Southern Illinois University
5-22,0-14MVC
University of Northern Iowa
10-16,5-8MVC
Salukis fall in four sets at UNI
11/05/2021 | 9:16:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team fell in four sets at Northern Iowa (17-25, 25-22, 21-25, 22-25) Friday evening inside the McLeod Center.
Southern had three hitters put down double-figure kills, led by a pair of kill-dig double-doubles from Alex Washington and Nataly Garcia. Washington recorded her first double-double of the season despite entering the contest in the second set, as she hit .310, put down 13 kills and added 15 digs and an ace. It marked the third time this season that Washington has put down double figure kills, and the second time she has done so against the Panthers. Garcia, meanwhile, posted her 10th kill-dig double-double of the season, as she hit at a .290 clip and tallied 10 kills and 10 digs.Â
Tatum Tornatta joined Washington and Garcia in double figures, as she added 13 kills to finish in double figures for the 15th time this season. Anna Jaworski and Peyton Plant shared setting duties, as Jaworski tallied her ninth assist-dig double-double with 23 assists to go along with 11 digs and an ace. Plant, meanwhile, dished out a season-high 15 assists to finish in double figures for the second-straight match.
Defensively, Katy Kluge led the way with 20 digs. It marked the seventh time this season that the Oconomowoc, Wis. native has tallied 20-plus digs in a match. She was one of four Salukis to dig out 10-plus balls, as she was joined by Jaworski, Garcia and Washington.Â
A back and forth first set broke UNI's way late in an opening set that featured nine ties and three lead changes. SIU led multiple times early, taking a 7-5 lead on a kill by Bailey Neuberger. The set teetered back towards the Panthers, as UNI broke a 10-all tie with a 4-1 spurt that gave them the first lead of three or more for either team. Southern answered with three-straight points to tie the frame at 14-all. The Panthers turned the tables with five-straight points of their own to build a lead that it never surrendered.
Washington entered in the second set and immediately made her presence felt, as she put down six of her 13 kills in SIU's 25-22 win. Southern opened the second set with four-straight points and scored five of the first six points of the frame. SIU's lead remained four after an ace by Margherita Giani made it 13-9, but the Panthers chipped away to eventually tie the frame at 16-all. Southern retook a two-point lead (20-18) on an ace by Plant. After the Panthers scored the next two to tie the frame at 20-all, Southern retook the lead for good, scoring five of the final seven points to tie the set score at 1-all.
An evenly matched third set saw neither team lead by more than two until UNI used back-to-back points to briefly take a 21-18 lead. Southern sided out to get back to within two, but the Panthers scored three of the next four to gain the separation it needed to put the set to bed.
The Salukis got off to another fast start in the fourth set, as it used a 6-0 run with Kluge at the service line to build an early 7-3 lead. A kill by Washington kept SIU's lead at three, 11-8, but the Panthers scored five of the next six points to take a 13-12 lead. A kill by Tornatta tied the frame at 14-all, and Southern again tied it at 15-all but it was the last time the set was tied. SIU scrapped to keep it within one for most of the remainer of the frame, but a 4-1 burst by the Panthers turned a one-point advantage into a four-point lead (23-19). The Salukis twice got to within two, but that was as close as they could get.
SIU is back in action tomorrow at Drake with first serve set for 5 p.m.
