Southern Illinois University
University of Memphis
2020-21 Saluki Volleyball Season Preview
01/20/2021 | 11:38:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Salukis were picked eighth in the recent MVC Preseason Coaches Poll.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The 2020-21 volleyball season officially gets underway this Friday, as the Salukis will travel to Memphis, Tenn. to take on the University of Memphis Tigers in back-to-back matches beginning Friday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.
The Salukis improved greatly in Allen's first season as head coach, as their +9 win differential from the 2018 season was the 10th-best in the nation in 2019 while three of SIU's 14 wins in 2019 were against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament: SEMO (W, 3-2), Alabama State (W, 3-2) and Illinois State (W, 3-2).
SIU returns nine letterwinners from a year ago, which includes six that played at least 100 sets a season ago. Southern's offense will look slightly different this season, as the Salukis will shift from last season's 6-2 offense to more of a 5-1.
"We are going to run a 5-1," second-year head coach Ed Allen said. "It will have a different look to it. Rachel is going to try to just direct the offense. We will still try to get a little offense out of her but not to the degree we did last year. She did a beautiful job of filling a void for us last season and that's why she led the nation in triple-doubles like she did. We were fortunate enough to add hitters who provide us with depth where we won't have to ask her to hit like she did in 2019."
The COVID-19 pandemic moved Southern's season from the fall of 2020 to the spring of 2021 and it will again figure prominently in which six teams advance to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, hosted by Illinois State on April 1-3. With the potential for there to be late scratches to Southern's lineup due to positive tests or virus exposure, Allen has prepared his team for the unusual as it gets ready to start the season.
"We've got to be able to deal with making adjustments in a short period of time," Allen said. "Someone might come down ill or test positive and we are just trying to prepare for as many scenarios as we can. As each of them occur, we just have to take a deep breath and realize this is going to be part of the process this season."
Southern's returners are highlighted by all-conference honorees Hannah Becker and Rachel Maguire.
Becker thrived in her first season under Allen's tutelage, as she earned both All-MVC honors as well as MVC Scholar-Athlete team laurels. In what was her best season as a Saluki thus far, Becker played nearly every front row position for the Salukis at one time or another. Maguire, on the other hand, had one of the best all-around seasons in program history to earn both All-MVC and MVC Scholar-Athlete team recognition. The senior setter became the first player in program history to record 300 kills/500 assists/300 digs in the same season and led the NCAA with 13 triple-doubles, which were the most in a single-season in both the MVC and NCAA in at least the last five seasons.
Joining Becker on the outside will be returners Savannah Sheridan, Kyra Hunter, Alex Washington and Bailey Neuberger. After a year off from volleyball, Sheridan returned to the floor in 2019 and led the Salukis with 326 kills. Hunter is a crafty left-handed hitter who provides Southern with veteran depth on the outside. Washington and Neuberger, meanwhile, both showed flashes of brilliance in their limited action in 2019- Washington posted four double-doubles in the nine matches that she played before injury while Neuberger tallied seven kills, four aces and seven digs in her first collegiate start against Southeastern Louisiana.
"Each of our outsides have gotten better," Allen said. "Alex is still trying to recover from her knee surgery. Savannah has an opportunity to have a breakout year as we are moving her to the right side instead of the left side where she performed last year and that will cut down on some of her volume and allow her to be more of a shut-down blocker. We are trying to also get Hannah into shape that will allow her to be a significant part of our offense. She will have the challenges of trying to come back from various injuries as well."
Newcomers Nsia Gittens, Taylor Morgan, Bryleigh Buchanan and Tatum Tornatta have been impressive throughout preseason camp and will all likely see significant playing time in their first collegiate seasons. Gittens is a talented all-around athlete who excelled at Emsworth High School in Nashville, Tenn. before her arrival in Carbondale while Morgan's ball control in the back row has already earned her the praise of her coaches. Buchanan played two seasons at nearby John A. Logan College where she tallied 253 kills and earned NJCAA All-Region honors in 2018 while Tornatta is a fiery competitor who showcased her ability to hit over blocks and terminate kills during Southern's fall inter squad scrimmages.
"The good news is we've got great depth on the outside to challenge our returners this season," Allen said. "Tatum, Taylor, Bryleigh and Nsia will continue to provide us with options on the pins."
In the middle, Southern will lean on a pair of redshirt seniors in Emma Baalman and Lindsey Paulsen. Baalman is coming off a 2019 season in which she led the Salukis, and finished sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference, in hitting percentage (.261) while Paulsen finished second on the squad, and eighth in the league, in the category (.252).
"Emma has made dramatic improvements and she's a terrific leader," Allen said. "She has improved tremendously. Lindsey is a kid that has battled injuries her entire time here and we hope she will be available to us to help spell our middles in situations where they are overworked."
New additions Imani Hartfield and Margherita Giani will push Baalman and Paulsen for playing time in the middle. Hartfield is an athletic 5-foot-9 freshman from Sanford, Fla. while Giani played in the Italian B1 and B2 series prior to her arrival in Carbondale earlier this year.
"Imani is one of the most physical middles that I've had in quite some time and she has a chance to be one of the best middles that has ever played here," Allen said. "Margherita is a player who's skill development is much more refined because of her international upbringing. She can do a lot of things. She can play middle and on the outside if we needed. She's twitchy with a good arm who minimizes her mistakes and can compete at a high level."
Southern's back row efforts will be led by Katy Kluge, who will assume the role as SIU's libero after a breakout sophomore campaign. The junior from Oconomowoc, Wis. posted the most aces (39) by a Saluki since 2008 and was one of four Salukis to finish with 300-plus digs. Kluge will be joined by freshmen MacKenzie Houser, Adrien Barrett, Ryan Rednour and Neuberger to help shore up Southern's first ball contacts. Peyton Plant, meanwhile, will provide Southern depth at setter and will push Maguire for playing time.
Houser tallied over 1,000 digs during her prep career at Pleasant Plains H.S. where she helped the Cardinals win the Class 2A state title in 2018, while Barrett left Athens H.S. as its all-time leader in kills. Rednour is the daughter of SIU's all-time assist leader Debbie Barr-Rednour and was named to the Under Armour All-American Watch List in 2019.
"Katy is going to hopefully anchor our libero position and we've asked Ryan Rednour, MacKenzie Houser and Bailey Neuberger to assume a lot of responsibility within our back row as well," Allen said.
Southern opens the 2021 regular season this weekend with a pair of matches at Memphis. SIU's conference slate begins on Saturday, Jan. 30 when it hosts Missouri State at 1 p.m.
