Southern Illinois University
5-6
University of Central Arkansas
2-5
Salukis drop a pair on day one of Redhawks Invitational
09/17/2021 | 4:25:00 | Women's Volleyball
Vs. Central Arkansas
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team fell in four sets to Central Arkansas (24-26, 25-16, 16-25, 20-25) to open play at the Redhawks Invitational Saturday afternoon.Â
Nataly Garcia paced SIU's attack with her third kill-dig double-double of the season. The Coamo, Puerto Rico native finished with 19 kills and 13 digs. Nsia Gittens tallied a career-high 18 kills on 40 swings. It marked the fourth-straight match that the Nashville, Tenn. native has put down double-digit kills. Tatum Tornatta was the third Saluki to reach double figures with 10 kills.
Defensively, Katy Kluge led the way with 25 digs to go along with five assists and two aces. Anna Jaworski handled SIU's setting duties once again and finished with 49 assists, seven digs and five kills.
The Salukis fell behind by as many as six, 13-7, early in the first set but scored five of the next six points to get to within two, 14-12. The Sugar Bears pushed their lead back to five with three-straight points before SIU scored the next four points to cut its deficit to one, 17-16. Central Arkansas grew its lead back to five, 24-19, before five-straight points by the Salukis tied the set at 24-all. The Sugar Bears, however, got the side out that they needed and came back with another kill to seal their 26-24 win.
Southern hit .367 in the second set and ran away with the frame with a long run of their own midway through the set. With the set tied 11-all, SIU used a 7-2 run to take a 19-14 lead. The Salukis kept their feet on the pedal, as they scored six of the final eight points in the frame to take the set, 25-16.Â
Central Arkansas scored three of the first four points of the third set and never trailed in the frame. Southern got to within four, 14-10 on a kill by Gittens, but that was as close as they could get.Â
In the fourth set, the Sugar Bears used a 7-1 run to turn what was a one-point advantage into a seven-point lead. The Salukis clawed their way to get to within three, 23-20 but it was too little, too late as Central Arkansas got the final two points it needed to close out the set and match.
Southern was its own worst enemy in the loss. The Salukis finished with a season-high 15 service errors and totaled 46 total errors in the match. UCA's block was partly to blame, as the Sugar Bears finished with a season-high 11 blocks.
Vs. SEMO
The Southern Illinois University volleyball fell to the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks in three sets (17-25, 18-25, 11-25) Friday at the Redhawks Invitational.Â
The Salukis were once again plagued by both their service errors and their first ball contacts. Southern, who tallied 15 service errors in their first contest of the day against Central Arkansas, finished with 11 in three sets in the nightcap. To make matters more difficult, the Salukis had trouble with the Redhawks serves, as SEMO registered 12 aces.
Nsia Gittens finished with a team-best eight kills while Tatum Tornatta hit .375 with seven kills. Nataly Garcia chipped in five kills and six digs.
SEMO scored four of the first five points in the first set and the Redhawks grew their lead to six, 8-2. Southern chipped away and got to within three, 14-11 on a kill by Gittens. SIU's run was aided by the Redhawks' service woes in the opening frame, as four of SIU's first seven points came by way of SEMO service errors. In fact, the two teams combined for seven service errors through the first 24 points of the frame. The Salukis were unable to get to within closer than four before SEMO scored five of the final six points of the set to take the opener.Â
The second set was initially a back and forth affair, as there were eight lead changes and six ties through the first 20 points of the frame. SIU took its first lead of the second set at 6-5 on an ace by Ryan Rednour. SEMO wrestled the lead back and it went back and forth from there. SIU tied it at 10-all but SEMO countered with three of the next four points to take a 13-11. The two-point differential remained at the media timeout, 15-13 but SEMO scored seven of the next eight points coming out of the timeout to effectively put the score out of reach.
In the third set, SEMO broke a 6-all tie with five-straight points. Southern regrouped after a timeout and got the side out it needed, but the Redhawks scored the next seven points to increase its lead and never looked back to take the match.
The Salukis close out play at the Redhawks Invitational tomorrow at Noon against Tulsa.
