Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
5-4,0-0MVC
Missouri State
6-2,0-0CUSA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri St. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Southern Ill. | 18 | 16 | 22 | 0 |
Salukis Fall to Bears in Three Sets, Finish Winless at Hawkeye Invitational
09/11/2026 | 5:18:00 | Women's Volleyball
CORALVILLE, Iowa - The Saluki Women's Volleyball team looked to snag a game from Missouri State to close out the Hawkeye Invitational. Instead, it was the Bears who swept the Salukis on Friday afternoon at Xtream Arena.
After falling in three sets earlier today against the Cardinals of Incarnate Word, the Salukis needed a win to get back on track. Unfortunately for Southern, they were swept again, this time by former Missouri Valley Conference member Missouri State. The weekend in Iowa is not one to forget, but one to learn and grow from for the Dawgs.
Scoring runs are what set apart the Bears from the Salukis in the first set. Missouri State capitalized on momentum shifts after winning points, long rallies, and overall excellent team effort. The momentum that the Bears snagged from the Salukis gave them that extra boost during their scoring runs, allowing them to take the first set. The final point of the set came off a Hannah Gardner kill. Final score of the first set was 25-18, Bears.
The second set was not friendly to the Salukis. Missouri State started hot, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. The Bears never looked back. Errors also hurt the Salukis in the second set, as three consecutive attack errors were what sealed the deal in set two. The second set was not perfect for the Bears by any means, but what they did was enough to take the set by a lopsided score of 25-16.
The third and final set was where the Salukis played their best volleyball. The Dawgs jumped out to an early lead in set three, and things began to look less bleak. However, more momentum shifts and some strong volleyball brought the Bears back into the set. The set was tied at 22 apiece and the set could have gone either way. But, an attack error, a kill, and a service ace fell in favor of the Bears, giving them the set 25-22.
After the match, Head Coach Brittany Harry said, Today was just an unfortunate day of SIU volleyball. We played three matches in less than 24 hours which is just unheard of and playing two matches today after an intense match last night is just tough. But, we can't make excuses. Missouri State came out and played really good volleyball. They were super scrappy and their hitters had one on one opportunities just about every swing. We tried to make a push at the end of the 3rd set to get to a fourth but we had a passing break down which ended the game.
McKenzie Moeller was named to the Hawkeye Invitational all-tournament team. Moeller finished with 42 kills, 23 digs, and 48 points in the invitational.
SALUKI STATISTICÂ LEADERS
Kills:Â McKenzie Moeller, 14
Aces: Three Salukis tied with 1
Blocks:Â Chloe Anderson, 5
Assists:Â Alexandria Arrington, 16
Digs:Â Jillian Shaneyfelt, 20
UP NEXT
The Salukis head to Clarksville, Tennessee for the Austin Peay Governors Classic. They will face sister school SIU-Edwardsville, Gardner-Webb, and host Austin Peay next Friday and Saturday.
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