Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Volleyball Faces SEMO Tuesday In Ninth Straight Road Game
09/22/2003 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 22, 2003
Lou Antoine
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University (2-9) ends a streak of nine straight road games on Tuesday, when the Salukis face non-conference rival Southeast Missouri State University (1-10) in Cape Girardeau, Mo. at 7 p.m. in Houck Field House.
"Any non-conference match we play could be a significant win because you don't know if they'll win their conference and go to the NCAA Tournament. We're developing a pretty good rivalry with SEMO and that's a fun thing to have," SIU head coach Sonya Locke said.
SEMO, typically a power in the Ohio Valley Conference, is struggling with just one win, but that lone victory was against Drake, who swept SIU last Saturday 3-0. The Othakians opened 2003 with seven losses and beat Drake before losing their last three matches, but Locke expects a tough match regardless of their record. SEMO has won the last five meetings, with the Salukis last winning in 1997.
" They have played a really tough non-conference schedule. Their record will get evened up when they start conference play and the tough schedule will help get them ready for the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference). They are no pushover team, they're very good," added Locke. "They play a different style than Drake does and they're a faster team that's very well rounded. All their players have the ability to put the ball down. They're not a one dimensional team and that poses defensive problems for us."
The Salukis led late in the final two games of the Drake match before allowing the Bulldogs to rally and win. Coach Locke is looking for the Salukis to finish games and play with more confidence, especially with two strong MVC teams coming to Carbondale over the weekend.
"I think we have to play with confidence to get a win. I don't know that we've played with confidence for a long enough time. When teams start scoring points we're playing safe instead of playing to win and that's what lost us our games last weekend," stated Locke. "This is another opportunity for us to get better. We need to play better and to play at the level of our capabilities and we'll go from there."
SIU lost to Creighton and Drake to open MVC play last weekend, falling to 2-9 on the season. Senior Kelly Harman led the Salukis with 26 kills and 23 digs in the two matches. Harman tied her career-high with 20 kills and added 14 digs in her fifth career double-double (fourth this year) performance on Friday in the 3-2 loss to Creighton. She hit .444 (20k, 4e, 36att) in the match and added an ace. For the weekend, Harman averaged 3.25 kills and 2.88 digs per game to lead SIU in both categories.
Harman (105 kills, 2.76 kills per game, 107 digs, 2.82 digs per game), sophomore Marissa Washington (.251 hitting %, 35 blocks, .88 bpg, 70 kills) and freshmen Holly Marita (406 assists, 9.67 apg, 91 digs, 2.17 dpg, 20 aces, .48 aces per game), Haley Hann (90 kills, 2.09 kpg, 14 aces, 32 blocks) and Ashley Saverine (83 kills, 2.31 kpg, 101 digs, 2.81 dpg) and libero Erica Miller (109 digs, 2.72 dpg) lead the Salukis. Marita's .48 aces per game ranks third and her 9.67 assists per game is eighth-best in the overall MVC standings.
