Evansville tops SIU in three sets

By Adam Warfel, Sports Reporter|March 15, 2021

SIU Women’s Volleyball players form a circle to cheer up and plan a tactical move to get level with the opponent team from Loyola University on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Davies Gym at SIU. The Salukis went on to lose in all three sets with score lines of 22-25, 13-25 and 17-25.

The Saluki volleyball program fell to Evansville for the second consecutive day in three sets, marking their seventh consecutive loss.

In the first set the Salukis (2-14, 1-13 MVC) jumped out to a quick 8-5 lead after SIU forced an attack error on Evansville.

SIU maintained the lead until the Aces got an ace and a kill to pull ahead of the Salukis 12-11.

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Evansville (5-11, 4-10 MVC) would use a 4-1 run with three kills from sophomore outside hitter Melanie Feliciano to push their lead out to 17-13.

The Salukis used a 3-0 run to get back within two of the Aces late in the first set with a kill from senior setter and hitter Rachel Maguire.

Another kill by Feliciano and an attack error on SIU closed out a first set win for Evansville 25-21

In the second set both teams traded leads back and forth, with the Aces getting as much as a two point lead midway through with two consecutive kills.

SIU came within one of Evansville after a kill by junior outside hitter Hannah Becker, but a 5-1 run by the Aces extended their lead to 19-14.

The Aces used a 6-1 run to close out a set two win over the Salukis, with the lone point from Southern coming from senior opposite hitter Emma Baalman with a kill.

Baalman finished the match with seven kills and two aces.

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Southern knotted the score of the third set at two after a kill by Baalman, but a 4-1 run by Evansville would push them out to a 6-3 lead.

SIU took a 8-7 lead with two aces and a kill by Becker, but each team trade leads until a 3-1 run by the Aces with two kills from Feliciano helped them push back out to a 15-13 lead.

Evansville once again went on a 6-1 run in the third set, with three kills coming from junior outside hitter Alondra Vazquez.

A 3-1 run by the Aces finished the third set in a 25-18 set and match win for Evansville over Southern.

The Salukis will face off against Drake on Sunday March 21 with first serve set for 2 pm in Des Moines.

Sports Reporter Adam Warfel can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @warfel_adam.

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