PEORIA, Ill. – SIUE volleyball opened the 2023 season with a pair of matches at the Bradley CEFCU Invitational on Friday at Renaissance Coliseum. The Cougars (1-1, 0-0) took victory over Eastern Michigan in the morning before falling to Bradley in the evening.
Match One: SIUE vs. Eastern Michigan
SIUE's attack controlled the pace in the first match of the day, as the Cougars downed EMU in four sets with scores of 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, and 25-21. SIUE hit for a .196 clip in the contest while three players racked up double-digit kills. SIUE moves to 4-3 in season openers under the direction of Head Coach Kendall Paulus.
Inside the Numbers
- Priscilla Jones picked up a double-double in the match, leading the Cougars' attack with 12 kills for a .571 clip. The junior middle blocker added a career-high 11 digs for her first collegiate double-double. Her .571 hitting percentage is the highest by a Cougar (min. 12 kills) since Savannah Christian hit .542 at Eastern Illinois on Oct. 5, 2021.
- Alyse Drifka led the setting efforts at center court, dishing out 27 assists. The junior setter contributed 12 of SIUE's 62 digs for her first double-double of the season.
- Julia Treichel led the Cougars' defense, picking up 13 digs in the match. She also led SIUE with three service aces.
- Sydney Hummert finished with 10 kills and nine digs while leading SIUE with four blocks. The junior outside hitter eclipsed 500 digs on her career in the contest.
- Savannah Christian also hit a milestone, recording her 200th career block.
- Chelsey Abel picked up double-digit kills in the match, finishing with 11.
- Abel, Abi Banitt, Megan DePoorter, and Corinna Jones made their SIUE debuts.
Match Two: SIUE at Bradley
Bradley used a .180 attack percentage to sweep SIUE in three sets with scores of 18-25, 20-25, and 22-25. The Cougars kept up with the Braves all match long, as the contest was tied 23 times with 11 lead changes.
Inside the Numbers
- Hummert led the Cougars attack with nine kills on 21 attacks for a .238 clip. She added four digs and a block. Treichel added eight kills while Abel finished with five
- At center court, Drifka dished out a team-leading 10 assists while Grace Beekman contributed with eight.
- At the net, Priscilla Jones concluded the contest with three blocks.
- Banitt led the Cougars with nine of the Cougars' 40 digs.
Up Next: The Cougars close out the Bradley CEFCU Invitational on Saturday against IUPUI. First serve is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.
Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUEVolleyball on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
