Southern Illinois University
3-3,0-0MVC
Nicholls
3-3,0-0Southland
Salukis sweep Colonels on final day of Colonel Classic
09/03/2022 | 8:34:00 | Women's Volleyball
The Southern Illinois University volleyball team swept Nicholls State in three sets (25-19, 25-23, 25-18) Saturday on the final day of the Colonel Classic.Â
The Salukis have won three of their last four matches and have posted sweeps in all three wins. Southern again hit for a high average in the win, as it posted a .375 hitting percentage. It marks the second-straight match in which SIU has hit .375 or better.
Imani Hartfield led the way from the middle, and she put down 10 kills and hit at a ridiculous .643 clip. Ceci Bulmahn added 10 kills and 16 digs for her third career double-double while Nataly Garcia tallied 12 kills and seven digs.
Anna Jaworski handled the setting duties and finished with 32 assists and 12 digs. Claudia Bobb added 11 digs, five assists, and an ace from her libero position.
SIU scored five of the first six points of the first set to race out to an early lead. The Colonels answered with a 5-1 run of their own to tie the frame at 6-all. The lead see-sawed back and forth from there until Southern took a three-point advantage, 19-16, on a kill by Hartfield. The Salukis scored six of the final nine points to take the first set. SIU hit .283 in the opener and held Nicholls to a .178 hitting percentage.
Nicholls gained separation in the second set to take an 18-13 lead but the Salukis used a 7-2 spurt to tie the frame at 20-all. Southern kept the pressure on and broke a 23-all tie with back-to-back points to punctuate the comeback win. The Salukis hit at a .375 clip in the second frame and held the Colonels to a .205 hitting percentage.
Southern used a Claudia Bobb ace to take its largest lead of the first half of the third set at 10-6. After Nicholls scored four of the next five points to get to within one, 11-10, SIU countered with five of the next seven points to push its lead back to four, 16-12. The Salukis cruised from there, as they never allowed the Colonels to get closer than to within three.
The Salukis are back in action next weekend at the Central Arkansas Invitational beginning Friday, Sept. 9.
