Southern Illinois University
2-9, 1-8MVC
Bradley University
6-3, 6-3MVC
Salukis fall in four at Bradley
02/28/2021 | 8:51:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team fell in four sets at Bradley (25-20, 22-25, 20-25, 15-25) Sunday afternoon inside Renaissance Coliseum.
The Salukis got off to a fast start, as it took an early 6-4 lead and never trailed in a 25-20 lead. Bradley, however, seized momentum from there, as it used a 25-22 win in the second set to propel it to wins in the third (25-20) and fourth frames (25-15).Â
Southern used a 4-0 spurt to open a 6-4 lead in the first set. The Salukis again scored four-straight points to turn a one-point lead into a 15-10 advantage. The Braves scored six of the next seven points to even the set at 16-all. Both teams traded three-point runs to once again knot the score at 19-all. SIU then rattled off six of the final seven points to take the set. Southern hit .231 in the frame and held Bradley to a .170 hitting percentage.Â
While Southern never trailed in the opening set, Bradley remained tied or in the lead for the entirety of the second frame. In a back and forth set that featured six ties before the midway point, Southern tied the score at 11-all on a kill by Emma Baalman. Bradley scored the next three points to build a lead it never relinquished.Â
The Salukis again battled valiantly in the third set, as they took an 18-17 lead on a solo block by Imani Hartfield. The Braves, however, closed the frame on an 8-2 run to take a 2-1 set score lead. Southern expended a considerable amount of energy to climb out of an early hole in the fourth set, as it rallied to tie the set at 11-all. The Braves scored four of the next five points and rolled to victory from there.Â
Alex Washington tallied her first kill-dig double of the season, as she put down 13 kills and added 12 digs. Emma Baalman added 10 kills and a pair of aces, while Tatum Tornatta chipped in 11 kills and three digs. Rachel Maguire dished out 44 assists to go along with 23 digs and three kills.Â
Defensively, Katy Kluge led the back row with 18 digs and five assists. Bailey Neuberger chipped in 10 digs and a pair of aces.
The Salukis are back in action tomorrow against the Braves. First serve is set for 5 p.m.
