Southern Illinois University
Loyola University Chicago
Salukis fall to Ramblers
02/08/2021 | 5:51:00 | Women's Volleyball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois University volleyball team fell to the Loyola Ramblers, 3-0 (22-25, 16-25, 19-25) Monday, Feb. 8 in Missouri Valley Conference play inside Davies Gym.
Southern went with a new lineup on Monday, as second-year head coach Ed Allen and his staff started freshman Peyton Plant at setter and fellow freshman Taylor Morgan at outside hitter. In all, eight freshmen played and contributed in Monday's match.
"We switched the setters out today in hopes that that would help us find our rhythm," Allen said. "It was better. We had a lot of young players on the court that are trying to do the right thing. They are playing hard and are enthusiastic but we need to be able to execute at a higher level. We have to physically commit to doing things the right way and there are times in which we do things that we aren't coached to do but that happens with young people."
The new-look lineup paid dividends, especially early, as Southern opened the contest on a 7-1 run. However, Loyola ripped off six-straight points to tie the frame at 7-all. And while the battle ensued throughout an entertaining first set that saw seven ties and three lead changes, the long run by Loyola was emblematic of a glaring issue that this young Saluki squad has dealt with throughout the early goings of the 2020-21 season- an inability to sideout when a team gets on a run. Southern sided out 45-percent (34-of-74) of the time Monday.
"We were clearly more cohesive on the floor tonight," Allen said. "We shut down most of their massive runs. But the biggest problem we have right now is that we will spend 18 points giving our opponent two points for every one that we score. That goes on for 18 points. Then we might put a run together ourselves or trade points, but that's as good as it gets. That is our issue. When you sideout less than half the time, I'm not sure who you are going to beat."
After SIU went ahead 10-8 in the first set on a kill by Morgan, Loyola answered with six-straight points. Southern scored five of the next six to tie the frame at 15-all. From that point, neither side led by more than two until the Ramblers broke a 22-all tie with three-straight points to take the set.
Loyola hit .382 and sided out 82-percent of the time to take the second set. In the third, SIU took an early 6-4 lead on an ace by Katy Kluge. The Ramblers scored three-straight to wrestle the lead back but it was Southern who broke an 11-all tie to claim their third, and final, lead of the third set. The Ramblers scored four unanswered points to build a 15-12 lead that stood up.
Freshman Imani Hartfield hit .375 with nine kills to pace SIU's attack. Morgan added five kills and four digs while Emma Baalman chipped in four kills and an ace. Plant, in her first collegiate match, finished with 19 assists, six digs, two kills and an ace. Defensively, Southern was led by Katy Kluge, who tallied 12 digs, three assists and two aces.
The Salukis are back in action Sunday, Feb. 14 when they travel to take on the Valparaiso Crusaders. First serve on Sunday is set for 3 p.m.
