SIU volleyball beats conference leader
The SIU volleyball team celebrates after scoring a point during a match against Wichita State on Nov. 2 in Davies Gymnasium. The Salukis defeated the Shockers in five sets. (DailyEgyptian.com file photo)
November 2, 2015
The SIU volleyball team (19-7, 10-3) beat Wichita State (19-7, 10-2) on Monday in five sets (28-26, 26-28, 25-20, 22-25, 15-10).
The match, which was SIU’s fifth straight win, had two sets go to extra points, 48 ties and 24 lead changes.
Coming into Monday’s match, the Missouri Valley Conference leading Shockers had won eight straight matches.
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Sophomore outside hitter Andrea Estrada returned from her two-match suspension for violating team rules. She had a match-leading 20 kills on 50 attempts. She recorded six errors.
“I’m glad to be back and support my teammates,” Estrada said. “It was the small details that won us the game.”
This was the first match since Sept. 12 with all six starters playing.
Four Saluki players hit for more than 10 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Abby Barrow had 15, sophomore outside hitter Nellie Fredriksson had 11 and senior middle hitter Taylor Pippen had 10. The four players combined for 16 total blocks.
This was Fredriksson’s third straight match with 10 or more kills.
Pippen was the Salukis most efficient hitter with an attack efficiency of .455.
“It was a long game,” Pippen said. “We’re confident, we know we can beat every team in this league.”
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Wichita State committed 14 service errors in the match. Coach Justin Ingram said not to expect the Shockers to have as many in the next meeting between the two teams.
Ingram said the crowd of 545 fans might have had something to do with the errors. In the crowd was the SIU swimming and diving teams who performed their annual Saluki Strip, where they remove one article of clothing per SIU point scored until they are down to just their suits, according to junior men’s swimmer Andy Ross.
SIU is in second place in the conference, with one more loss than WSU. The Salukis have five more matches this season, including one at Wichita, who has six more.
“As you move forward all you can do is look at the match ahead of you,” Ingram said.
The Salukis play Evansville at 7 p.m. Saturday at Davies Gym.
Evan Jones can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @EvanJones_DE
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