Volleyball falls to Valparaiso on Senior Night

Saturday, November 17

Carbondale, IL

7 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

5-26, 1-17MVC

Valparaiso University

24-9, 11-7MVC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Valparaiso	21	25	25	25	3
Southern Illinois	25	19	21	21	1

11/17/2018 | 10:47:00 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University volleyball team was clipped by visiting Valparaiso, 3-1 on senior night in the 2018 season finale for the Salukis.

SIU (5-26, 1-17) was led by their seniors, Patience Brown and Malvis Ortiz. Brown finished with a team-high 11 kills and added eight blocks, including four solos while Ortiz chipped in four kills and three blocks.

How it happened

The first set featured 11 ties and five lead changes, with eight of the 11 ties coming before either team reached double-digits. SIU was the first team to lead by more than one and opened up their largest lead of the frame at 19-15 on back-to-back kills by Brown.
The Crusaders scored four of the next five points to get to within one, 20-19 but that was as close as they would get. The Salukis closed on a 5-2 run to take the first set, 25-21. Southern hit .295 in the frame and put down 15 kills, including six by Brown.
Valparaiso caught Southern in a rotation in the second set. Valpo's Brittany Anderson served nine-straight points and the Crusaders took their largest lead of the set, 17-5. The Salukis chipped away and closed the gap to five on a solo block by Brown with Valpo at set point, but the Crusaders got the sideout kill they needed to close out the frame.
Valparaiso scored eight of the first 10 points of the third set. Southern's deficit grew to nine, 16-7 at the midway point. Southern again clawed its way back late. The Salukis used six-straight points to cut their deficit down to two, 23-21. Back-to-back points by the Crusaders quelled any chance of a comeback.
The Salukis limited the Crusaders to a .235 hitting percentage in the fourth set and forced six attack errors. Valparaiso continued to hit at SIU's setters and kept Southern out system. SIU hit .103 in the fourth frame and got to within two, 23-21, but back-to-back points by Valpo ended the match.

Inside the Numbers

Both seniors got to play extensively in their final match at Davies Gym. Brown had a team-high 11 kills and a season-high four solo blocks while Ortiz and Brown teamed up for three blocks. It marked the seventh time this season that the Bloomington, Ill. native has put down 10-plus kills and she leaves SIU with 405 kills and 159 blocks.
Lindsey Paulsen put down 10 kills against three errors for a .280 hitting percentage. She added seven blocks.
Alayna Martin set a career-high with 20 digs and added 30 assists for her 14th double-double of the season.
Laura Rojas dug out a career-best 15 balls while Alison Thomas served two aces. It was the third time in four matches that the Haymarket, Va. native has served a pair of aces.