Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Evansville
Volleyball Comes Back To Beat Evansville 3-2
10/19/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 19, 2004
By Lou Antoine
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Sophomore Holly Marita's solo block clinched a game five win 15-13 and completed SIU's comeback from a 2-1 deficit to beat Evansville 3-2 on Tuesday in Davies Gym.
Southern Illinois (6-15, 4-6 MVC) jumped out to a 14-9 lead in the final game and held off the Purple Aces (10-12, 3-7 MVC), who closed to 14-13, before Marita's lone solo block of the match clinched the victory and moved the Salukis a game ahead of Evansville, who began the night tied with SIU and Indiana State for sixth place in the MVC.
"Our goal is to stay in the race and it's a good way to start the second half. It was important for us to get a win and try to build our confidence level. It won't be easy the rest of the way, so we'll take any win we can get. It wasn't pretty, but I'm glad we pulled it off," said an exhausted Sonya Locke, SIU head coach.
For the second straight match and third time this season, SIU had five athletes with double figure kills, including career-high kills and double-doubles from Carrie Shephard (18 kills) and Marissa Washington (17). The Salukis lost to Indiana State last Saturday and won earlier this year against Evansville (9/21) when five athletes had double figure kills.
Shephard hit .327 (18K, 2E, 49TA) in a career-high 49 attempts with a career-tying 14 digs and season-high ten blocks in the match. Washington hit a team-high .483 (17K, 3E, 29TA) with a career-high 16 digs with six blocks.
In addition to Shephard and Washington, Jene' Pulliam added 14 kills with a career-high six blocks, Haley Hann chipped in 13 kills with nine digs and six blocks, and Jaime Hinsenkamp had 12 kills in a career-high 48 attempts with seven digs.
Marita also led the offense with 64 assists and 16 digs for her ninth double-double of the season. Defensively, Ashley Saverine tied a career-high with 19 digs and Erica Miller added 13 digs. The Salukis set a new season-high with 108 digs in the match.
SIU outhit Evansville .217 to .131 and had a season-high 17 blocks to just seven for the Purple Aces.
Southern Illinois will be idle this weekend and back in action next Tuesday at home against Murray State at 7 p.m.
