Saluki Volleyball hosts Evansville, Indiana State for Family Weekend

Friday, September 29

Carbondale, Ill.

7 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

University of Evansville

Photo by: Madison Case

Saluki Volleyball hosts Evansville, Indiana State for Family Weekend

09/28/2017 | 10:18:00 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes vs. Evansville/Indiana State

The Salukis take on the Purple Aces on Friday before tangling with the Sycamores on Saturday.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

Southern Illinois (3-11, 2-1 MVC) vs. Evansville (6-8, 0-2 MVC)/Indiana State (4-10, 2-0 MVC)
Date & Time	Sept. 29 vs. Evansville \| 7 p.m. CT Sept. 30 vs. Indiana State \| 7 p.m. CT
Video Stream	vs. Evansville
Live Stats	vs. Evansville vs. Indiana State
Southern Illinois	Game Notes \| Stats \| Media Guide
Evansville	Game Notes \| Stats
Indiana State	Game Notes \| Stats \| Record Book
MVC	Weekly Notes \| Stats
All-Time Series	Overall: SIU leads Evansville, 43-11 \| Streak: SIU W10 \| Last Meeting: SIU 3-2 (25-23, 25-11, 23-25, 20-25, 15-8) Overall: SIU leads Indiana State, 51-17-1 \| Streak: SIU W5 \| Last Meeting: SIU 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-18, 31-29)
Social Media	@SIU_Volleyball \| @SIUSalukis \| Saluki Volleyball

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis return to Davies Gym for a Family Weekend doubleheader, as Southern hosts Evansville on Friday, Sept. 29 before taking on Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 30. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m.

Promotions
Saluki Volleyball is hosting Camper Reunion Day as well as Military Appreciation Day for the Family Weekend match vs. Indiana State on Saturday, September 30.

As part of Camper Reunion Day, all campers who attended SIU's summer camps this past summer will receive free admission to the match.

Active and retired military personnel are also eligible to receive free tickets. Discounted tickets will also be available for family of military personnel. Tickets can be reserved by calling the SIU ticket office at 1-877-SALUKIS.

Scouting the Sycamores
The Sycamores come to Carbondale after back-to-back wins to start Valley play. Indiana State held on to defeat Evansville in five sets on Fri., Sept. 22, and followed with a 3-1 win over Bradley. The Sycamores had a particularly rough start to the season, as they won their season opener at DePaul, and proceeded to lose nine-straight after that. A win over Cal State Fullerton snapped their nine match losing streak, and Indiana State is 3-1 after starting the season 1-9. The Sycamores offense runs through Laura Gross, who's 11.79 attempts per set are the 25th-most in the nation while Cassie Kawa currently leads the MVC with a .383 hitting efficiency.

All-time vs. the Sycamores
The Salukis hold a commanding 51-17-1 all-time record over the Sycamores. Southern has won five in a row, and nine of their last ten against Indiana State, and are 29-9-1 on their home court against the Trees. SIU has won five in a row on their home court in the series, and 11 of its last 12. Southern's last home loss to the Sycamores came on Nov. 5, 2011.

Scouting the Purple Aces
Evansville has lost six in a row, and eight of its last nine. The Purple Aces opened MVC play with a five-set loss at the hands of Indiana State, and were swept by Evansville on Saturday. The Purple Aces lead the Valley In aces (82) and aces per set (1.46/set), and Erlicia Griffith ranks seventh in the conference with a .94 blocks per set average.

All-time vs. the Purple Aces
The Salukis hold a 43-11 advantage in the all-time series vs. the Purple Aces and have won 10 in a row over Evansville, with Southern's last loss in the series coming on Oct. 28, 2011, a straight-set loss at Evansville. The Salukis are 27-3 against the Purple Aces at home, and haven't lost on their home court to Evansville since a 3-0 setback on Nov. 10, 2006.

Active Career Leaders
Andrea Estrada's 1,229 career kills are the seventh-most in program history, and the 29th-most amongst active DI student-athletes. Her 1,205 career digs, meanwhile, rank her fifth in school history and are the 61st most amongst active players. Abby Barrow's 933 career kills rank in the top-100 at No. 97.

67 from 1,000
Abby Barrow is 67 kills from becoming the 15th Saluki to reach 1,000 career kills.

10-plus digs
Barrow has recorded 10-plus digs in three-straight contests, as she dug out 12 balls at Bradley, 12 at Illinois State and recorded 11 in the win over Valpo. She's now reached double-digits in five matches this season after having never done so in 93 career matches prior to this season. Barrow's 80 digs through 14 matches this season are a season-best total, as she surpassed her previous season-high of 77, set through 30 matches a year ago.

Double-doubles
Alayna Martin recorded the third assist-dig double-double of her career in the win over Valpo, as she dished out 34 assists and added a career-high 17 digs.

Coming on Strong
Patience Brown has been a force in the middle for the Salukis as of late. Brown has put down 14 kills in two of SIU's last three matches, as she tallied 14 in the win over Bradley and followed with 14 in the win over Valpo. On both occasions, Brown has hit for a high average, as she hit .462 against the Braves and .417 vs. the Crusaders.

100 Career Kills
Maggie Nedoma put down her 100th career kill in the win over Valpo, as she tied for the team lead with 14 kills. It marked the sixth time this season that the Brook Park, Ohio native has recorded 10+ kills.

300th Kill as a Saluki
Kolby Meeks recorded the 300th kill of her Saluki career in the win over Valpo on Sept. 25, and now has 305 kills since arriving at SIU as a junior transfer from South Alabama. Including her two seasons with the Jaguars, Meeks has 425 total career kills.

Hitting for a high average
Meeks is currently hitting .373 on the season- which ranks her second in the Valley (to Indiana State's Cassie Kawa at .383), and 62nd in the nation, in hitting percentage. The Norcross, Ga. native has hit over .400 in seven of SIU's 14 matches this season.

.300 or better
SIU hit .306 as a team in the win over Valpo, marking the second match this season in which they have done so. Southern is 2-0 when hitting at least .300 this season.

Closing in on 600
Ashley Edelen needs 17 digs to reach 600 for her career. She is currently averaging 4.44 digs per set, more than double her career average. Her digs per set average is ninth-best in the league, and ranks her 94th in the nation.

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.