Southern Illinois University
3-2,0-0MVC
University of Tennessee at Martin
0-5,0-0OVC
Salukis rally for comeback win over Skyhawks
09/03/2021 | 10:40:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team overcame a 2-1 deficit to stun UT Martin, 3-2 (25-27, 25-12, 23-25, 30-28, 15-7) Friday night inside Banterra Center.
The Salukis (3-2) used a balanced attack and a fierce defensive effort to keep its undefeated home win streak against the Skyhawks in tact. Four different Salukis put down double-digit kills, led by a career-high 22 from Nataly Garcia, while Southern defensively had four players reach double figures in digs, which included a match-high 29 from Katy Kluge.Â
Southern led by as many as five early in the first set, but UT Martin prevailed to take the frame, 27-25. The Salukis then rallied to take the second set in convincing fashion, 25-12. SIU hit .520 in the second set and held the Skyhawks to a .033 hitting percentage. After UTM squeaked out a 25-23 win in the third set, Southern once again rallied to win set four, 30-28, in a frame that featured seven lead changes and 12 ties. In the final frame, SIU scored four of the first five points and hit at an astounding .778 clip to win its third-straight match.
Garcia posted her second double-double of her Saluki career, as she tallied 22 kills to go along with 10 digs and six block touches. Garcia's 22 kills were the most by a Saluki since 2018, when Maggie Nedoma put down 23 against UT Martin on Aug. 25, 2018. Meanwhile, Tatum Tornatta hit .556 with a career-high 16 kills and eight blocks, while Margherita Giani added a career-best 16 kills and eight blocks. Nsia Gittens was the fourth Saluki to reach double figures, as she finished with 10 kills.
Kluge led Southern's defensive efforts with 29 digs and two aces. MacKenzie Houser chipped in a season-high 13 digs and an ace, while Alex Washington (10) and Garcia (10) both reached double-digits as well.Â
Anna Jaworski piloted SIU's attack marvelously and finished with 71 assists, eight digs and two kills. Jaworski's 71 assists are the most by a Saluki in a match in the rally scoring era (since 2000), and overall are the seventh-most in any match in school history. She became the first Saluki to post 70-plus assists in a match since Debbie Barr last did so in 1997.
The Salukis will close out play at the Saluki Bash against Oral Roberts on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
