Volleyball hangs tough against No. 8 Florida

Saturday, September 8

Flagstaff, AZ

11 a.m.

Southern Illinois University

3-7

University of Florida

5-3

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
#8 Florida	17	25	25	25	3
Southern Illinois	25	12	10	16	1

Photo by: Madison Case

09/08/2018 | 1:30:00 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SIU takes a set off a top-10 opponent for 1st time since 1990, but falls in four sets to the Gators.

The Southern Illinois volleyball team faced its toughest test of the 2018 season Saturday afternoon in Flagstaff, Ariz. against the No. 8 Florida Gators. The Salukis battled valiantly but ultimately fell in four-sets (25-17, 12-25, 10-25, 16-25) to close out play at the Lumberjack Classic.

Maggie Nedoma earned her third-straight all-tournament team nod after she averaged 3.27 kills per set and 2.00 digs per set over the weekend.

Inside the Match

• The Salukis hit .367 in the opening set and broke a 6-all tie with a 10-3 run and led by as many as eight. The Gators got to within five, 18-13, but that was as close as they got. Southern never trailed in the first set, which marked the first time since 1990 that SIU has taken a set off of a top-10 opponent.
• The Gators returned the favor in the second set, as they used a 7-1 spurt to turn a two-point advantage into an eight--point swing at the halfway point and cruised to a win from there.
• Nedoma's 12th kill of the afternoon cut Southern's deficit to three (8-5) but the Gators scored nine of the next 11 points to open an eight-point lead, 15-7, at the halfway point. Florida closed on a 10-3 run to take a 2-1 set score lead.
• The Gators held the Salukis to a negative hitting percentage in the fourth set and led from start to finish. Southern cut a 15-point lead down to nine with a 6-0 run on match point, but the Gators got the sideout kill they needed to seal the win.
• 6-foot-8 middle blocker Rachel Kramer was a force in the middle- she hit .579 with 12 kills and six blocks and anchored the tallest front line that SIU will face all season.
• The Salukis contained 2017-18 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year Thayer Hall through three sets as she had seven kills and five errors. The No. 1 recruit of the 2018 class broke loose in the fourth set with five kills and no errors.

Inside the numbers

• It marked just the 15th time in school history that the Salukis have taken a set off of a ranked opponent in what was SIU's 50th all-time matchup against a ranked opponent.
• It was just the fourth time in program history that the Salukis have taken a set off an opponent ranked in the top-10.
• Maggie Nedoma notched her second career double-double with 15 kills, 11 digs and set a new career-best with three aces.
• Alysa Sutton added eight kills and seven digs against the Gators. The junior outside hitter averaged 2.20 kills per set on the weekend- second to Nedoma's 3.27 kills per set for tops on the team.
• Kat Wagner tallied nine digs versus Florida and averaged an even 2.00 digs per set on the weekend.

Up next

The Salukis play their final non-conference tournament of the 2018 season beginning Friday, Sept. 14 at the A-State Invitational. Southern will take on Central Arkansas, Arkansas State and Jackson State during the two-day tournament.