EVANSVILLE, Ind.- University of Southern Indiana Volleyball hosts a record attendance against #21 Indiana University on Monday afternoon, falling in a competitive four-set match.
The Screaming Eagles welcomed 2,125 fans to mark the most attendees at a USI Volleyball match in program history and the highest attendance at an Ohio Valley Conference game in the last decade.
IU is the second Big Ten Conference opponent to travel to Liberty Arena, after Michigan State University came on September 4, 2025, when USI set the previous attendance record. When USI took the second set of today’s match, it marked the first set win over a ranked opponent in the program’s Division I history.
SET 1: IU 25, USI 15
The Screaming Eagles battled point-for-point for their first 12 points with the Hoosiers until IU ran away with a lead following the media timeout at 15-12. Senior Ashby Willis landed two kills to run the USI offense and added three digs. Sophomore Grace Bach closed on two block assists to help keep the Hoosiers’ offense to the lowest efficiency of the match.
SET 2: USI 25, IU 22
USI inched ahead and took the lead in the second frame after battling in the first half of the set at 17-16. Willis dominated in the set, adding seven kills on zero errors for a .538 hitting percentage. Overall, the Screaming Eagles ramped up their offense with 16 kills as a team, hitting .300 with just four errors. The team picked up 25 digs, with Willis leading the charge with eight, and sophomore Carley Wright added seven.
SET 3: IU 25, USI 15
The USI offense struggled to produce points in the set as the Hoosiers held them to a .000 hitting percentage, but Willis and Wright each added two kills. Sophomore Aysa Thomas dished out six assists and snuck a kill over.
SET 4: IU 25, USI 15
The Screaming Eagles battled hard till the very end of the final set. Wright added three kills and led the back row with six digs. Willis tied with Wright in the back row, adding six digs and a kill. Fifth-year Aspen Jankowski came off the bench to add her second ace from the service line of the night.
For the match, Willis tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 18 digs to lead her team. Wright followed close behind with a career-high 16 digs and nine kills. Setter Thomas tallied a well-rounded game, dishing out 27 assists, nine digs, three kills, and three blocks. Jankowski met her season-high with three aces and three digs.
The Screaming Eagles hit the road again this Friday, September 11 to compete in the Sports Imports Classic at Ohio State University, taking on Youngstown State University on September 11, the host team on September 12 and Winthrop University on September 13.
For game updates on the Screaming Eagles on the road, fans can follow USI Athletics and usivolleyball on Instagram, X, and Facebook, and online at usiscreamingeagles.com.
