Because of the SIUC volleyball team’s poor road record, coach Sonya Locke considers this weekend’s Missouri Valley Conference matches the most important trip of the season.

The Salukis travel to Des Moines, Iowa, Friday to face Drake University, and to Omaha, Neb., to challenge Creighton University Saturday.

The Salukis enter the matches with a 4-3 conference record and 7-7 overall record, but the team’s 0-5 road record has concerned Locke.

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I think this is going to be one of the toughest road trips because we’ve been at home the last two weeks, Locke said. Our track record shows that we can’t win on the road.

In the past, the Salukis have not fared well against Drake, as they have lost the last five meetings against the Lady Bulldogs. This year, the odds favor SIUC, as the Lady Bulldogs are tied for last in the MVC with a 1-6 conference record and 1-13 overall record.

Locke, whose team is riding a three-game winning streak, does not want her players to think about the past, but only Friday’s match.

We’re not even thinking about last year, Locke said. (The Lady Bulldogs) were a great team last year, but what happened last year is going to have nothing to do with this year. (Drake’s) record doesn’t speak much, but we’re playing them on their home court.

The Salukis welcome back captain Erika Holladay for the trip. Holladay, a senior outside hitter, has been out of the lineup since Sept. 19 because of a stomach ailment.

Holladay was restricted to aerobic conditioning during her absence. She said it will take some time to get back into the flow of the game.

I was not allowed to touch a volleyball, Holladay said. The other girls are three weeks ahead, and I just have to work back into it.

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Saturday’s match against Creighton could turn out to be a battle for fourth place in the MVC, if SIUC wins and the Lady Jays defeat the University of Evansville Friday. Both the Salukis and the Lady Jays head into the weekend with identical records in the conference.

Locke said she plans to continue to stress defense this weekend. Defensively, the Salukis are second in the MVC in block average with 2.67 blocks per game.

Nothing has changed defense is defense, Locke said. I’m not going to change anything about the way we have played defensively.

With upcoming matches against conference leaders Illinois State University and Indiana State University, the Salukis need two wins for a shot at winning the conference title.

Holladay said two road victories this weekend would be a big plus to the team.

We just have to go out there and get the job done and come out with the wins, she said. That would be the best thing we could ask for because it would put us in good standing in the conference.

The Salukis travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to play Drake University Friday, and then SIUC will battle Creighton University Saturday in Omaha, Neb.