Eagles battle Buckeyes to a narrow four-set loss

GAINESVILLE, Fla.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball battled Big Ten opponent Ohio State University to four sets, falling 3-1 (12-25, 25-23, 17-25, 24-26). USI earned their first power four conference set win in the second frame along with being inches away from forcing a fifth set.
 
The Screaming Eagles stumbled out of the gate struggling to defend the Buckeyes high-powered attack trailing 21-5. USI started to find themselves with the help of two explosive kills from senior Paris Downing (Avon, Indiana) and a service ace from freshman Kerigan Fehr (Fairbury, Illinois). However, the Buckeyes prevailed after firing home .393 percent of their attacks opposed to the Eagles .033.
 
USI bounced back in set two to shock the Buckeyes, 25-23. The two new Eagles, senior Jasmine Green (Rockwall, Texas) and sophomore Ashby Willis (Mount Carmel, Illinois) helped the Eagles build a 12-10 lead with seven total kills. The Buckeyes countered with a 5-0 run, taking a late 23-20 lead. USI refused to back down, converting the final five points of the match. Willis dominated with three straight kills, finishing the set with six. Fehr delivered another clutch service ace in an impressive performance by the freshman. USI minimized their mistakes with only two errors and a .387 hitting percentage.
 
The Buckeyes regained the lead after 18 kills on a match-high .389 hitting percentage as the Eagles fell, 17-25. Green totaled three early kills on perfectly placed assists from junior