Rhode Island Starters
Wright, Paulette, Shilling, Pinell, Vente, Butler, Blaney
 
Southern Indiana Starters
Downing, Anderson, Weber, Bednar, O'Neill, Sobieralski, Crowder
 
Set One – Rhode Island 25, Southern Indiana 14
Rhode Island jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and scored 14 of the first 20 points overall. Rhody did not allow SIU to establish momentum at any point in the set as the Screaming Eagles only scored back-to-back points twice. After consecutive kills by Gabrielle Shilling gave URI a 23-13 advantage, the Rams took two of the next three points to win the opener 25-14.

Set Two – Southern Indiana 25, Rhode Island 17
The Rams kept things rolling in the second set and built a 7-3 lead. However, Southern Indiana used a 9-0 run to pull ahead for good at 12-7. Rhody trimmed it to three at 16-13, but USI did not allow the Rams to get any closer, coasting to the 25-17 win.
 
Set Three – Rhode Island 25, Southern Indiana 16
Rhody opened the third set on an 8-0 tear and remained in control throughout. The closest the Screaming Eagles managed to get was when they cut the deficit to six (13-7), but it was all Rhode Island from that point on. A 9-3 run – that featured three kills from Emma Vente - then put URI up 22-10. USI responded by claiming six of the next eight points but could not close the gap any further as a kill by Mariah Paulette finished things off at 25-16.
 
Set Four – Southern Indiana 25, Rhode Island 15
Southern Indiana battled back once again in the fourth set. Leading by just one point (13-12), USI used a 10-1 push to take a double-digit lead (23-13) and put things out of reach for the Rams. The teams traded the next four points, giving the Screaming Eagles the 25-15 victory.
 
Set Five – Rhode Island 15, Southern Indiana 11
The fifth and final set was a back-and-forth battle. Three straight points for the Screaming Eagles put USI up 6-5 before Rhody took over. The Rams claimed six of the next seven points and forced USI to call a timeout trailing 12-7. Southern Indiana was not able to do much from that point on as two kills from Shilling, a USI service error and a match-clinching termination from Karlee Pinell ended things in favor of the Rams.
 
Inside the Box Score

• Freshman Karlee Pinell led Rhode Island with 14 kills. She also had nine digs and three blocks.
• Junior Brynne Wright recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with 12 kills and 11 digs.
• Sophomore Hannah Blaney had a match-high 26 digs. She also recorded six assists and two service aces.
• Grad student Gabrielle Shilling registered nine kills and five blocks, including one solo.
• Grad student Mariah Paulette also finished with nine kills, four blocks, two digs and one assist.
• Senior Adel Gage added 11 digs and one service ace.
• Redshirt freshman Emma Vente had seven kills and five block assists.
• Sophomore Katie Butler filled the stat sheet with 47 assists, four kills, nine digs and one service ace. 

Up Next
The Rams return to action against NIU, this evening at 8 p.m. (Eastern).