The Southern Illinois volleyball team hits the road this weekend as the Salukis head to Indiana to take on the Evansville Purple Aces and Indiana State Sycamores. On Friday, SIU and Evansville will begin play at 6 p.m. followed by another 6 p.m. start Saturday in Terre Haute.
Scouting Evansville
• Evansville currently sits at 5-13 (2-2 MVC) on the season.
• The Purple Aces opened the Valley season going 2-0 but dropped their most recent matches to Belmont and Murray State.
• Valley leader in kills Giulia Cardona (273) currently paces Evansville's offense.
• The Purple Aces currently have the sixth-best hitting percentage in the Valley at .218.
All-time vs. the Purple Aces
• SIU leads the all-time series 25- 17 with a 10-12 road record.
• Evansville, however, has won eight of the last 10 matchups and each of the last four.
• The Salukis last defeated Evansville on Nov. 11, 2019, in Evansville in a five-set match.
Scouting Indiana State
• Indiana State has started the season 2-10 (1-3 MVC) in Ashlee Pritchard's first year.
• The Sycamores are led by Kaitlyn Hamilton who has 103 kills on the season including 15 in Indiana State's win over Bradley.
• Defense has been the Sycamores strength so far this season as they average 2.05 blocks per set, fifth highest in the Valley.
All-time vs. the Sycamores
•SIU leads the all-time series 27-13.
• The last time the Salukis took down Indiana State however was in 2018 as the Sycamores have won six straight.
• Southern's record in Terra Haute is 13-6 and last won there on Oct. 27, 2017.
Season-Highs All Around In Valley Play
• Outside hitter Nataly Garcia recorded 25 kills with a .420 hitting percentage in the win over Belmont, both season-highs for Garcia.
• Imani Hartfield and Tatum Tornatta each recorded 16 kills at Murray State to tie their season-highs.
• Hartfield also recorded a new season-high .571 hitting % in the win at Murray.
• Currently second in assists per set in the Valley Anna Jaworski (10.75), recorded a season-high 59 assists in the win over Belmont.
• Jaworski also tied her career-high with three aces against the Bruins, the third match in her career with three aces and the first match since last season at
Evansville.
• Defensive specialists Claudia Bobb recorded 27 digs in the five-set win over Murray State. The most she's had in her freshman season.
• Annabelle Sulish recorded a season-high five aces while fellow freshman middle, Brinley Burdette recorded a season-high nine digs at Murray State
• Freshman Ceci Buhlman recorded a career-high 17 kills in the Salukis four-set loss to Drake.
Original source can be found here.
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