Southern Illinois University
5-11, 0-3MVC
Bradley University
6-8, 2-1MVC
Braves outlast Salukis in five sets
10/01/2021 | 9:05:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team suffered a hard-fought five-set defeat (25-20, 17-25, 25-17, 17-25, 9-15) at the hands of the Bradley Braves Friday night inside Renaissance Coliseum.
After the Braves (6-8, 2-1 MVC) took the opening set, 25-18, the Salukis bounced back with an emphatic 25-20 second set win and held on for a 25-23 win in a third frame that featured three lead changes and six ties. Bradley, however, answered with a 25-10 win in the fourth set to force a winner-take-all fifth set. The Braves hit .368 in the fifth frame and ran away from the Salukis late to seal the win.
The Salukis had three hitters reach double figures in kills, which included the fifth kill-dig double-double of the season for Nataly Garcia. Garcia led all attackers with 21 kills on a season-high 59 swings to go along with 14 digs. Tatum Tornatta and Nsia Gittens each put down 12 kills while Averi Vanderzille and Margherita Giani each chipped in five kills from the middle.
Defensively, Anna Jaworski led the way with 15 digs to go along with 53 assists. It marked the fifth assist-dig double-double of the season for SIU's freshman setter. Katy Kluge added 14 digs and tied her season-high with four aces while MacKenzie Houser joined Garcia, Jaworski and Kluge in double figures with 13 digs.
Bradley scored four of the first five points in the first set. Southern returned the favor, scoring four of the next five to tie the frame at 5-all. The Braves responded with four-straight points and later pushed their lead to five, 15-10, at the midway point. Southern used a 5-1 burst to get to within one, 16-15 but Bradley outscored SIU, 9-3 to close out the frame and take the opener.Â
Katy Kluge served an ace to give SIU its first lead of set two, 3-2. The two sides exchanged side out points from there before SIU used three-straight points to take the first lead of more than two points for either team in the second set at 10-7. A kill by Tornatta off of an overpass by Bradley gave Southern a 15-11 lead. Garcia's eighth kill of the match again pushed Southern's lead to four, 18-14 and the Salukis cruised from there. SIU's serves gave Bradley fits in the second set as the Braves were out of system more often than not and hit .133. The Salukis, on the other hand, hit .200 in the frame.Â
SIU scored three of the first four points of the third set to take an early lead. After the Braves tied the frame, 9-all, Garcia's 12th kill sparked a 4-1 rally for the Salukis that made it 13-10. Southern kept it foot on the pedal, building its largest lead at 18-13 lead on Gittens' 13th kill of the match. But the Braves rallied to eventually tie the frame at 20-all. Back-to-back kills from Tornatta gave SIU a 22-20 lead but three-straight points from the Braves prompted SIU to take its final timeout. The Salukis regrouped after the timeout and scored the final three points of the set to take a 2-1 set score lead.
The Braves scored six of the first seven points and kept momentum on their side throughout the fourth frame to build an insurmountable lead that forced a fifth set. The two sides traded points early in the final set, as a kill by Garcia followed by an ace from Kluge staked SIU to a 2-1 lead. Bradley tied the frame at 4-all and then rattled off six of the next seven points to build a 10-5 lead. Southern got to within three late, 13-10 but couldn't get any closer as the Braves escaped with the win.
The Salukis are back in action tomorrow night at Illinois State. First serve between the Salukis and the defending MVC Champion Redbirds is set for 6 p.m.
