Aug. 29, 2009

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana State needed five sets Saturday to defeat Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in volleyball 19-25, 25-20, 15-25, 25-17, 15-5 at the Indiana State Invitational.

SIUE dropped to 0-4 after the Indiana State loss. The Cougars also were defeated by North Dakota 25-20, 25-10, 25-19 in an early morning match.

The Cougars took two of the first three sets against tournament host Indiana State but could not hold off a charge from the Sycamores. Indiana State took sets four and five by hitting .280 and .429 respectively.

SIUE coach Todd Gober said his team is figuring out who to go-to players are at important points in the match.

"That's something which takes a little time," said Gober.

"We starting to settle on a lineup. We were able to see a lot of people this weekend," Gober added.

Sydney Winslow (Farmington, Mo.) powered the SIUE offense with 14 kills against Indiana State as the team finished with a season-best 52 kills. SIUE's serving also produced a season-best eight service aces.

Indiana State put up 55 kills in the match and controlled the net with 11 blocks, including six from Stephanie Volden.

Earlier in the day, SIUE did not find its rhythm against North Dakota. SIUE hit just .033 against North Dakota and were led by five kills each from Winslow and Karie Downing (Ottumwa, Iowa).

The Cougars now must regroup for a match at Western Illinois. The first serve is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Macomb.

Gober said the biggest positive Saturday was the improvement he saw from his players. "We got better as the tournament went on," he said.

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