EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE volleyball fell in the opening frame to Tennessee Tech but rallied off three consecutive set victories to claim a 3-1 win on Friday night at First Community Arena.
SIUE improves to 9-9 overall and 3-4 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Tennessee Tech falls to 6-13 and 2-6.
SIUE concluded the match with a .148 hitting percentage while holding the Golden Eagles to .121. The Cougars took advantage of 14 serving and 30 attack errors to run past TTU.
"I thought we played an even match across the board," Head Coach Kendall Paulus said. "Both sides' hitting percentages were almost equal, but both teams made each other work."
The Cougars, entering the contest as the 39th best blocking team in the NCAA, tallied 11 total blocks, marking the 11th game this season where SIUE has registered double-digit blocks. In the match, Tennessee Tech out-blocked SIUE, 14-11.
"We can still clean up our blocking, both offensively and defending the block," said Paulus. "We blocked well, but Tennessee Tech blocked even better. We need to be more creative in getting their attackers out of rhythm."
Sydney Hummert led the Cougars with 14 kills on 32 attacks for a .312 hitting percentage. She also led SIUE with 16 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.
"Sydney was clutch," added Paulus. "Tonight, was one of my favorite Friday night games that she's had. She played a hard four sets tonight and helped lift us to the win."
SIUE also enjoyed an attendance of 1,587 fans, the most attended volleyball match in program history.
"The crowd was amazing," said Paulus. "There were likely a lot of fans in attendance who have never been to a Division I volleyball match. They brought a lot of energy and we felt it from them. I hope we created an environment that makes them want to come back."
Inside the Numbers
- Hummert's double-double marked her fourth straight. She leads SIUE this season with a dozen double-digit kill efforts this season.
- Priscilla Jones tallied nine kills in the match while leading the Cougars with six blocks. She leads the team and ranks second in the OVC with 77 total blocks this season. Savannah Christian (3), Bree Schreimann (3), Elana Fuller (3), and Hummert (2) also contributed multiple blocks.
- At center court, Alyse Drifka dished out a team-high 22 assists. Corinna Jones also handed out assists, wrapping the contest with 14. She also registered SIUE's lone service ace.
- On defense, Abi Banitt collected 14 digs. She leads the Cougars with 256 this season, good for sixth in the conference.
Up Next: SIUE and Tennessee Tech will square off in the series finale on Saturday, Oct. 14 inside First Community Arena. First serve is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
