The real test begins tonight for the SIUC women’s volleyball team as it battles Northern Iowa University to determine first place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

At 6-0 in the Valley, SIUC is off to their best start ever in conference action. The spikers have won seven of their last eight and are coming off victories against Southwest Missouri State University and Tulsa last weekend. However, NIU may be SIUC’s toughest opponent yet.

Northern Iowa, who are right on the heels of SIUC at 5-0 in league action, are riding a seven game winning streak into tonight’s match. NIU is the MVC favorite this season and has won 20-straight conference matches, including 36 in a row on their home court.

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Last week the Panthers defeated both Illinois State University and Bradley University in three games. SIUC has lost its last nine straight matches against NIU in Cedar Falls.

SIUC coach Sonya Locke said an all around solid performance will be the key to defeating NIU.

There are some specific things that we must do, she said. We have to block well and we have to serve well.

We have to control the ball to win.

Even though emotions will run high prior to tonight’s match, Locke said her spikers do not let their emotions ruin their concentration.

Our kids tend not to show a whole lot of emotion toward a match, Locke said. They have been there in the past and they know what they have to do.

We have a veteran team and they know what it is going to take to win a match like this.

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As if the match against NIU were not enough, SIUC must face Drake on Saturday.

Drake, 9-1 in the Valley, has dropped five of its last six matches against SIUC in Des Moines. Overall SIUC leads the series 14-3 over Drake.

Locke said Drake has some key players which make them a very tough team to face.

Drake is a great team, she said. They have a setter who controls the ball real well and they have a defensive player who is ranked in the top-20 in the country in digs.

They are a tough team to play at home but we have had some success there. I know it’s going to be a tough match.

Locke said it is very important to keep the matches between NIU and Drake separate in the minds of her players so they can stay focused for both of them.

Im very specific with the information I give our players, she said. It’s a matter of them using the information they have for one match and changing over to the information they have for the second match.