Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Saluki volleyball hosts conference leader, Wichita State, on Monday
11/01/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
| SIU vs. Wichita State | |
| Date | Monday, Nov. 2, 2015 // SIU vs. Wichita State, 7 p.m. |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. -- Davies Gym (1,250) |
| Live Stats | SIU vs. Wichita State Live Stats |
| Video | SIU vs. Wichita State on ESPN3 |
| Tickets | Saluki Ticket Office (877-SALUKIS) |
| Match Notes | Southern Illinois | Wichita State |
| Season Stats | Southern Illinois | Wichita State |
| Social Media | @SIU_Volleyball  | Saluki Volleyball |
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis, 18-7, 9-3 MVC, have their best conference record in 20 years, currently holding second place in the Valley. SIU hosts first place team, Wichita State, on Monday to start a four-match home stand.
Scouting Wichita State
After being picked to lead the conference in the MVC Preseason poll earlier this season, the Shockers have met expectations with a 10-1 record in conference play to lead the Valley. Wichita State has won eight straight matches, six of which were 3-0 sweeps while the other two were decided in five sets. The Shockers' only loss was against Missouri State in early October. Wichita's strength comes on offense as the Shockers lead the conference in kills and assists with 14.80 and 13.85 per set, respectively. They also lead in hitting percentage against all opponents with a .261 clip. Abbie Lehman leads the team with 2.86 kills per set at a .402 attack efficiency, while Emily Hiebert adds to the offense with an average of 10.40 assists per set. The Shockers are also strong behind the line with freshman Shimen Fayad leading the conference with 36 aces.
Series History
Monday's match is the first meeting between Wichita State and SIU this season. In their last three meetings, the Shockers have swept SIU in three sets, including a heartbreaker loss in the 2013 MVC Championship match at Wichita. With head coach Justin Ingram at the helm, the Salukis have only won once against the Shockers -- a five set match in their second meeting in 2013. Currently, SIU has a statistical advantage over Wichita State in hitting percentage and blocks against MVC opponents, while the Shockers post better conference statistics in every other category. Overall, Wichita State leads the series record over SIU, 39-19.
Climbing to the Top
The Salukis have won four consecutive matches and seven of their last eight. Just two weeks ago the Salukis were ranked fifth in the MVC, but coming back from a two set deficit on Friday for a 3-2 win over Loyola, the Salukis have solidified their spot in second place. With 12 conference matches under their belts and a 9-3 record, the Salukis have the best record to this point in the four seasons under Ingram and the best conference start since 1995.
Return of Rosignol
Sophomore Alex Rosignol returned to the court on Friday after missing eight matches due to an injury, tallying 11 blocks overall in SIU's 3-2 victory over Loyola. Her 11 blocks assists tie for fifth all-time at SIU for most block assists in a single match. Despite missing several matches, Rosignol still holds the top spot in the MVC with an average of 1.42 blocks per set. Rosignol followed her return with another top performance on Saturday, hitting 10 kills with only one error on 13 attempts for a .692 attack efficiency.
Back with the Blocks
The Salukis held the top spot in the Valley for blocks per set for much of the first half of conference play before Loyola crept up to take the lead. Coming into last weekend, Loyola just barely topped SIU, but the Salukis' season-high 19 blocks in Friday's 3-2 win bumped SIU back to the top with an average of 2.65 blocks per set compared to Loyola's 2.56. SIU junior McKenzie Dorris leads in blocks against conference opponents with 1.20 per set while Rosignol leads against all opponents with 1.42 per set.
Career Highs Aplenty
SIU's 3-2 victory over Loyola was a product of several career and season highs for the Salukis over the course of the team's 121 total points. Sophomore Abby Barry led the match with a career-high 21 kills on 55 attempts. Redshirt sophomore Shannon Hagen also hit a career high with 11 kills after totaling only eight last season. Junior Meg Viggars came away with a career high as well, knocking down 14 blocks, including two solo, which ranks third all-time at SIU for most block assists in a single match.
Shannon Steps Up
With the absence of sophomore Andrea Estrada due to a violation of team rules, redshirt sophomore Shannon Hagen entered the Salukis' lineup last weekend as one of the top attackers in both wins over Loyola and Bradley. On Friday, Hagen led the team in attack efficiency hitting at a .346 clip. She followed with another high efficiency on Saturday hitting at .400. Hagen totaled 21 kills and only four errors on 46 attacks for a .370 hitting percentage, the second highest of the Salukis last weekend. She also added six digs and four blocks. Hagen has played in 10 matches this season and averages 1.55 kills per set.
Abby's Attack
Sophomore Abby Barrow is the Salukis' second leading attacker this season, posting 289 kills on 800 attacks for an average of 2.81 kills per set. Barrow let loose on Friday night, hitting a career high 21 kills on 55 attempts against Loyola for a .309 efficiency. Barrow led the Salukis in attempts once again on Saturday with 35 total attacks. Overall, Barrow finished the weekend with 33 kills on 90 attempts for an average of 3.67 kills per set at a .256 clip.
Hot Hitting
Largely due to even distribution by the Salukis' setters, Hannah Kaminsky and Meg Viggars, several Saluki attackers were able to hit above average clips last weekend against Loyola and Bradley. In Friday's match, three Salukis hit at over a .300 clip: Shannon Hagen at .346, Abby Barrow at .309 and Nellie Fredriksson at .300. Saturday's match saw even higher efficiencies with four Salukis hitting over .400. Alex Rosignol led the way with a .692 clip, followed by Taylor Pippen at .533, Fredriksson at .429 and Hagen at .400. The Salukis are leading the MVC in hitting percentage, hitting at .281 against conference opponents.
Still a Stat Filler
Junior Meg Viggars has consistently produced impressive results for the Salukis in every statistical category this season, ranking in the top three on the team for each stat. In Friday's match against Loyola, Viggars was only three kills and two digs away from securing a quadruple double, a feat that was accomplished for the first time since 2010 this season by Colorado State's Adrianna Culbert. After totaling 15 block assists over the weekend, Viggars has 100 total on the season, leading the Salukis in total blocks with 107. Overall, Viggars averages 2.16 kills, 5.56 assists, 0.17 aces, 2.39 digs and 1.04 blocks per set.
