SIUE volleyball will play at First Community Arena for the second consecutive weekend, as the Cougars welcome the Murray State Racers to Edwardsville for a two-match tilt.
Live coverage of tomorrow's match will be available on ESPN+. Live stats for both matches will also be available at SIUEStats.com.
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK
After starting the Spring 2021 season with straight-set victories at Belmont, SIUE volleyball currently sits at 2-2 and will look to bounce back this weekend after dropping two matches to Jacksonville State last Sunday and Monday.
TAKING OVER
SIUE volleyball "took over" the NCAA Volleyball Instagram account on Thursday, as the Cougars showcased a day in the life of a volleyball student-athlete at SIUE. More than 25,000 Instagram users followed along, good for one of the highest engagement rates of any program takeover this season.
SCOUTING THE RACERS
The Racers enter this weekend's series after consecutive losses to Morehead State. The Racers currently sit at 2-2, with both wins coming at Tennessee State during the first week of the season.
Murray State is led by senior Becca Fernandez, who leads the OVC in digs per set (6.00).
FRESH FACES
SIUE volleyball welcomes four new student-athletes to the program in Spring 2021:
• Alyse Drifka, a setter from Richfield, Wisconsin
• Sydney Hummert, an outside hitter from Quincy, Illinois
• Jenna Taphorn, an outside hitter from Pekin, Illinois
• Julia Treichel, an outside hitter/defensive specialist from Brookfield, Wisconsin
Head Coach Kendall Paulus on how these newcomers will impact the game this season:
"I think the newcomers will help impact the game because they don't know what to expect. So they don't have this perfect vision of how a perfect day goes. So I think they're open-minded and they're ready to take on whatever comes their way."
GOIN' BACK TO BACK
The Ohio Valley Conference and its 12 member institutions decided to play a conference-only schedule this season, which will see teams play back-to-back matches on consecutive days against the same opponent.
Coach Paulus' thoughts on the new scheduling format:
"I'm really excited to play back-to-back on consecutive days against the same opponent because I think we can handle adjustments really well. I think we'll be able to make changes from Sunday to Monday well because of how many veterans we have on this squad."
VETERAN PRESENCE
In any season, veteran players play a critical role in keeping their team calm and collected, regardless of what the opponent throws their way. That role is made even more essential in a season such as this, where preparing for unexpected is crucial to the success of any team or individual. Fortunately, the Cougars have an abundance of returning players, having graduated just four from last season.
Coach Paulus on how she expects the returning players to impact the game:
"I expect the returners to help us stay confident and being able to expect the unexpected. If they can keep us calm when we come into some chaotic situations, I think the rest of the team will respond really well."
