Volleyball wraps up most successful season since 2002
12/11/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 11, 2009
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois volleyball team under fifth-year head coach Brenda Winkeler wrapped up the 2009 season 18-12 overall and 7-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play good for sixth place and the Salukis second trip to the MVC tournament in three seasons.
SIU recorded the most wins since 2002 and the first back-to-back winning seasons since 1994-1995 after recording a 17-12 record in 2008.
The Salukis will finish with the best RPI in school history, hovering around the top-100 after finishing at 116 last season. The Missouri Valley Conference is one of eight conferences in the country to have six teams in the top-100.
The 2009 team started the season 11-0, the best start in school history, finishing 11-1 in non-conference play, a perfect 11-0 in regular-season non-conference matches for the first time in program history.
In league play the Salukis snapped losing streaks against Missouri State and Illinois State, SIU beating the ILS in regular-season play for the first time since 1990. The team also snapped a nine-match losing streak against Missouri State dating back to 2004.
SIU saw one school record fall this season and littered the books in 13 different categories. Senior middle blocker Chandra Roberson broke the career block assist record, wrapping up her career with 381. Roberson also ranks in career hitting percentage (ninth, .271), career solo blocks (fifth, 103), career sets played (fifth, 430), career matches played (10th, 118) and career kills (10th, 1,080).
Junior outside hitter Jennifer Berwanger became the fourth player in school history to garner first-team All-MVC honors twice, after ranking top-10 in the league in kills, digs and points, recording 18 double-doubles this season. In the SIU record books, she ranks in career attack attempts (seventh, 2,992), career digs (third, 1,227) and career attacks per set (third, 8.52). She earned single-season rankings following this season, ninth in digs (430), second in attack attempts (1,199) and second in attempts per set (10.33).
Freshman setter Rachael Brown earned All-MVC Freshman team honors following her first season, ranking ninth all-time at SIU in single-season assists with 1,210. The rookie earned MVC Freshman of the Week honors four times for the Salukis.
