Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Volleyball gears up for 2007 schedule
07/19/2007 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
July 19, 2007
By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - As the Southern Illinois volleyball team gears up for the 2007 season head coach Brenda Winkeler looks build off of a successful spring that saw the Salukis post a 10-3 record in three tournaments.
"It will be important for us to get off to a good start to continue our momentum from the spring season," Winkeler said. "One of the highlights on the non-conference schedule will be when we travel to Champaign to take on the Fighting Illini."
The sixth-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference a year ago will play three of their 11 non-conference games at Davies Gym in the 28th Saluki Invitational. SIU opens at home with the four-team tournament September 7-8 against Cleveland State, Missouri-Kansas City and Murray State.
For the fourth-straight season, the Salukis will open on the road. August 24-25 SIU will take on West Virginia at the MSU Comfort Inn and Suites Tournament. The Salukis took three straight from the Mountaineers a year ago at the Saluki Invite. Southern will also take on host Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky at the season-opening tournament.
The second weekend of play, the Salukis will travel to the William & Mary Tournament to take on the Tribe, along with Kent State and East Carolina.
The most reputable of SIU's non-conference opponent is Big Ten and in-state rival Illinois. This will be the first meeting since the 1990 season for the Fighting Illini. SIU also faces SEMO (Oct. 9) on the road.
SIU will kick-off the 18-game conference season September 14 at home against Illinois State.
