This Week in Saluki Athletics: November 10-16
11/10/2025 | 1:38:00 | General
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Basketball season has arrived at Southern Illinois as both the women's and men's team got out to undefeated starts this past week. Meanwhile, volleyball and football continued marching towards the end of their regular seasons. And this upcoming week, cross country and swim and dive are back in action after time away from competition.
Soccer
The Missouri Valley Conference announced its All-MVC teams this past week, and five Salukis made the cut.
Sophia Schlicklin became the first Saluki in program history to earn a spot on the All-MVC First Team. Additionally, Dana Nadda and Guliana Balistreri landed on the All-MVC Second Team, being the first SIU players to do so since 2021. Olivia Anderson earned a Third Team All-MVC nod for the second straight year, and Brooke Gosse rounded out the lineup by being named a member of the MVC All-Freshman team.
Then, after the MVC Tournament concluded on Sunday, Anderson was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Volleyball (11-17, 5-9)
Volley wrapped up the home portion of their 2025 schedule this past week, picking up both a win and loss.
On Friday, they defeated Murray State 3-0. Kelly Franklin led the team in kills with 11, being the only Saluki to hit double-digit kills. Addison Kerr was the main playmaker, dishing out 21 assists while Annabelle Sulish was nearly unbeatable from the service line, serving up six aces. On defense, Jillian Shaneyfelt picked up 15 digs while Eva Krakowski had five blocks.
Saturday night was Senior Night for the Salukis, who honored Franklin, Sulish, Larissa Seger, Cecilia Bulmahn, Ainara Fernandes, and Emma Lade for the time and dedication they have put into the program. As for the game itself, the Salukis lost a five-set match against Belmont. Franklin and Sulish tied for the team lead in kills with 16 apiece while Lade helped them out with 26 assists. Defensively, Buhlman had 13 digs while Seger collected six blocks.
The regular season concludes this week for SIU with a pair of road games. On Friday, Nov. 14, the team visits Indiana State for a 5 p.m. game. Then, on Saturday, Nov. 15, the Salukis close out the regular season with a 5 p.m. match at Evansville.
Football (6-4, 3-3)
Conference play continued this weekend for football, who fell 48-38 to #21/22 Youngstown State.
Quarterback DJ Williams had a monster game, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for a net 55 yards and one score. Edward Robinson also had a big game, collecting 85 net rushing yards. And in the receiving corps, Ryan Schwendeman was just four yards off from the century mark. On the defensive side, Jeremiah McClendon forced a fumble while Vontrell Chairse had a sack for 11 yards.
Southern now returns to Carbondale for the final home game of the year. On Saturday, Nov. 15, SIU hosts #22/25 South Dakota at 12 p.m. for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.
Cross Country
The cross country postseason continues this week when select runners participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Friday, Nov. 14.
Swim and Dive
After some time off from competition, the Salukis are back at it when they host the A3 Performance Invite this week. The Invite begins on Thursday, Nov. 13, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 15.
Men's Basketball (2-0, 0-0)
Men's basketball kicked off their 2025-26 campaign this past week with a pair of wins.
On Monday, they won their season/home-opener 83-42 against McKendree. Quel'Ron House led the game in scoring with 18 while Rolyns Aligbe also hit double-digits with 11; the duo also both had three steals. Meanwhile, Damien Mayo Jr. was the main setup man, leading the team in assists with four.
The squad then defeated UMKC on Friday, 101-78. House once again was the team's leading scorer, dropping 18 once more. This time, he was joined in double-digits by Rolyns Aligbe, Prince Aligbe, and Davion Sykes. Mayo led the team in assists again with five.
Southern now hits the road for a Wednesday game at Nevada. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CST.
Women's Basketball (1-0, 0-0)
The women's basketball team also started their year with a win, downing Lewis 69-53. Five Salukis scored 10-plus points, headlined by Oral Roberts transfer Alayna Kraus, who led the team in points with 16. Meanwhile, Indya Green was a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Tkiyah Nelson served up six assists.
Women's basketball prepares for a road trip as well, traveling to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Nov. 15, for a 4 p.m. match.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Soccer
The Missouri Valley Conference announced its All-MVC teams this past week, and five Salukis made the cut.
Sophia Schlicklin became the first Saluki in program history to earn a spot on the All-MVC First Team. Additionally, Dana Nadda and Guliana Balistreri landed on the All-MVC Second Team, being the first SIU players to do so since 2021. Olivia Anderson earned a Third Team All-MVC nod for the second straight year, and Brooke Gosse rounded out the lineup by being named a member of the MVC All-Freshman team.
Then, after the MVC Tournament concluded on Sunday, Anderson was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Volleyball (11-17, 5-9)
Volley wrapped up the home portion of their 2025 schedule this past week, picking up both a win and loss.
On Friday, they defeated Murray State 3-0. Kelly Franklin led the team in kills with 11, being the only Saluki to hit double-digit kills. Addison Kerr was the main playmaker, dishing out 21 assists while Annabelle Sulish was nearly unbeatable from the service line, serving up six aces. On defense, Jillian Shaneyfelt picked up 15 digs while Eva Krakowski had five blocks.
Saturday night was Senior Night for the Salukis, who honored Franklin, Sulish, Larissa Seger, Cecilia Bulmahn, Ainara Fernandes, and Emma Lade for the time and dedication they have put into the program. As for the game itself, the Salukis lost a five-set match against Belmont. Franklin and Sulish tied for the team lead in kills with 16 apiece while Lade helped them out with 26 assists. Defensively, Buhlman had 13 digs while Seger collected six blocks.
The regular season concludes this week for SIU with a pair of road games. On Friday, Nov. 14, the team visits Indiana State for a 5 p.m. game. Then, on Saturday, Nov. 15, the Salukis close out the regular season with a 5 p.m. match at Evansville.
Football (6-4, 3-3)
Conference play continued this weekend for football, who fell 48-38 to #21/22 Youngstown State.
Quarterback DJ Williams had a monster game, throwing for 361 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for a net 55 yards and one score. Edward Robinson also had a big game, collecting 85 net rushing yards. And in the receiving corps, Ryan Schwendeman was just four yards off from the century mark. On the defensive side, Jeremiah McClendon forced a fumble while Vontrell Chairse had a sack for 11 yards.
Southern now returns to Carbondale for the final home game of the year. On Saturday, Nov. 15, SIU hosts #22/25 South Dakota at 12 p.m. for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day.
Cross Country
The cross country postseason continues this week when select runners participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Friday, Nov. 14.
Swim and Dive
After some time off from competition, the Salukis are back at it when they host the A3 Performance Invite this week. The Invite begins on Thursday, Nov. 13, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 15.
Men's Basketball (2-0, 0-0)
Men's basketball kicked off their 2025-26 campaign this past week with a pair of wins.
On Monday, they won their season/home-opener 83-42 against McKendree. Quel'Ron House led the game in scoring with 18 while Rolyns Aligbe also hit double-digits with 11; the duo also both had three steals. Meanwhile, Damien Mayo Jr. was the main setup man, leading the team in assists with four.
The squad then defeated UMKC on Friday, 101-78. House once again was the team's leading scorer, dropping 18 once more. This time, he was joined in double-digits by Rolyns Aligbe, Prince Aligbe, and Davion Sykes. Mayo led the team in assists again with five.
Southern now hits the road for a Wednesday game at Nevada. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. CST.
Women's Basketball (1-0, 0-0)
The women's basketball team also started their year with a win, downing Lewis 69-53. Five Salukis scored 10-plus points, headlined by Oral Roberts transfer Alayna Kraus, who led the team in points with 16. Meanwhile, Indya Green was a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Tkiyah Nelson served up six assists.
Women's basketball prepares for a road trip as well, traveling to Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday, Nov. 15, for a 4 p.m. match.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Women's Soccer
D/F
/ Women's Soccer
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DE
/ Football
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MH
/ Women's Volleyball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
CB
/ Football
M
/ Women's Soccer
G
/ Women's Basketball
RB
/ Football
F
/ Women's Soccer
TE
/ Football
MH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
G
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