EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE Volleyball returns to First Community Area to host the Cougar Classic. The Cougars home opener will be against Austin Peay Friday. The Governors lead the all-time series 17-8, and defeated the Cougars in three sets during the 2021 season. This will be the first time SIUE has seen Austin Peay since they left the OVC. 

SERIES: Air Force and Seattle will also be in attendance, the Cougars have faced off with both teams twice, winning both times. SIUE last saw Air Force in 2014 when they won 3-2 at USAFA, Colo. and Seattle in 2017, where they won 3-1 at home. 

DOUBLE DEAL: Sophomore Sophie Robinson has started the season strong with two double-doubles at the Bellarmine Tournament. She had 15 kills and 15 digs against ISU and 11 kills and 14 digs against Bellarmine. Freshman Ally Hughes also got her third double-double against NIU with 17 assists and 14 digs. 

KYNDIA UNLEASHED: Grad student Kyndia Smith had a career-high 19 kills agaisnt Indiana State (Sept. 5), helping lead the Cougars to their first win of the season. The Cougars have not had an athlete get 20, or more kills in a single match since 2023. Smith matched Sydney Hummerts 19 kills against TSU in 2024.

AT THE TOP: As a team the Cougars are third in kills averaging 12.58 per set in the OVC. Newcomer Vienna Elliot ranks first in the OVC for blocks, averaging 1.21 per set, this is also good for 61st in the NCAA. 

A NEW LOOK: The 2025 roster features 10 new additions: five freshman (Kinley Quast, Kennedy Pike, Morgan Jones, Ally Hughes, Maddie Determan) alongside one sophomore (Teagan Sullivan), three juniors (Vienna Elliott, Anika Ivester and Paige Bernstein) and one senior (Grace Nichols). 

DOUBLE TIME: Sullivan is a dual sport athlete for SIUE. During her freshman year she competed in track and field. She was recognized as OVC field athlete of the week (Jan. 25, 2025), she also recorded a PR long jump with a distance of 5.97m, good for third in the programs all-time performances. This will be her first season with the volleyball team, marking the start of her dual sport college career. 

TRANSFER TALK: Kendal Paulus and her staff welcome four transfers. Elliott joins the Cougars after two season with SIU Carbondale, Ivester comes from Omaha, Bernstein was previously at the University of Houston and Nichols is the lone interconference transfer from Western Illinois. 

PRESEASON HONORS: The OVC released its 2025 preseason volleyball poll Aug. 21, with SIUE picked to finish seventh. Also recognized was senior Bree Schreimann to the OVC watch list. Last season Schreimann appeared in 104 sets over 27 matches, averaging 1.62 kills per set and 74 total blocks. 

AT THE HELM: Kendall Paulus enters her ninth season in charge of the Cougars, owning an all-time record of 102-124. Paulus is SIUE's second longest tenured volleyball head coach behind Todd Gober, who coached the Cougars for 10 seasons. 

COACHING STAFF: Paulus added assistant coach Josh Comer and Graduate assistant Dante Pulphus to her coaching staff. Comer joins the Cougars after two season with McNeese. Pulphus recently graduated from Marian University where he received his Bachelor in Science and played men's volleyball.