Salukis host Billikens at Davies Gym on Tuesday

The Southern Illinois University volleyball team continues its seven-match homestead Tuesday with a non-conference tilt against regional rival St. Louis University on Tuesday at 6 p.m. inside Davies Gym.

The Billikens come into Tuesday's contest sporting a 3-3 record, having won two-straight matches after closing out play at it's home invitational with wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Murray State.

The Salukis come in winners of three of their last four matches after they defeated Alabama A&M (3-0) and UT Martin (3-2) in back-to-back matches to open play at the Saluki Bash. The young Salukis, with just three upperclassmen on their roster, have already exceeded their win total from the 2020 spring season.

SIU holds a commanding 11-3 all-time advantage over St. Louis in a series that dates back to 1976. Southern has won 11 of the last 13 matchups, but the Billikens won the most recent meeting - a 3-1 SLU win in St. Louis on Aug. 31, 2019.

Southern's seven-match homestand continues this coming weekend when it hosts the Saluki Invitational inside Banterra Center. Eastern Illinois, USC Upstate and Alabama State will take part in the two-day tournament, which is slated to begin on Friday, Sept. 10.

More on the Billikens

The Billikens were picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Poll.
St. Louis returns five starters from a squad that went 8-10, and 6-4 in A-10 play, a year ago. All-Atlantic 10 first team selection Maya Taylor highlights the returners. Taylor currently ranks ninth nationally with 53 total kills in six matches and her 4.82 kills per set average is currently the 11th-best average nationally.
Opponents are hitting .255 against the Billikens, as St. Louis is averaging jut 1.64 blocks per set.

Serving up a home opening DUB

In the home opening win over Alabama A&M, the Salukis hit .344 as a team, served aggressively to the tune of 12 aces and had good distribution, as eight different hitters recorded a kill in the victory.
Six different Salukis to record an ace in the win, as Alex Washington and Margherita Giani each had three aces, while Anna Jaworski and Katy Kluge each served a pair. MacKenzie Houser and Ryan Rednour added an ace apiece.
SIU's 12 aces in their three-set win were its most in a three-set match since Sept. 5, 2007, when the Salukis served 13 aces in a win over Western Illinois.

Comeback Kids

The Salukis overcame a 2-1 deficit to stun UT Martin, 3-2 (25-27, 25-12, 23-25, 30-28, 15-7) Friday night.
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.
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.

Dishing out helpers

Anna Jaworski piloted SIU's attack marvelously in the five-set win over UT Martin 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. Her 71 assists also rank as the second-most in a match by a freshman in Saluki history.

12-0 at home against UT Martin

With the comeback win over the Skyhawks, Southern kept its undefeated home win streak over UT Martin in tact. The Salukis have won 12-straight home matches over the Skyhawks dating back to 1975.

Leading the league

Imani Hartfield's .451 hitting percentage is currently tops in the Missouri Valley Conferece.
Hartfield, who finished third in the league in the category as a true freshman a year ago, has hit .450 or better in four of SIU's six matches this season.
Margherita Giani, SIU's other middle, ranks ninth in the category with a .303 hitting percentage.
Anna Jaworski leads the conference in assists per set (11.21/set).

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Players Mentioned

Nataly Garcia

Margherita Giani

Imani Hartfield

MacKenzie Houser

Anna Jaworski

Katy Kluge

Ryan Rednour

Alex Washington

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