Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Evansville
Volleyball takes down Evansville in conference opener, remains unbeaten
09/19/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 19, 2009
By Shalae Patrick
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - It took 18 hours and 40 minutes, but the Southern Illinois volleyball team finally won its Missouri Valley Conference opener against Evansville 3-1, remaining a perfect 11-0 on the season, Saturday morning in Davies Gym.,
After Friday night's match got post poned until Saturday morning due to a schedule miscommunication, the teams warmed up to try again. Evansville came out swinging in the first set, taking down SIU 22-25. The Salukis battled back in the second set, 25-20 and continued to push past the Purple aces, taking the final two sets 25-16 and 25-18.
"They are a very good team when they are on system," Saluki head coach Brenda Winkeler said. "When they can pass the ball and get it to their middles involved. I thought we could use serving as our weapon to keep them off their game. Besides their outside, I thought we contained their middles and everyone else well."
The Salukis totaled nine service aces, hitting .415 in the match with just 10 attack errors, including five in the first set.
Jennifer Berwanger and Alicia Johnson recorded double-doubles for the Salukis. Berwanger put up a team-high 16 kills and 10 digs, hitting .382, for her eighth straight. Johnson posted 15 kills, 13 digs, one solo and two block assists, hitting .481.
Chandra Roberson hit a team-best .526 on the day with 11 kills, two service aces, two solo and three block assists, bringing her career block assist total to 334, now the new all-time record at SIU. Roberson entered the season just 36 block assists away, breaking the record in just the 11th match of the season.
"She's a great blocker and we're glad she could break the record at home," Winkeler said of Roberson.
Rachael Brown led the Saluki offense with 48 assists. The two-time MVC Freshman of the Week honoree also posted four kills, three service aces, four digs, one solo and four block assists in the victory.
Lauren Blumhorst led the Saluki defense with a match-high 16 digs, adding three service aces.
SIU out-matched UE at the net, posting 14.0 total team blocks to the Purple Aces 2.0.
Ginta Gabruseva led the Purple Aces with 21 kills, while Brooke Maher and Emily Wandersee added 10 each. Maher added a team-high nine digs and Wandersee a team-best two block assists.
"We went into the locker room at the break and the girls knew what they had to do, shutting down Gabruseva and Maher and putting more pressure on Maher in the back row," Winkeler said. "We really did that coming out of the locker room after the second set."
The Salukis return to action Sept 25-26, when they travel to Northern Iowa and Bradley in Missouri Valley Conference play. UNI is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll.
