Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
5-6
Tennessee-Martin
5-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| UT Martin | 21 | 19 | 16 | 0 |
Salukis shut out UT-Martin with hard-hitting offense
09/16/2014 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
SIUSalukis.com
MARTIN, Tenn. - In a dominant offensive performance, the Salukis (5-6) swept the UT-Martin Skyhawks (5-6) on Tuesday night (25-21, 25-19, 25-16).
SIU finished the match with a season-high .381 hitting percentage, more than doubling UT-Martin's .126. Freshman Andrea Estrada led the Salukis with 12 kills on 19 swings for a career-high .579 hitting percentage. Junior Taylor Pippen followed close behind, hitting eight kills, 13 attacks and a .538 hitting percentage.
"The attackers that hit with their highest efficiencies were very balanced tonight," head coach Justin Ingram said. "It was a pretty good offensive night for most of our players. Even when our reception wasn't always on, we still found ways to get some good swings."
After a shaky start to the match, the Salukis jumped out to take the lead and maintained momentum through the end. In the first frame, SIU was slow to get point runs, and allowed the Skyhawks four aces and several kills to take a 16-13 lead. The Salukis responded with a kill by sophomore McKenzie Dorris, which led to an 8-2 run by the Salukis to edge UT-Martin. Pippen sealed the deal with three consecutive kills, capped by one by Estrada, giving the Salukis the set one advantage. SIU finished with their best set offensively, hitting .500 as a team.
"It's tough to get on a bus and drive two hours and then be prepared to play within the next few hours, so I think the beginning was a time where we really had to crank the motor a bit more than in our home matches when the travel isn't there," Ingram said.
In sets two and three, SIU did not relent, only allowing the Skyhawks to take a one-point lead early in the second set. UT-Martin battled halfway through the second frame, but five kills by Estrada and an 8-3 SIU run distanced the Salukis from the opponent, allowing them to take the second set.
"I thought Andrea was very balanced and was certainly using full range tonight," Ingram said. "She, and all of our attackers, hit a variety of shots and hit them with some power."
The final frame mirrored the second, but the Skyhawks were unable to recover from SIU's offensive assault. The Salukis raced ahead to take an early lead, and maintained the lead, outscoring UT-Martin 25-16 to finish the set and match. Freshman Abby Barrow contributed eight kills, Dorris finished with six and sophomore Meg Viggars posted a .455 hitting percentage with five kills.
SIU will return to Davies Gym for the first time this season to face its first MVC opponent, Evansville, on Friday at 7 p.m. According to Ingram, conference play is a clean slate for the team.
"This next segment is on its own island completely. Regardless of who we played before, regardless of who our opponents played, that match on that day is the most important thing," Ingram said. "When everybody's 0-0 going into it, the most prepared team will typically win that battle, and we feel good about where we're at right now."
