Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Volleyball to host Evansville in Missouri Valley Conference opener
09/17/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2009
www.SIUSalukis.com
MATCH INFORMATION
Date(s): September 18
Location: Carbondale, Ill.
Site(s): Davies Gym (1,200)
The Series: SIU leads UE, 30-8
Head Coaches: Brenda Winkeler (145-135 overall, 63-63 at SIU); Mike Swan (463-348 overall, 76-117 at UE)
Saluki Assistant Coaches: Julie Yankus (Associate Head Coach); Katie Carrier; Jimmy White (Student Assistant)
Gametracker: www.siusalukis.com
Video Stream: www.stretchinternet.com/siuvideo.html
Click Here for Complete Notes in PDF Format
DAWG BITES
The Southern Illinois Volleyball team is in its 52nd year of existence... Head Coach Brenda Winkeler is in her fifth season with the team and holds a 63-63 (.500) record... Last season the Salukis finished with a 17-12 record and were 7-11 in MVC play, finishing in seventh... The Salukis have started the 2009 season 10-0, the best start in school history.
ON THE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
The Salukis open the Missouri Valley Conference schedule at home hosting Evansville at 7 p.m. in Davies Gym Friday.
SCOUTING EVANSVILLE
The Purple Aces entered the 2009 season with four returning starters and nine returning letterwinners. UE, led by Mike Swan in his eighth season, recorded a 14-18 record overall last year. This season the Aces are 6-4 after most recently taking a match from Tennessee-Martin on Monday. Brooke Maher leads the Aces with 3.08 kills and 3.38 digs per set. Ellen Sawin adds 11.44 assists and Julie Sylvester contributes 3.64 digs per set.
SERIES WITH EVANSVILLE
Last season, the teams split, each team winning its home match. SIU swept UE in Davies Gym, while the Aces needed five sets to take down the Salukis on the Aces home court. SIU leads the overall series 30-8.
LEAGUE OPENERS
Since taking over the Saluki program in 2005, head caoch Brenda Winkeler is 2-2 in Missouri Valley Conference openers, sweeping Indiana State a year ago. In the last 10 season, the Salukis are 3-7 in Valley openers.
AMONG THE ELITE
The 2009 Saluki volleyball team has started the season, 10-0. So has 14 other teams in NCAA Division I volleyball including Baylor (11-0), Michigan (10-0), Kentucky (10-0), Washington St. (10-0), Toledo 9 0), Penn St. (9-0),Virginia Tech (9-0), Michigan St. (9-0), Dayton (9-0), Arizona (8-0), Washington (8-0), Elon (8-0), Oregon (6-0),Texas (6-0).
SALUKIS PERFECT
The 2009 Saluki volleyball team has started the season, 10-0, the best in program history. The 2008 team started the season 4-1 and back in 1976, 1981, 1985, 2000 and 2002, the Salukis opened 6-1.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Salukis hit the national rankings the first week of release in five categories. The team ranks 16th in the nation in blocks per set (2.83), 32nd in hitting percentage (.267) and of course first in wins (10-0). Individually, Chandra Roberson ranks 42nd in blocks per set (1.28) and Rachael Brown ranks 49th in assists per set (10.36).
BROWN EARNS WEEKLY HONORS AGAIN
Southern Illinois volleyball player Rachael Brown was named the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week Sept. 14. She averaged 9.86 assists, 0.43 blocks and 1.14 digs per set in three matches, helping lead the Salukis to a 10-0 record to start the season, the best in program history.
BERWANGER LEAGUE LEADER
Junior outside hitter Jennifer Berwanger, who earned first-team All-MVC honors a year ago, currently leads the league in kills per set (3.72) and is ranked in points (2nd, 4.10) and digs (8th, 3.67) per set.
SALUKIS ENTER BOOKS
With 26 block assists in a four-set match against Northern Illinois Friday, Aug. 28, the Salukis rank 11th all-time at SIU for team block assists in a match.
PICKED FIFTH IN PRESEASON VALLEY COACHES POLL
The Southern Illinois volleyball team was picked sixth in the 2009 MVC preseason coaches poll for the first time since Winkeler took over the program five years ago. The Salukis finished with 49 points. Southern finished seventh a year ago, missing the tournament by one spot. Defending Champion Wichita State was picked to repeat with 99 points and nine first-place votes.
BERWANGER EARNS WEEKLY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONORS, TWICE
Jennifer Berwanger of Southern Illinois University has been selected the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week Sept. 1 and Sept. 8. Berwanger, who has a 3.86 cumulative grade-point average in therapeutic recreation and physical therapy, earned all-tournament honors including an MVP nod two weeks in a row.
SALUKIS STRIVE IN THE CLASSROOM
For the fourth-straight season, the Saluki volleyball team was awarded the GamePlan/AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2008-09 season. The team held a 3.56 cumulative grade point average for the 2008-09 school year. They were one of eight Valley teams to be recognized and held the top GPA in the Missouri Valley Conference.
SIU 3.56 • WSU 3.51 • DU 3.50 • INS 3.40 • ILS 3.40 • UE 3.36 • CU 3.35 • BU 3.32
ROBERSON PEPPERS THE BOOKS
Senior Chandra Roberson has made an impact in the record books after three full seasons at SIU. The middle blocker sits tied for third in career block assists with 331, just three away from holding the all-time record at SIU. She also is sixth in solo blocks in a career with 88, and eighth in career hitting percentage at .274 in just over three seasons. If she remains healthy, she should enter the record books in matches played, sets played, career attempts and career kills by the end of the 2009 season.
SALUKI DEPTH
Saluki head coach Brenda Winkeler wasn't kidding when she said the 2009 SIU volleyball team had depth. In one match, Winkeler has used as many as all 14 student-athletes on the court during one match, usually averaging 11 in any match during the first 10 matches of the season. She uses as many as four middle blockers or defensive specialists during a match and three right sides or outside hitters.
BERWANGER RETURNS
Junior outside hitter Jen Berwanger returns after landing on the first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference last season. As a sophomore, she put up impressive numbers that landed her in the top-10 in SIU single-season history in digs (434, 7th), kills per set (3.64, 10th), attempts per set (10.31, 2nd) and attempts (1103, 5th). Berwanger currently ranks sixth in career attempts per set (7.63).
SALUKIS FILL THE VOID
The 2009 Southern Illinois volleyball team will look to fill the void left by two mainstays in the lineup from a year ago. The Salukis lost four-year libero Kristy Elswick and two-year starting setter Brooklyn Robbins. Elswick is the all-time leader in digs at SIU and Robbins was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick a year ago.
JOHNSON READY TO CONTRIBUTE
Right side Alicia Johnson paid her dues last season as a practice player and is ready to contribute in 2009. The junior sat out last season due to NCAA regulations after transferring from Northwest Missouri State (2007). As a freshman, she played at the University of Iowa (2006).
SALUKIS STAY FRESH
The 2009 Saluki freshmen are ready to step in and contribute. The freshmen class is the largest on the team with five newcomers, including high school and club teammates setter Rachael Brown and defensive specialist Bailey Yeager from Brownsburg, Ind. Outside hitter Laura Thole (Breese, Ill.) and middle blocker Alysia Mayes (Ashkum, Ill.) will be expected to contribute to the Saluki offense.
BERWANGER, BROWN EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Saluki volleyball players Jen Berwanger and Rachael Brown were named the Missouri Valley Conference Player and Freshman of the Week respectively August 31 for their efforts at the NIU Invitational in DeKalb, Ill. Berwanger posted two double-doubles, leading the team in kills in all four matches. The junior averaged 4.29 kills, 3.36 digs and 0.64 service aces per set, hitting .248 over the weekend. Brown recorded her first career double-double, averaging 10.21 assists, 1.50 digs and 0.43 blocks per set in four matches.
