lot of production after four players graduated last season, leaving this year’s seniors to lead the team that includes of seven freshmen.

Seniors Elly Braaten from Hastings, Minn., studying sports administration; Emily Less, from Decatur studying education; and Jessica Whitehead, from Murphysboro studying sports administration have the task of being leaders on and off the court.

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This year’s season kicks off Aug. 30 at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne where they will take on the University of Connecticut. Head Coach Justin Ingram said the new batch of seniors are easily transitioning into their new position as role models for the new players coming in.

“The juniors last season that are now the seniors: Jess, Elly and Emily, they’ve been working super hard over the summer and making sure that they’re getting integrated with the new ones coming in,” he said.

Last season, SIU had 1,751 digs in their 30 matches. The four players that graduated combined for 1,095 digs, which is 63 percent of their total. Baily Yeager led the Salukis with 630 digs. The team leader in kills also graduated, Laura Thole with 405 kills.

“The four seniors this past season had good productivity,” Ingram said. “They killed balls, they passed balls, they set balls, and they did a whole bunch of things collectively.”

Coach Ingram is entering his second season at the helm for the Salukis. Last season Ingram led the team to a 21-9 record with an 11-7 record in the Missouri Valley Conference, which was good for fourth in the conference.

Braaten, said it hasn’t been difficult moving into a leadership role.

“It’s been a smooth transition with all the new freshmen coming in,” she said. “The role was kind of pushed on us. We were ready for it and it’s been really smooth.”

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Fellow senior Less, said the team has been preparing for them to move into their new role. Less, plays outside hitter along with Braaten and Whitehead.

“I think it’s big shoes to fill, but we’re excited and we’ve been doing a lot of team meetings and discussions about leadership and how to move into that position,” Less said.

She said they have been giving the freshmen tips about how to handle school and volleyball.

“We’ve said a major thing is just staying on top of your school work, since we’re traveling almost every other weekend,” she said.

The team has high hopes for this upcoming season. SIU was the only team to beat Creighton last season; it was Creighton’s only MVC loss in route to their MVC conference and tournament championship.

“(Expectations) are always high,” Ingram said. “I think regardless of what team is here at SIU, our product is going to be a good product.”

During the scrimmage at Carterville High School Saturday, some voices on the court were pronounced more than others. Braaten said the voices don’t only come from the seniors.

“We have very loud new girls that came in that are hopping right in,” Braaten said.

Coach Ingram said preseason started about two weeks ago and they are still identifying their strengths.

“We’re still learning and good things are happening,” he said.