SIU volleyball beats Drake for second straight conference win (PHOTOS)

Junior outside hitter Abby Barrow attempts a kill during the Salukis’ 3-1 win over the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, in Davies Gym. (Sean Carley | @SCarleyDE)

By Jesse Robertson
September 24, 2016

SIU volleyball defeated Drake 3-1 (25-16, 27-29, 25-17, 25-21) to finish a perfect 2-0 weekend at home to open up conference play.

Junior outside hitter Abby Barrow had a team-high 12 kills while junior middle hitter Alex Rosignol had 10 kills on 15 chances.

The first set went 12-12 before an 8-0 run by the Salukis gave them a lead, which they never relinquished to win the set 25-16.

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A big reason for the set win was SIU’s .448 hitting percentage compared to Drake’s .216.

Barrow had five kills in eight attempts in the first frame. She said going outside on her attacks opened up holes in the defense for her to exploit.

The second set started off very similar to the first. The two teams battled back and forth with SIU taking a 17-14 lead that it couldn’t hold on to — the Salukis dropped a closely contested second set 27-29.

It was the only set Drake outhit the Salukis (.211-.200). SIU committed nine errors to hold back the offense.

The third set was all SIU early as the Salukis jumped to a 10-3 lead and never looked back for a 25-17 win.

The fourth set was more closely contested early until SIU started to pull away with a 8-4 lead and never trailed, winning 25-21.

Freshman outside hitter Ginger Perinar had a career-high 10 kills despite only being in the rotation in the third and fourth sets.

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“It’s always exciting to hear the coach say to get ready, so I was jumping up and down a little bit trying to stay warm,” Perinar said. “When I got in I was able to kill some balls and try to put this away for the team.”

Despite the win, Barrow said the team has more to show after tonight.

“We didn’t play to our full potential tonight, so there is a lot more in the gas tank that we have left,” she said.

The Dawgs play next at NCAA tournament participant Missouri State at 7 p.m. Monday in Springfield, Mo.

Staff writer Jesse Robertson can be reached at [email protected] or 618-536-3333.

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