SIUE (6-21, 3-13 OVC) vs. Murray State (15-11, 9-7 OVC)
Dates: November 11-12, 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 6-21 with non-conference wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (Aug. 27), Eastern Kentucky (Sep. 4), and Western Illinois (Sep. 18), and a trio of Ohio Valley Conference victories over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5), Belmont (Oct. 9), and Tennessee State (Nov. 6).

THE TASK AT HAND: The Cougars close out the 2021 regular season with a pair of matches against the Murray State Racers. The Racers, who sit at 9-7 in OVC play and 15-11 overall. The Racers are riding a two-match win streak following weekend wins vs. Southeast Missouri and Austin Peay. MSU is currently ranked #135 in the latest RPI rankings, compared to SIUE's #284 position.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars and Tennessee State Tigers split a pair of matches over the weekend. The Tigers took a 3-0 win on Friday before the Cougars battled back with an impressive 3-2 win on Saturday to close out a four-match road swing.

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.

OVC TOURNAMENT SITUATIONS: The Cougars will look to secure a spot in the 2021 OVC Volleyball Championship with a pair of quality results this weekend, as Eastern Illinois, SIUE, and Tennessee State are both in the running for the eighth and final spot in the tournament.