UE 20
Wright led the Screaming Eagle offense to close out the game in the third set, tallying seven kills. Willis and fellow senior
Leah Coleman added two kills each to round out the offensive effort. Small picked up seven digs to help keep the UE offense to a .000 hitting percentage.
For the match, Willis finished with 13 kills, nine digs, and a career-high five aces to lead the team. The OVC Defensive Player of the Week also reached 1,000 career digs in the second set.
Wright followed close behind with 12 kills, a career-high three aces, and four digs. Small led the back row, picking up 14 digs, and she tallied four assists. Thomas dished out a total of 31 assists, five digs, and a kill.
As a team, the Screaming Eagles landed a total of 12 aces, the highest a USI team has had in a match since October 2024 in a win at Eastern Illinois University.
For updates on the Screaming Eagles as they are back in action tomorrow afternoon for the second half of the UE series at Meeks Family Fieldhouse at 3 p.m., follow USI Athletics and usivolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
