MARTIN, Tenn.— SIUE has won their third straight Ohio Valley Conference game by defeating UT Martin 25-23, 25-16 and 25-17.

"We had a really balanced effort tonight," commented Head Volleyball Coach Kendall Paulus. "We were tough from the service line and passed consistently well. We gave up a few runs late in each set, but it wasn't because we were complacent.

Rachel McDonald who ended the evening with nine kills and seven digs led the Cougars. Also for the team, Savannah Christian contributed seven kills to the team's win and Annie Ellis and Kiana Fields each added six kills. Fields ended the evening with an impressive .385 hitting percentage while also tallying three solo blocks.

Mallory Nicholson notched another double-double for the Cougars by recording 14 assists and 10 digs.

"We played with a lot of confidence and backed it up with effort," added Paulus.

The Cougars improve to 8-9 on the season and 3-2 in OVC play.

The team will be back in action on Saturday as they travel to Southeast Missouri to take on the Redhawks in another OVC matchup at 2 p.m.