Match Results
- SIUE def. EIU 3-1, (25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 25-13)
- Charleston, Illinois
- Attendance: 303
- Match Stats
Press Release
Courtesy of SIUE Athletics
SIUE volleyball won its first Ohio Valley Conference match of the season with a four-set road victory at Eastern Illinois.
The Cougars improved to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in the OVC with a 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 25-13 triumph at Lantz Arena. Eastern Illinois dropped to 6-9 overall and 0-3 in the OVC.
Taylor Joens turned in another strong offensive effort for SIUE. The Cougar middle blocker finished with 16 kills and no errors on 30 attacks for a .533 hitting percentage.
“Her court IQ is great,” said SIUE Acting Head Coach Kendall Paulus. “She had a double block early but still was able to score. Credit goes to the setters for putting in a good position as well.”
SIUE’s Jackie Scott, who finished with a double-double of 11 kills and 10 digs, also credited setters Samantha Knight and Mallory Nicholson.
“I thought our setters played well tonight,” said Scott. “I also told Mallory after the match that I thought it was one of her best games. Her connections were awesome. She was making great choices and setting up a lot of one on ones.”
As a team, SIUE hit .295 with efficient numbers from Dylynn Otte, Kiana Fields and Emily Harrison.
Ashley Witt would collect her 1,000th career kill during the match. She becomes the 10th player in school history to pass that mark.
SIUE’s 58 kills were linked to good passing, according to Paulus.
“We took care of the ball when we had the opportunity,” said Paulus.
Libero Katie Shashack led the Cougars with 21 digs. Nine of those digs turned into kills for the Cougar offense.
Eastern Illinois hit .201 as a team, led by 13 kills from Laurel Bailey.
The two teams were deadlocked at one set apiece before SIUE took control of the match. SIUE’s offense became more efficient after dropping the second set. The Cougars hit .355 as a team in the third set and took it up a couple of notches in a lopsided fourth set by hitting .471. Five different SIUE players had three kills in the decisive set.
“Our bench gave us a lot of energy,” said Scott. “Our bench really carried us, especially through that second set. They made sure we were ready to go for the third set.”
SIUE, which has won three straight meetings against Eastern Illinois, now looks forward to Saturday’s home OVC opener. The Cougars entertain Belmont for a 2 p.m. match at the Vadalabene Center.
Press Release
Courtesy of EIU Athletics
Eastern Illinois volleyball played host to SIUE in an OVC conference matchup Wednesday night. The Panthers lost to the Cougars losing a four-set match (19-25, 25-18, 19-25, and 13-25)
The Panthers showed some fight early but couldn’t hold off the Cougars who were able to capture the victory in their first encounter this season.
SIUE came out strong taking the first set 25-19. Leading the Cougars offensively in the first set was Taylor Joens who totaled six of her team-leading sixteen kills on the night. The first set included eight tie scores and four lead changes, but the Cougars were able to hold off the Panthers.
EIU was able to bounce back and claim the second set by a score of 25-18. Leading the charge for the Panthers was Maria Brown and Maggie Runge who both totaled four kills. Gina Furlin and Taylor Smith helped contribute to the Panthers offense with six assists each.
The Cougars answered back and took both the third and fourth sets defeating the Panthers. The fourth set was the most dominant set for SIUE as they hit for their match-best .471. Jackie Scott, Kiana Fields and Joens who each totaled three kills. Scott was an offensive factor for the Cougars finishing second on the team in kills with 11.
Leading the Panthers in kills for the night was Laurel Bailey who finished with 13. Smith earned her sixth double-double of the season finishing with a team-high 22 assists and ten digs. Brown would also grab a double-double with her 11 kills and 11 digs. Anne Hughes led the defensive side of the court picking up a team-high 20 digs.
The Panthers return to action Saturday where they host Tennessee State in an OVC conference showdown at 2 p.m.
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