Volleyball returns to Davies Gym on Monday to host Valpo

Southern Illinois (2-11, 1-1 MVC) vs. Valparaiso (7-7, 0-2 MVC)
Date & Time	Sept. 25 vs.Valparaiso \| 7 p.m. CT
Video Stream	ESPN3
Live Stats	Sidearm Sports
Southern Illinois	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide
Valparaiso	Game Notes \| Stats \| Record Book
MVC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	Overall: SIU leads Valparaiso, 3-0 \| Streak: SIU W3 \| Last Meeting (9/12/12): SIU 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-15)
Social Media	@SIU_Volleyball \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Volleyball

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis return to Davies Gym on Monday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. to take on the Valparaiso University Crusaders. The matchup marks the first-ever Missouri Valley Conference meeting between the two schools.

All-time vs. the Crusaders
The Salukis are 3-0 all-time vs. the Crusaders, who joined the MVC this past summer to replace Wichita State. Southern won the first-ever meeting between the programs on Sept. 11, 1993, a 3-0 SIU win that clinched the title at the Saluki Invitational. The two teams tangled once again at the Saluki Invitational in 2009, as the Salukis won a five-set thriller to finish their home tournament with a 3-0 record. The Salukis again faced the Crusaders with a tournament title on the line in 2012, as the Salukis defeated Valpo in straight-sets on Sept. 1, 2012 to win the Billiken Invitational. This will mark the first MVC meeting between the Crusaders and the Salukis in any sport.

Scouting the Crusaders
The Crusaders, under the direction of 16-year head coach Carin Avery, came into the conference season having won five in a row, but lost both of their matches over the weekend to fall to 7-7 overall. Valpo fell to No. 22 UNI, 3-1, before losing to Drake in straight-sets on Saturday. The Crusaders lead the Valley in blocks per set (2.44) and libero Rylee Cookerly currently ranks fourth in the nation, and first in the conference, with 6.26 digs per set. Her 269 total digs are the 20th-most in the NCAA Division I.

Coach Thompson vs. the Crusaders
First-year head coach Kari Thompson is 1-0 all-time vs. the Crusaders, as her then Bison defeated Valpo in five-sets on Oct. 19, 2014.

Conference Openers
The Salukis won their conference opener, a 3-1 victory over the Bradley Braves. It improved them to 13-13 all-time in conference openers since the Valley began prior to the 1992 season. Southern has won back-to-back conference openers and five of its last six.

Conference Home Opener
The Salukis have won three-straight conference home openers, and are 15-11 in their Valley opener since the league formed prior the 1992 season.

Strength of Schedule
Based on the win/loss record of its opponents, Southern's non-conference schedule was the second-toughest in the Valley. Missouri State ranks first in the conference, and 35th nationally, with its non-conference opponents amassing an 88-58 record. SIU was second in the league, and 51st nationally, with its non-conference opponents combining for a 72-51 record.

Active Career Leaders
Andrea Estrada's 1,221 career kills are the seventh-most in program history, and the 27th-most amongst active DI student-athletes. Her 1,190 career digs, meanwhile, rank her fifth in school history and are the 62nd most amongst active players. Abby Barrow's 924 career kills rank in the top-100 at No. 96.

Edelen reaches 500
Ashley Edelen recorded her 500th career dig against Notre Dame on Sept. 16. She now has 563 for her career and is currently averaging 4.40 digs per set, more than double her career average. She has already surpassed her season-best total through 13 matches, as she has 211 digs this season. Her previous season-high was 206, set in 2016.

Serving up aces at Bradley
The Salukis were at their best in Friday night's win with Ashley Edelen serving, as she went on several long runs that helped SIU pull away down the stretch. She tied her career-high with two aces in the win, which marked the third time she has recorded multiple aces in a match in her career, and the first time since Oct. 31, 2015 at Bradley.

76 shy of 1,000
Abby Barrow sits at 924 career kills and needs 76 to become the 15th Saluki to reach 1,000.

Almost there
Abby Barrow has recorded double-digit digs in back-to-back matches, as she finished with nine kills and 12 digs in Southern's win over Bradley and followed with 12 digs in SIU's loss to Illinois State. Through 13 matches this season, Barrow needs just eight digs to surpass her previous season-high of 77 digs, set a year ago.

Second career double-doubles
Both of SIU's setters, Rachel Maguire and Alayna Martin, recorded their second career assist-dig double-doubles in SIU's win over Bradley. Maguire finished with 25 assists and a career-best 15 digs, while Martin tallied 24 assists and 10 digs.

Fredriksson surpasses 600 career kills
Nellie Fredriksson tallied seven kills in SIU's loss to Michigan State on Sept. 16, and now has 610 in her career.

Block Party
The Salukis recorded 13.0 blocks in a four-set win over Bradley, which marked the fourth time that SIU has tallied 10-plus blocks in a match this season. Southern's 13.0 total blocks were tied for its most in a match this season, and the second-most by a Valley team in a four-set match this season.

Meeks named to All-Tournament Team
Kolby Meeks was named to the Shamrock Invitational All-Tournament Team after she hit .545 during SIU's three matches. The Norcross, Ga. native put down 20 kills on 33 attempts with just two hitting errors and was a force defensively, as she led the Salukis with 1.11 blocks per set. Meeks currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference, and is 30th in the nation, in hitting percentage at .403.

Second Career Double-Double
Abby Barrow recorded her second career double-double in the win over SEMO on Sept. 12. The Metamora, Ill. native did it all for the Salukis, as she finished with 16 kills, 12 digs and a career-best four service aces. She also hit a season-best .286 and added a pair of assists, which marked the first time since her freshman season (9/2/14 vs. Middle Tennessee) that she has recorded two assists in the same match.

Brown getting her swings
Patience Brown has put down five-plus kills in seven of the nine matches she's appeared in, including a season-best 14 in SIU's 3-1 win over Bradley on Sept. 22. She hit a season-best .462 and added four digs and four blocks.

Closing the Block
Nellie Fredriksson has significantly helped the Salukis close the block as of late. The Angelholm, Sweden native has tallied three blocks in two of SIU's last three matches and earlier this season recorded four in back-to-back matches against SEMO and Central Michigan.

Hitting for a high average
The Salukis hit a season-best .311 in the win over SEMO on Sept. 12. It was the first time Southern hit .300 or better since Oct. 29, 2016 against Bradley. SIU was 7-1 last season when hitting .300 or better.

She's got the first pass
Edelen has started at libero in all 13 of SIU's matches this season, and has recorded double-digit digs in 11 of Southern's 13 matches this season, which includes six-straight matches of recording at least 10 digs. Coming into the 2017 season, Edelen had only reached double figures in digs in 11 of her 80 career matches.

15+ kills by a freshman
Maggie Nedoma put down 15 kills on 35 swings against Arkansas State in just her fourth career match. She became the 16th Saluki since 2003 to record 15+ kills in a single match as a freshman, and the first to do so since Ginger Perinar put down 16 against Evansville on Nov. 19, 2016. Doing so in her fourth career match ties her for third with Andrea Estrada in terms of quickest to put down 15+ kills in a match at SIU. Estrada notched 16 kills at Middle Tennessee in her fourth career match on Sept. 2, 2014. Former Saluki standouts Haley Hann and Chandra Roberson each put down 15+ kills in their respective debuts. Hann tallied 15 kills vs. Austin Peay on Aug. 29, 2003, while Roberson followed with 16 kills vs. IUPUI three years later on Aug. 25, 2006.

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Players Mentioned

Abby Barrow

Patience Brown

Ashley Edelen

Andrea Estrada

Nellie Fredriksson

Rachel Maguire

Alayna Martin

Kolby Meeks

Maggie Nedoma

Ginger Perinar

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