The Salukis took on the Northern Iowa Panthers on the road the night of Friday, November 11. This matchup would have Missouri Valley Conference tournament implications, with SIU being ranked third and UNI second, currently.

SIU managed to steal the first set 25–22. It was a hard fought contest for the Salukis, but they managed to reward themselves with the 1–0 advantage.

The second set did not have the same result. The Panthers gained a significant lead, managed to hold onto it, and won the set 25–18.

Both teams poured all of their blood, sweat and tears into the third set. It was a battle the entire match, but SIU would inevitably win in the dog fight, 29-27.

Northern Iowa bounced right back in the fourth set, winning the match 25–21. The Salukis late- set comeback was unsuccessful.

It all came down to the fifth set, where it pushed the players to their limits yet again. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois both gave their most valiant effort but the Panthers would go on to win, 17–15.

Senior Nataly Garcia led all Salukis with 18 kills on the day. Sophomore Anna Jaworski finished with 55 assists in the game.

Freshman Claudia Bobb led the way on defense, with 24 diggs against the Panthers. Jaworski added 15 of her own in the digs department, best for second most on the team.

The Salukis play their next game on Saturday, November 12, against the Drake Bulldogs. Drake is currently the number one seed in the Missouri Valley Conference. The game will be played at 6 PM in Des Moines, Iowa.

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