Volleyball heads to Indiana for two crucial MVC matches

Friday, November 15

Terre Haute, IN

5 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Indiana State University

11/14/2019 | 4:15:00 | Women's Volleyball

Southern plays at Indiana State on Friday before taking on Evansville on Saturday

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University volleyball team heads to Indiana this weekend for two cruical Missouri Valley Conference matches. The Salukis (13-16, 5-8), fighting to keep their MVC tournament hopes alive, open the weekend at Indiana State on Friday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. (CT) before taking on Evansville on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.

All-time vs. Indiana State

• The Salukis hold a commanding 52-21-1 all-time record over the Sycamores.
• The two sides split last season's series, which included SIU's four-set win on Nov. 1
• Indiana State won the previous meeting this season, 3-2, after Southern was forced to play without libero Laura Rojas (due to injury).

All-time vs. Evansville

• The Salukis hold a 44-15 advantage in the all-time series versus the Purple Aces.
• Evansville has now won four in a row over SIU after snapping an 11-match losing streak to the Salukis at the end of the 2017 season.

Every Match is a battle

• SIU played a pair of five-set matches last weekend and have now played 11 five-set matches this season.
• The 11 five-setters are tied for the fourth-most nationally. Only Houston (13), Buffalo (13) and Central Arkansas (12) have played more.
• Of teams to have played in 10-plus five set matches, Southern is tied for sixth with six five-set wins. Southern holds a 6-5 record in five-set matches this season.
• SIU's 11 five-setters ties a 1982 school record for most five-set matches in a single-season.

School Record in sight

• Southern's 77 digs against Loyola last Saturday gives them 2,103 on the year- which moves them into second all-time in program history for digs in a single-season.
• It is the most by the Salukis since the 1985 team set the school record with 2,231.
• The Salukis lead the nation in total digs and rank 21st nationally in digs per set (17.38/set).
• Southern will need just over 43 digs in each of its next three matches to break the 34-year old school record.

Coming up Aces

• Southern finished with 11 aces in last Saturday's match against Loyola, which marked the third time this season they have recorded double-digit aces.
• SIU's three matches with 10-plus aces are its most in the rally-scoring, 25-point set era and the most in any season since 2007.
• The Salukis are 23-7 since 2002 in matches where they serve 10-plus aces.
• Six different Salukis served at least one ace against Loyola, led by Emma Baalman's career-high four aces.
• SIU's 166 aces this season are its most since the 2007 season.
• Katy Kluge's 37 aces are tied with Chandra Roberson for the most by a Saluki in the 25-point set, rally scoring era (since 2008).
• Rachel Maguire joined Kluge as Salukis to serve 30-plus aces in a single-season, as she became the ninth Saluki since 2008 to do so. Emma Baalman needs just two aces to join Kluge and Maguire.
• It marks the first time since 2013 that Southern has had multiple players serve 30-plus aces in a season.

Aces in a single-season - 25-point sets, rally scoring era (2008)
Katy Kluge- 37 - 2019
Chandra Roberson - 37 - 2008
Hannah Kaminsky - 36 - 2015
Andrea Estrada - 33 - 2016
Alex Rivera - 33 - 2013
Jennifer Berwanger - 32 - 2007
Hannah Kaminsky - 32 - 2014
Hannah Kaminsky - 31 - 2013
Rachel Maguire - 30 - 2019

Already seeing improvements

• The Salukis have eight more wins through 29 games than they had in the 2018 season.
• Southern's +8 win improvement ranks in the top-15 nationally of win differential. SIU is tied for 11th nationally in win differential and is tied for sixth in win improvement amongst first-year coaching staffs.
• SIU's +8 win improvement is the best in the Missouri Valley Conference, as the Salukis are joined by Evansville (+5) and Loyola (+3) as Valley programs who have already exceeded their previous season's win total.

Giving it her all in her final go-around

• Laura Rojas has 24 double-digit dig outputs this season, which includes 12 matches with 20-plus digs.
• The senior libero has double the amount of 20-plus dig outputs (12) this season than she had 10-plus digs matches (6) all of last season.
• Rojas has 502 digs this season- the most in a single-season by a Saluki since Alex Rivera in 2013.

Saving her best for last

• Alayna Martin saved her best for her last game at Davies Gym, as she notched just her second career triple-double with one of the best performances of her collegiate career.
• Martin tallied a career-high 16 kills to go along with 18 assists, 11 digs and two aces against the Ramblers.
• The Chesterfield, Mo. native is one of 12 players nationally with multiple triple-doubles on the season and she is tied for 11th nationally.

Keeping the ball alive

• The Salukis notched 91 digs in their four-set win over Drake on Nov. 2- their most in a four set match since Sept. 21, 2011.
• Laura Rojas tallied a career-high 32 digs in the win over the Bulldogs - the most digs in a four set match by a Saluki since Bailey Yeager tallied 33 digs at Drake on Oct. 26, 2012.

Tenacious D

• Southern's 90 digs against Loyola marked the fifth time already this season that the Salukis have tallied 90-plus digs in a match.
• SIU's five 90-plus dig outputs are as many as it had notched in the previous seven seasons combined.

90 or more digs in a match in a season
2019: 5
2018: 0
2017: 0
2016: 1 (5-setter)
2015: 0
2014: 1 (5-setter)
2013: 2 (both 5-setters)
2012: 1 (5-sets)
2011: 1 (4-set//Sept. 24, 2011 vs. Creighton)

Leading the nation

• Rachel Maguire notched her 11th triple-double of the season with a career-high 18 kills, 22 assists and 10 digs against Valparaiso.
• Her 11 triple-doubles not only lead the nation, but it gives her the most in a single-season and in a career in program history.
• Her 11 triple-doubles are the most by a Missouri Valley Conference player since at least 2015 and the most in a single-season in the NCAA over at least the past five seasons.

Triple Doubles, NCAA - Last 5 seasons
Rachel Maguire, SIU (2019) - 11
Taylor Smith, Eastern Illinois (2017) - 10
Jo-Leigh Vervelde, Western Colorado (2015) - 10
Elyssa Purcell, Southeastern La. (2016) - 8
Taylor Smith, EIU (2016) - 8
Corinne Bain, Harvard (2016) - 8
Adrianna Culbert, Colorado St. (2015) - 8
Corinne Bain, Harvard (2015) - 8