Southern Illinois University
19-10,11-7MVC
Missouri State
15-15,9-9MVC
Salukis earn No. 4 seed with Seventh Consecutive Win
11/15/2023 | 7:58:00 | Women's Volleyball
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois wrapped up the regular season Wednesday evening with a sweep (25-18, 25-23, 25-13) over Missouri State for their seventh-straight win to lock up the fourth seed at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament beginning next week.Â
The Salukis were able to make quick work of the Bears thanks to one of their most efficient hitting nights of the season. Led by Nataly Garcia and Tatum Tornatta, Southern put down 50 kills while hitting .301. Garcia finished with a match-high 14 kills and a .448 hitting percentage while Tornatta finished with 10 and a career-high .625 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Garcia also led the Salukis with 15 digs followed by Cecilia Bulmahn's 13. The Bears hit for just a .154 hitting percentage as SIU compiled 14 total blocks on the night led by Brinley Burdette who had her hands on four. Burdette also led the Salukis with a pair of aces.
Both Saluki setters had productive nights as Anna Jaworski finished with 28 assists while freshman Ema Stermenksa neared a double-double with 16 assists and nine digs.Â
Southern's seven match winning streak is the Salukis longest Valley winning streak since 2015 when the Salukis won eight-straight.Â
The Dawgs now await an opponent for the MVC Quarterfinal match as they'll take on the winner of the #5/8 matchup between Valparaiso and Belmont in round one. First serve is set for 3PM CT on Monday, Nov. 20 as SIU heads to Missouri State for the MVC Tournament.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Volleyball, on Instagram at @SIU_Volleyball and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiVolleyball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
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