SIUE (5-15, 2-7 OVC) vs. UT Martin (10-13, 6-4 OVC)
Dates: October 22-23, 2021
First Serve: 6 p.m. CT (Friday), 2 p.m. CT (Saturday)
Location: First Community Arena, Edwardsville, Ill.

WHERE WE'RE AT: SIUE volleyball currently sits at 5-15 with non-conference wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (Aug. 27), Eastern Kentucky (Sep. 4), and Western Illinois (Sep. 18), and a pair of Ohio Valley Conference victories over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5) and Belmont (Oct. 9).

THE TASK AT HAND: The Cougars will look to add to their conference win total and continue its growth, as SIUE returns home for a series against the UT Martin Skyhawks. The Skyhawks sit at 6-4 in OVC play, but are in the middle of a three-match losing streak heading into Friday's contest. The Redhawks currently sit at #184 in the most recent RPI rankings, compared to SIUE's #267 position. SEMO was picked to finish sixth in the OVC and are led by Preseason All-OVCer Logan Wallick.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars travelled to Cape Girardeau last weekend to face off against one of the OVC's most formidable squads in Southeast Missouri. The Cougars came close in both fixtures, but dropped the pair of matches in straight sets.

DIG PINK: SIUE volleyball has once again dedicated Friday's contest in support of the Side-Out Foundation, a charity which aims to raise money to research and end metastatic breast cancer. The Cougars have set up a campaign to raise money, which can be found by clicking here.

IRON SHARPENS IRON: The Cougars put together one of the most competitive non-conference schedules in program history this fall, standing toe-to-toe against three squads currently ranked in the RPI Top 100 and eight ranked in the RPI Top 150.

SPRING RECAP: SIUE volleyball put together one of the most successful campaigns in program history last spring, compiling the third-highest conference winning percentage in the program's Division I era (.714) and earning one of just four spots in the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Championship. The season also saw four different Cougars earn All-OVC honors, including an All-OVC Second Team nod for redshirt sophomore middle blocker Savannah Christian.

LOOKING AHEAD: Following the weekend's fixtures, the Cougars will close out a three-match homestand with a rematch against Eastern Illinois. The Panthers currently sit winless in OVC play, and the Cougars claimed a four-set win in their previous meeting in Charleston.