Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Portland State University
Saluki Volleyball opens 2019 season at Marcia Hamilton Classic
08/29/2019 | 8:32:00 | Women's Volleyball
SIU will face Portland State, SLU and MTSU during the two-day tournament.
Portland State is coming off an injury-plagued 2018 season in which they went 5-25. The Vikings return just four players from that squad, with eight newcomers comprising of two-thirds of the team's roster. The returners are led by setter Maddy Reeb and outside hitter Toni McDougald. Reeb tallied five double-doubles a year ago with a robust 7.74 assist-per-set average, while McDougald led the team in attempts (812) and put down 2.14 kills per set despite hitting .139 for the year. Junior transfer Jordan White, who appeared in 17 matches at Western Michigan last year, is expected to start at middle. The Vikings were picked to finish eighth out of 11 teams in the annual Big Sky preseason poll.
Saint Louis is coming off of a challenging 2018 season that saw the Billkens go 8-20, with six of their eight wins coming in Atlantic 10 play to earn a trip to the A-10 Tournament. SLU brings back a bulk of their roster with 12 returners, including six of their seven starters from a year ago. Outside hitter Maya Taylor returns after a sophomore season in which she put down 4.11 kills per set to earn A-10 first team honors. In addition to Taylor, the Billikens return their stat leaders in assists, aces, digs and blocks. St. Louis was picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10.
Middle Tennessee went 7-21 in 2018 and return six letter winners, including four starters from a year ago. The Blue Raiders lost their top hitter from last season in Bailey Mason, but return both of their setters, Taylor Hammier and Sarah Sumida, and their top passer in Brienna Tankesley. Middle Tennessee was picked to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the annual Conference USA preseason poll.
Season Openers
The Salukis are 27-18 all-time in season openers. Southern has won three of the it's last four season debuts, including last year's 3-1 win over IUPUI.
In head coach Ed Allen's 13 seasons as a DI head coach, his teams are 11-2 all-time in season openers.
All-time vs. Opponents
SIU will open against Portland State, with Friday's matchup marking the second time the two programs have met. The Vikings won the first-ever matchup- a 3-0 win in Provo, Utah on Sept. 24, 1982.
The Salukis hold a commanding 11-2 all-time advantage over the Billikens in a series that dates back to 1976. Southern has won two in a row over St. Louis and 11 of the last 12 matchups, including the most recent meeting - a 3-0 SIU win in Carbondale on Sept. 10, 2013.Â
Saturday's meeting between Middle Tennessee State and SIU will mark just the third time the two programs have met, and the first time since 2013. Both times that the two teams have met previously, in 1976 and again in 2013, the match went five sets. The Blue Raiders were victorious the last time the two squads met- winning in five sets in Carbondale on Sept. 3, 2013. Southern's last win over Middle Tennessee came on Oct. 23, 1976- a 3-2 win in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
A New Era Begins
A new era of Southern Illinois volleyball begins in 2019 as Ed Allen makes his debut as head coach. Allen arrived in Carbondale by way of the University of Alabama, where he served as head coach for eight seasons, which included two trips to the NCAA Tournament. Alabama was 7-1 all-time in season openers under Allen.
Core Returns
SIU returns 10 letterwinners from a year ago, including seniors Alayna Martin and Laura Rojas as well as redshirt juniors Emma Baalman and Lindsey Paulsen.Â
New Faces on the outside
Southern also welcomes a talented group of newcomers, highlighted by a trio of highly-regarded pin hitters in freshman outside hitter Alex Washington and junior transfers Kyra Hunter and Savannah Sheridan. Washington, the sister of 2019 NBA lottery pick P.J. Washington, is expected to play all the way around in her first season while Sheridan and Hunter are expected to play opposite of Washington.
Both Setters Return
The 2019 Salukis bring back 92.4% of their assists from a year ago in setters Alayna Martin, Rachel Maguire and Marissa Rossi. Martin led the squad with 812 assists while Maguire was used primarily as a hitter last season but returns to setting in Southern's 6-2 offense. Rossi, meanwhile, dished out 102 assists a year ago to become just the 10th Saluki freshman to reach the century mark for assists. She joined both Martin (131) and Maguire (468) in that club.
Twin Towers
Southern returns a pair of veterans in the middle in redshirt junior Emma Baalman and Lindsey Paulsen. Baalman is Southern's top-returning blocker and tied for the team lead in block assists a year ago while Paulsen led the Salukis with a 1.09 blocks per set average.
Digs by a freshman
Kat Wagner tallied 212 digs in 28 matches during her freshman season. Her 212 digs made her the 20th Saluki freshman to notch 200-plus digs and the first to accomplish the feat since Rachel Maguire did so in 2017.
