EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.- SIUE volleyball returned to action Friday night, taking victory in four sets over Little Rock. Despite dropping the first set 18-25, the Cougars found their footing to win the following three sets, 25-17, 25-15, 25-18.
The Cougars have won four of their last five matches, improving to 9-8 overall and 4-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Little Rock falls to 3-15 and 0-4 in the conference.
"We knew Little Rock was going to have big swings with how athletic they are," said Head Coach Kendall Paulus. "They can hit the ball hard and their middles are amazing. We knew what to expect and fought hard tonight."
After hitting 0.045 percent in the opening set, SIUE held the Trojans to a -0.056 attack percentage in the second to tie the match 1-1. In the third, the Cougars jumped out to an early 11-3 lead and never looked back to take the frame. Trailing 1-0 in the fourth, SIUE used a 4-1 run to take the advantage. The Cougars held the lead for the remainder of the set to secure the 3-1 win.
"I love the fight and the balance from this team," added Paulus. "It was a huge team effort to bounce back from falling in the first set. We stayed composed, worked together, and I thought our communication on the court was at a high level."
Sydney Hummert paced the Cougars with a double-double on 15 kills and 11 digs. Savannah Christian and Priscilla Jones each added nine kills in the win. Jones finished with a match-high .300 attack percentage and added seven blocks at the net. Christian and Monica LaFleur also added three blocks.
On defense, Nicole Kijowski was outstanding with 29 digs, good for a new career high. Julia Treichel also added 16 digs.
The setting duo of Alyse Drifka and Caroline Waite recorded a combined 34 assists, with Drifka collecting 18 while Waite added 16. SIUE had a .117 hitting percentage in the match while Little Rock was held to just .036.
It was Mental Health Awareness Night at First Community Arena. The Cougars showed their support with green warmup shirts during pregame, reminding everyone it's okay to not be okay.
"I love the saying it's okay to not be okay," said Paulus. "We embrace the challenges that each other face and keep pushing our resources to remind everyone there's always someone to talk. There may not always be answers right in front of you, but together we can collectively all be there for one another."
SIUE and Little Rock will face-off again tomorrow at First Community Arena. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.
