Charleston, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Volleyball (1-26, 1-15 OVC) began its final roadtrip of 2022 with a 3-0 loss (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) to Eastern Illinois University (15-14, 9-7) Wednesday night at Lantz Arena.
A late Screaming Eagles rally comes up short as USI falls 25-23 to the Panthers in the opening frame. It was a quick 3-1 EIU lead until an ace from sophomore outside hitter Abby Weber (Fishers, Indiana) got some offense going for USI. The Eagles were able to keep the set within a couple of points until EIU used a 3-0 run to make it 12-8. Down 19-13, the Eagles scored six of the next eight points to cut the deficit to just two. Leading that late surge was freshman middle hitter Bianca Anderson (Chicago Heights, Illinois) who put up two kills during the stretch. However, the EIU advantage was too much as USI dropped the first set. The Eagles put up 12 kills and a .241 hitting percentage compared to the Panthers’ 17 kills and a .343 hitting percentage.
Despite having the early lead, USI watched EIU stroll to a 25-20 victory in the second game. The Eagles jumped out to a 5-2 lead that was capped off with an ace from sophomore outside hitter/defensive specialist Anna Ballengee (Montgomery, Indiana). USI was able to extend its lead to 15-11 due to a momentum-shifting kill from junior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois). However, EIU turned the tables with a 7-1 run that found the Panthers in the lead, 18-16. A pair of kills from Anderson and sophomore outside/right side hitter Abby…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Southern Indiana Athletics…