EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball returns home from its first road trip of the season to close out Labor Day weekend by hosting #21 Indiana University inside Liberty Arena at 3 p.m. on Monday.
 
Admission to Monday's match, and all USI Volleyball home games, will be free courtesy of ProRehab. Fans should come out wearing their USI blue for a Blue Out match and Youth Volleyball Day. The match will also be streamed live on ESPN+ for those with a subscription.
 
The Screaming Eagles are coming off their first road games of the season after traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Georgia Tech Classic, dropping matches to the host, Campbell University, and Xavier University.
 
Senior Ashby Willis tallied 46 kills in the three games at Georgia Tech, leading the USI offense with 4.18 per set. The outside hitter marked a season-high 20 kills in the match against Campbell, along with 16 digs for a double-double. The reigning Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week leads the league with 100 kills and 4.55 per set.
 
Setter Aysa Thomas dished out 96 assists over the three games, with a season-high 44 against Campbell. The sophomore also led the team in digs, tallying 36 across the three games.
 
The match marks the second Big Ten opponent to come to Liberty Arena during Head Coach Jeffrey Aucoin's time at the helm, after hosting a record attendance last season against Michigan State University. This matchup will be the first time in USI's DI era hosting a top-25 team across any program.
 
About No. 21 Indiana: Monday's Labor Day match marks the third meeting of the Hoosiers and Screaming Eagles, the first that USI has hosted, and the first with a ranked IU team. In week one of AVCA rankings on August 30, the Hoosiers came in at #21 after they got swept by #6 University of Louisville to open the season. The Hoosiers are coming off their most successful season in school history in 2025, ending the season with the first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2010, earning a four seed.
The Hoosiers hold a 2-1 record, marking wins over the University of Georgia and #12 Texas A&M in the Big Ten/SEC Challenge Week games. Third year opposite Ella Boresema led the Hoosiers in the five-set thriller over defending national champs Texas A&M with a career-high 21 kills and a .471 hitting percentage. IU's second-year setter Teodora Krickovic, selected to the Big Ten Preseason Team, was also honored as a Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season. She averages 9.75 assists per set so far this season. Rounding out the core of the Hoosiers is second-year outside Jaidyn Jager, who has accumulated 43 kills so far this season with 3.58 per set. Head Coach Steve Aird is in his ninth season at the helm with a 124-123 record.
 
For game updates on the Screaming Eagles taking on the Hoosiers, fans can follow USI Athletics and usivolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.