EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – As important as offense is to scoring in volleyball, SIUE showed Saturday that defense has its place.

SIUE swept past Murray State 25-19, 25-22, 25-18 at the Vadalabene Center powered by 11 blocks from Kelsey Augustine and seven from Leslie Lindsey. As a team, the Cougars finished with 15 blocks for the second straight match.

"It was phenomenal," said SIUE Head Coach Leah Johnson of the team's blocking. "We were just making great reads on the ball -- great instincts and really aggressive."

The Cougars, now 8-13 overall and 4-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference, were hungry for a victory.

"I was really pleased at the way they stepped up with a sense of urgency," said Johnson. "And after the break to come back in set three and be even more urgent. Last night we had that opportunity and tonight against Murray we capitalized."

Augustine's 11 blocks was the most by a Cougar in a single match during the Division I era. She also became the fourth player in school history to record double-digit blocks in a three-set match, equaling the feats of former standouts Michelle Gilman, Andrea Voss, and Samantha Schulte.

Augustine hit .316 on offense with eight kills and just two attack errors.

Lindsey was strong at the net for a second straight day. The Cougar freshman also added five kills.

SIUE setter Sammi Minton spread the ball across the whole offense and finished with 37 assists. The Cougars hit .214 as a team for the match.

Emma Anderson led the Cougars with 11 kills and added four blocks. Kristen Torre added punch in the middle with seven kills and a .429 hitting percentage.

Emily Schmahl led Murray State with 11 kills. The Racers, now 4-15 overall and 2-7 in the OVC, hit .100 for the match.

SIUE now takes to the road for a five-match road swing. It begins next Friday at Western Division leader Southeast Missouri.

"We need to become road warriors. We haven't been as successful as we'd like. It's about getting in the mindset that we can play anywhere in any environment regardless of what's happening around us. I think they are really motivated so we're excited," Johnson said.