Volleyball heads to east coast for UConn Toyota Classic

Sept. 1, 2010

By Dana Ingraham
SIUSalukis.com

MATCH INFORMATION
Date(s): September 3-4
Location: Storrs, Conn. - UConn Toyota Classic
Site: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,167)
The Series: SIU leads Brown, 1-0; Harford, first meeting; Connecticut leads SIU, 1-0
Head Coaches: Brenda Winkeler (155-148 overall, 73-76 at SIU); Diane Short (175-245 overall and at Brown); Don Ferguson (78-174 overall, 37-125 at Hartford); Holly Strauss-O'Brien (88-61 overall and at Connecticut)
Saluki Assistant Coaches: Julie Yankus (Associate Head Coach); Evan Hook (Assistant Coach)
Gametracker: ; ;
Match Notes: click here

DAWG BITES
The Southern Illinois volleyball team is in its 53rd year of existence... Head Coach Brenda Winkeler is in her sixth season with the team and holds a 73-76 (.490) record... Last season the Salukis finished with an 18-12 record and were 7-11 in Missouri Valley Conference play, making their second appearance in the conference tournament in three years... SIU started the 2009 season 11-0, the best start in school history.

SALUKIS HEAD TO THE EAST COAST
Southern travels to Storrs, Conn. for the second tournament of the season, competing in the UConn Toyota Classic. The Salukis will take on Brown Friday, Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. CT, before playing a double-header on Saturday, Sept. 4 against Hartford at 9 a.m. CT and Connecticut at 6:30 p.m. CT.

SCOUTING BROWN
The Bears enter the 2010 season with three returning starters plus their libero and nine returning letterwiners. Brown, led by Diane Short in her 17th season, recorded a 6-19 overall record last year, finishing eighth in the Ivy League with a 2-12 record. This will be just the second meeting between the two teams. SIU defeated Brown at the Kentucky Wildcat Classic in 2005. Brown is the only Ivy League team that Southern has ever faced in the program's 53-year history.

SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks enter the 2010 season with three returning starters and three returning letterwinners. Hartford, led by Don Ferguson in his fifth season, recorded a 7-21 overall record last year, finishing sixth in the America East Conference with an 0-10 record. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
The Huskies enter the 2010 season with four returning starters and eight returning letterwinners. UConn, led by Holly Strauss-O'Brien in her sixth season, recorded a 14-17 overall record last year, finishing seventh in the Big East Conference with a 7-7 record. This will be the second meeting between the two teams, with UConn leading the series, 1-0. The last time the Salukis met the Huskies was in 1997 at North Carolina's Nike Fall Invitational, when Southern fell in five sets.

BIG AGAINST BCS
The last time Southern Illinois swept a BCS school prior to its 3-0 victory against Alabama Aug. 29 was Sept. 9, 2006, when SIU swept West Virginia at its own Saluki Invitational.

BALANCING ACT
SIU head coach Brenda Winkeler talked about her team's balanced offensive attack during preseason. It showed against Iowa, as five Salukis reached double-digit kills. In 2009, SIU had four players reach double-digit kills on two occasions.

DOUBLE YOUR FUN
Jen Berwanger was one of three Salukis to have a double-double against Iowa when she recorded the 45th of her career (13 kills, 21 digs). She was joined by Alicia Johnson (15 kills, 13 digs) and Rachael Brown (49 assists, 10 digs), who were named to the Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament Team.

PICKED SIXTH IN PRESEASON MVC COACHES POLL
SIU was picked to finish sixth in the Valley in the preseason MVC Coaches poll, one spot behind where it was slated to finish a year ago. In 2009, the Salukis finished the regular season in sixth place in the MVC, falling to Wichita State, 3-1, in the opening round of the tournament. Defending champion UNI was unanimously picked to repeat this year, receiving all 10 first-place votes.

STARTING OFF RIGHT
With only three newcomers on the roster, the Salukis return all but one starter plus the libero from last year's team. Four more letterwinners are also back for the 2010 campaign. The experience of the veteran squad has made for one of the best preseasons Coach Winkeler said she has ever seen, and a smooth transition into the non-conference schedule.