If you ask senior Maggie Wallenberger, playing SIU volleyball is going to be a tough match.

“We’ve been putting in so much work… we should be a really fun team to watch this year. We’re definitely going to bring some competition to the Valley,” Wallenberger said. 

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The Salukis, who are coming off of a 20-win season and a third-place Missouri Valley Conference finish, are looking to carry the momentum that landed them in 2023’s National Invitational Volleyball Championship into the 2024 season. 

For senior Anna Jaworski, performing even better this year starts with looking back on last year’s performance.

“I think reflecting on our team last year and understanding that we have shoes that we need to fill, and the players that we have right now need to work hard to fill those roles,” Jaworski said.

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Wallenberger quickly offered two players who have stepped into bigger roles this season and who are expected to embrace bigger roles.

“Annabelle Sulish and Kelly Franklin. They both played last year, but this year they’ve really filled in any gaps in any roles. They’ve done a really great job this preseason,” Wallenberger said.

Sulish and Franklin have done more than just step in though.

“They honestly set the standard of working hard, and the hard work… that coach wants to bring in,” Wallenberger said.

For head coach Ed Allen, another experienced player who he says has done a great job playing multiple positions is Ceci Buhlman. Buhlman is expected to play as both libero and as an outside hitter this season.

According to Allen, though this season’s roster is younger than last season’s, there isn’t cause for concern. The veteran players are joined by an exciting recruiting class, with several recruits making a push for playing time right away.

“We brought some solid freshmen in, and a class in that I think complements the players that we’ve had,” Allen said. 

Allen and his staff are particularly excited about one freshman, who has stood out for one key reason over the offseason.

“Ava Krakowski is doing a phenomenal job, maybe one of our best athletes, not only in that class, but in the gym,” Allen said. “We’re excited about, I think, where she can develop into, not only this year, but over the coming three years.”

Allen also mentioned Larissa Seager, a transfer student, as someone “who is giving us great presence at the net, both offensively and defensively.”

Both Krakowski and Seager play in the middle of the court, an area where Allen is excited to shore up.

“We’re looking to not only have those kids make a presence for us defensively… we really believe that both those kids can give us a couple kills a set, which will be a huge improvement over the offense we’ve been able to get out of that position over the last four years here,” Allen said.

Even with all the different faces and players moving into different spots, fans shouldn’t expect the on-court product to be too different.

“As a coach, you’re always adjusting your style to best take care of what the abilities are of the team that you have,” Allen said. “But, we’re putting three new players on the floor for us this year, so we’re just trying to maximize what their abilities are at this point, and then as they get more comfortable and we’ve had a chance to train them more, we may think about system-related stuff.”

New abilities that Jaworski and Wallenberger have unveiled include their leadership skills. They are the only seniors on a team that includes nine underclassmen, with seven being freshmen.

“Coach talks a lot about how everybody has a role on this team… you still have to show up everyday and be prepared and be supportive. You have to support them in any way that you can, so that’s really how I’ve been trying to step up, is always being prepared, always ready to be supportive if somebody’s having a problem,” Wallenberger said.

Jaworski cites continuous effort as another important part of the standards that Allen has in place.

“Even if a ball isn’t touchable, you still have to make an effort… and just show that you’re all in,” Jaworski said.

While upholding standards and culture from year to year may seem difficult, Allen has a simple explanation for how they are communicated and upheld.

“You just explain what those expectations are. You don’t compromise what those expectations are, and generally, you’ll get what you expect,” Allen said. “I reinforce that on a daily basis, to make sure that this is the expectation, and it’s not an option. Everyone needs to meet it.”

These expectations all feed into Allen’s keys for the season: be a better blocking team, be more productive in the middle and use it to support the outside offense and have patience as a team to be OK with playing long rallies without pressing.

The first chance to see SIU doing all these things in person will be on Sept. 6 at 10 A.M. in the Banterra Center as part of their annual Saluki Bash tournament, which includes three games in two days, all in Carbondale. Jaworski has a simple message for why fans should come out and support the Dawgs. 

“I think fans can expect a really competitive and fun team,” Jaworski said. “It’s always fun for me, putting names to faces and just seeing different personalities that each team brings.” 

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and on X @dailyegyptian.

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