SIU women’s volleyball coach Brenda Winkeler, center, uses a timeout Friday to discuss strategy with sophomore outside hitter Jessica Whitehead, left, and junior outside hitter Laura Thole, right, during the SIU vs. Missouri State game at Davies Gymnasium.

The “Big Three” moniker has taken on a life of its own in the NBA, but Alysia Mayes, Laura Thole and Jessica Whitehead have earned the title for Saluki volleyball.

Whitehead and Thole are in the Missouri Valley Conference’s top 10 for kills, while Mayes is second in the MVC in hitting percentage. The noise made by Salukis this season has been made by those three.

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“If we don’t show up, it’s like a missing piece to the puzzle,” Thole said. “We need to make sure that we show up so that the team around us can feed off our energy.”

It has not been easy for the team, as it struggled to a 3-6 conference record midway through the MVC schedule and is currently tied for the sixth and final spot in the MVC tournament. But when the Salukis have been on their game, it has been the big three who lead the charge.

“It’s been a lot of fun (watching them), and they come out strong night after night,” said head coach Brenda Winkeler.

Whitehead’s emergence started during conference play in the 2010 season when she became a viable second option on the attack to all-MVC outside hitter Jennifer Berwanger. As a sophomore this season, Whitehead leads the MVC with 4.20 kills per set in conference games.

“Jess, being so raw; every week she does something to shock us and say ‘She couldn’t do that a week ago,’” Winkeler said.

The downside to Whitehead’s performance has been her inconsistency. In the game against Memphis Sept. 10, Whitehead hit for a -.200 percentage. Despite her poor performance, she said Thole is always there to give her support.

“Thole’s been keeping me up, telling me to calm down after I make an error,” Whitehead said.

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Thole’s journey had a few more bumps in it. This is her first season with consistent playing time after bouncing around every position on the floor during her freshman and sophomore seasons.

“You just have to be positive in your coach that they made the right decision to move you to wherever you are,” Thole said. “Just try to fill the shoes that you’re put in.”

Thole has nine double-doubles and is sixth in the MVC with an average of 3.14 kills per set. However, Winkeler moved her from the right to the left side after their match against Wichita State on Saturday.

“You don’t see many players like her anymore, she is a six-rotation player and can play the front and the back,” Winkeler said.

Thole said her first two seasons were particularly tough, as she adjusted to college life away from her hometown of Breese, but her confidence has soared with her successes this season.

“I just think throughout the whole year we need to have a high standard for where our confidence is,” Thole said. “If you have confidence in yourself, it’s easier to have confidence in the people around you.”

Mayes has been around for the Salukis in every game since her freshman year, including 45 consecutive starts. As a junior, she is second in the MVC with a .403 hitting percentage in conference games and has a team-high of 59 blocks.

“I’ve been more consistent this year, as opposed to previous years,” Mayes said. “It’s just the confidence of getting older and seeing the floor a lot more.”

Of the three players, Mayes’ 400 attacks on the year is far behind Thole’s 748 and Whitehead’s 678, which Winkeler said they want to change.

“That’s definitely ball control and passing, and if it’s not close enough to the net, it’s tough to get her a ball,” Winkeler said.

Winkeler said one of the main reasons for the Big Three’s success is junior setter Rachael Brown. She is third in the MVC with an average of 10.11 assists per set.

“We’re playing more together this year. The past two years we haven’t all played at the same time,” Brown said. “This year, all of us being on the court at the same time has increased our flow offensively.”