USI Tennessee sisters share the road to the OVC Basketball Tournament

Sisters Chloe and Channah Gannon of Manchester, Tennessee, first picked up a basketball when they were just 5 years old, both with aspirations to play at the collegiate level. Now, as a freshman and junior on the University of Southern Indiana’s Women’s Basketball team, those childhood dreams are unfolding on a much bigger stage.

This week, the Women’s Basketball team is competing at the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship in Evansville, and the Gannon sisters will experience it side by side.

The Gannon sisters always knew they wanted to play basketball together. In their high school careers at Coffee County Central High School in Tennessee, both surpassed over 1,000 career points, earned All-State honors, and were both named district MVP as seniors. By the time Chloe was entering her second collegiate season, Channah’s path was already aligning with hers.

“I was so excited,” said Chloe. “Getting to watch her grow into the person and player who she had always wanted to be made me such a proud big sister.”

On the court, they describe themselves as competitive and always pushing each other to be better. Off the court, they spend all their time together, whether it’s grabbing food, studying or going dirt track racing. The balance between rivalry and relationship has helped both grow as players and teammates.

The sisters share more than just basketball; they also share a major in the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education. Channah is a Pre-Elementary Education major, and Chloe is an Elementary Education major; they both want to teach and coach basketball when they graduate. “Even though I live about four hours away, USI felt like a place where I could grow both as a student and as an athlete,” said Channah.

“One of the reasons I chose USI was because of the way I felt when I first stepped on campus,” adds Chloe. “It was like a breath of fresh air and felt like a second home."

Having her older sister already on the roster made Channah’s transition to college basketball smoother. “She helped me understand the expectations, the pace of college basketball and the team culture,” said Channah. “At the same time, she still pushed me to earn my spot on the team and grow into my own person.”

The OVC Championship represents months of preparation for the entire team. “It shows how hard our team has worked since we first started preparing for this season last summer,” said Chloe.

For the sisters, this tournament is a milestone, a shared dream realized. “It means a lot to be able to share this experience together,” said Channah. “Playing in the OVC tournament for the first time is exciting, but being able to do it with my sister, who has already been there, is even more special.”

From Manchester, Tennessee, to the OVC stage in Evansville, Chloe and Channah’s journey reflects what’s possible at the University of Southern Indiana—where students are supported to excel in competition, the classroom and beyond. Learn more about the University of Southern Indiana and its offerings at USI.edu/admissions.