Spikers deal Aces 11th straight loss

By Gus Bode

The SIUC women’s volleyball team has won yet another hand against the University of Evansville, after dealing the Aces their 11th consecutive loss Wednesday night in Davies Gymnasium.

The Salukis, now 12-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference and 15-11 overall, downed the Aces in three straight games, 15-3, 15-6 and 15-3. The Aces fall to 3-16 in league action and 8-21 overall. Evansville has never won a match against SIUC.

The Salukis jumped out to an 11-1 lead in the first game when senior setter Kim Golebiewski rang up seven straight service points against Evansville. However, the Aces battled back to eventually take a 13-12 lead, before losing the game 15-13.

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Senior outside hitter Heather Herdes said the Salukis simply let their lead slip away.

I think we got a little overconfindent and we were scoring their points for them, Herdes said. We were making mistakes we shouldn’t have made. We just got a little overconfident.

Senior outside hitter Alicia Hansen led the Saluki attack against the Aces with nine kills and three block assists. Defensively, the spikers were virtually error free against Evansville, committing only two blocking errors in the entire match.

The spikers have already clinched a spot in the Valley tournament, to be held in Normal on Friday, Nov. 17 and Saturday, Nov. 18. SIUC will most likely face Illinois State in the opening round on Friday.

SIUC has only two games remaining in the regular season, and a loss from here on out will not make any difference for the Salukis in the tournament.

Emotions will be running high on Saturday, as the Salukis play their last home game of the 1995 season. Six starting seniors will play their last matches at Davies Gymnasium when SIUC hosts non-conference rival Southeast Missouri State University.

It’s not really an important match because we are in the tournament, Herdes said. I’d really like to win the last game here against SEMO.

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I’m thrilled that we made it into the tournament and if we win these next two games, it will give us a stronger chance in the tournament.

It’s going to be emotional, but I hope not too emotional, Locke said. It’s going to be a hard fought match and I hope the kids remain focused and I want them to perform to the best of their abilities because that is what they should be doing.

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