NASHVILLE, Tenn.  -  444 days ago, SIUE volleyball fell to Jacksonville State in the 2019 OVC Tournament. For the first time since that day, the Cougars returned to the court - this time, securing a 3-0 conference win over Belmont to open the Cougars' Spring 2021 campaign.

The Cougar defense stifled the Bruins, holding them to a .111 hitting percentage and collecting nine blocks. The SIUE offense also proved effective, hitting at a .388 clip and registering 43 kills and a pair of service aces.

"We had a lot of output that you would look for in any match," said Associate Head Coach Luke Young. "We were thrilled with having nine blocks - really doing very well at the net. Everything was just great volleyball."

Young also spoke to the team's overall performance, saying "The thing we look for is our ability to be error free. 5 attack errors is the one stat that no one looks at, but stands out to me the most. It points to our team's ability to be level-headed and it's a lot of fun to be a part of."

Savannah Christian led the attack for the Cougars, recording a .619 hitting percentage and a match-high 13 kills. Following closely behind was Rachel McDonald, who notched 10 kills of her own to go along with a block and seven digs. Jordyn Klein picked up right where she left off last season, leading SIUE with 16 digs, while Sarah Armendariz collected 32 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Sydney Hummert showed why she's an early favorite for OVC Newcomer of the Year, recording eight kills and six digs in a well-rounded debut outing.

"Tomorrow, the challenge is to repeat and to continue to have the same mindset," said Young. "Belmont is young and they work hard, so they'll make adjustments. I'm just looking for us to repeat and stay consistent because everything was at a really high level today."

The Cougars will look to complete the season sweep tomorrow at 5 p.m., when SIUE returns to the Curb Event Center for a Monday night rematch with the Bruins. No live video will be available, but fans can follow along on Twitter @SIUEVolleyball or at SIUEStats.com.