Ohio Valley Conference

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball grabbed its third straight win in a thrilling reverse sweep five-set match at Southeast Missouri State University to move to 3-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play.

In the first five-set battle of the 2025 season, the Screaming Eagles came alive in the third set after dropping the first two, to come back and win the game 3-2.

The Screaming Eagles started strong with some quick push and pull with the Redhawks. Junior McKenzie Murphy led the offense with three kills, followed by three teammates with two each. The defense that leads the conference in digs per set picked up 17 in the first, led by libero Audrey Small, who had five.

Junior outsides Ashby Willis and Leah Coleman split the offense with four kills each. The Eagles struggled to gain the edge in the second set, tying the score five times in the start but ceding control of the set to the Redhawks by SEMO's tenth point. The SEMO offense hit for its best percent of the night in set two at .471 with just one error, which USI struggled to defend against.

The USI defense came alive in the third set to save themselves from a SEMO sweep. The team put up five blocks in the set, led by freshman Carley Wright and senior Bianca Adnerson, who assisted on three blocks each. The Eagles pushed a lead from the beginning and maintained a hold on the lead the whole set.  OVC Setter and Freshman of the Week Aysa Thomas marked her 10th consecutive double-double by the third set. She added nine more assists and six more digs, bringing her total mid-match to 26 assists and 15 digs.

USI stretched as much as an eight-point lead in the fourth set, and after SEMO fought back in the final plays to tie the game, the Eagles took it in extra points. Willis led the court with eight kills on two errors for a .400 hitting percentage. Thomas dished out 15 assists, balancing the offense, to build a .286 hitting percentage for the team.

The Screaming Eagles came out swinging for the tiebreaker fifth set, moving to a four-point lead to open. Coleman scored USI five straight points on an Anderson serving run in the middle of the set. Coleman landed three kills, followed by a block then another kill to swing the Eagle momentum to dominate the final set. Coleman finished the set with six kills, helping the Eagles to their most efficient set of the game, with a .407 hitting percentage on just two errors as a team.

As a team, the Eagles landed a season-high 10 aces, led by senior Keira Moore, who had four to match her career high. Willis led the offense with 21 kills, followed by Coleman with 18. Thomas finished with 52 assists and led the back court with 19 digs for a career high.

USI's defense, which ranks third in the NCAA in digs per set, picked up 83 digs as a team, with five different Eagles with double-digit digs.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 3, UT MARTIN 1
MARTIN, Tenn. - Western Illinois volleyball turned in a strong team performance Thursday night, taking down UT Martin 3–1 on the road at Skyhawk Fieldhouse. The win marks the Leathernecks' second Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season.

Western Illinois came out with energy, taking control early behind kills from outside hitter graduate Keyana Cruse and right side senior Elizabeth Ziegler. The Leathernecks built momentum midway through the set with a strong serving run and solid defensive play at the net. Cruse capped off the frame with a kill to secure the 25–21 win and give WIU the early advantage.

The Leathernecks battled throughout the second set but came up just short as UT Martin evened the match. Despite several key kills from Cruse and Ashlee Markert, the Skyhawks capitalized late to take the set 25–21

WIU regained control in the third set with its most efficient offensive showing of the night, hitting .324 as a team. Cruse continued to lead the attack, while Markert, Ziegler, and junior middle blocker Hillary Estes added to the scoring at the net. Madelyn Norton directed a balanced offense, and the Leathernecks pulled away to take the set 25–18 and a 2–1 match lead.

Western Illinois carried its momentum into the fourth, closing out the match with another complete performance. Ziegler and Cruse stayed hot offensively, while Grace Ulatowski anchored the back row with strong passing and timely digs. The Leathernecks controlled the tempo from start to finish, finishing the night with a 25–19 win to seal the 3–1 road victory.