Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Volleyball travels to Creighton Friday, Drake Saturday
10/18/2011 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 18, 2011
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois volleyball team begins the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play on the road Friday and Saturday at Crieghton and Drake.
Friday, October 21
SIU at Creighton, 7 p.m.
Location: Omaha, Neb.
Site: D.J. Sokol Arena
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Saturday, October 22
SIU at Drake, 7 p.m.
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Site: Knapp Center
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TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (9-9, 3-6 MVC)
Head Coach: Brenda Winkeler, Seventh Year (176-170 overall, 94-98 at SIU)
Creighton Bluejays (11-10, 6-3 MVC)
Head Coach: Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Ninth Year (152-111 overall and at CU)
Drake Bulldogs (7-15, 3-6 MVC)
Head Coach: Tony Sunga, First Year (7-15 overall and at DU)
SIU VS. CREIGHTON
SIU trails its all-time series with the Bluejays 9-28 with Creighton winning the last 18 matchups, including a four-set win Sept. 24 at Davies Gym. The Salukis haven't bested Creighton since taking both matches during the 2002 season. Creighton enters the weekend having lost three of its last four after winning its first five Missouri Valley Conference matches. The Bluejays are one of the top defensive teams in the MVC, leading the Valley with an average of 2.48 blocks per set and ranking third with an average of 17.22 digs per set. Creighton presents a balanced offense with five players that average more than two kills per set. The team's leader is junior setter Megan Bober, who averages 6.77 assists, 2.19 kills and 2.36 digs per set. Senior middle blocker Laurel Sanford leads the team with an average of 2.47 kills per set and ranks third in the MVC with a team-leading average of 1.15 blocks per set. The Bluejays' sophomore libero Julianne Mandolfo ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Valley by more than a dig per set with an average of 5.85 per set.
SIU VS. DRAKE
SIU leads the all-time series with the Bulldogs 32-18. The Salukis topped the Drake in four sets Sept. 23 to break a four-match losing streak to the Bulldogs. Drake enters the weekend having lost five of its last six matches. The Bulldogs offense is paced by junior outside hitter Whitney Westrum, who averages a team-best 2.88 kills per set. Senior middle blocker Michelle Reidy is second on the team with an average of 2.12 kills per set while six other players average one or more kills per set. Senior setter Caitlin Johnson directs the Drake offense with an average of 8.97 assists per set. Defensive specialists Erika Price and Sarah Madden lead the Bulldogs defense with averages of 3.41 and 3.23 digs per set respectively.
LEADING THE SALUKIS
The Saluki offense is led by a trio of attackers that all average more than two kills per set. Sophomore outside hitter Jessica Whitehead ranks second in the MVC with a season average of 3.58 kills per set while junior outside Laura Thole is sixth in the league at 3.14 kills per set. Junior middle blocker Alysia Mayes rounds out Southern's top attackers with an average of 2.74 kills per set with a .370 hitting percentage that ranks third in the MVC and 38th nationally. Junior setter Rachael Brown ranks third in the Valley with an average of 10.11 assists per set. The Salukis have three players averaging three or more digs per set, led by junior libero Bailey Yeager's 3.75 per set, which ranks eighth in the MVC. Thole is second on the team with an average of 3.10 digs per set and Brown is third at 3.01.
RECAPPING LAST WEEK
The Salukis suffered two sweeps to two of the top three teams in the MVC last Friday and Saturday as Missouri State and Wichita State both came to Davies Gym and shot down SIU in three sets. The weekend marked the first time this season Southern has lost consecutive home matches and the first time the Salukis have been swept at Davies this year. Jessica Whitehead led Southern with 11 kills against the Bears and 12 kills against the Shockers. Rachael Brown had double-doubles in both matches, posting 29 assists and 10 digs against MSU and 26 assists and 11 digs against WSU. Bailey Yeager had 11 digs against the Bears and 12 against the Shockers.
HALFWAY THERE
The Salukis hold sixth-place in the league standings at the halfway point of their Missouri Valley Conference slate with a 3-6 record in Valley play. Southern sat seventh in the league standings with the same record a year ago, only to post a 2-7 record the rest of the season. The Salukis look to avoid a similar fate this season as SIU plays five of its final nine on the road.
