Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Berry SIUE's Mallory Clements, No. 15, sets the ball during a game against Quincy Sept. 11. SIUE beat Quincy 3-0.

Two more road games brought two more Great Lakes Valley Conference wins for the SIUE volleyball team.

The Cougars fought through four games to beat Drury University, 3-1, in Springfield, Mo., Friday night and battled from being one game down against No. 20-ranked Rockhurst University to take them in four, 3-1, in Kansas City Saturday.

SIUE, according to Head Coach Todd Gober, traveled to a hostile environment in both schools, where the crowds looked to add the pressure to the no.15-ranked Cougars.

"They were jeering us about going to Division I," Gober said. "I think our team is going to have to fight that this year."

The Cougars looked to have that fight in them. In the Rockhurst game, six players posted double digits in kills and sophomore defender Tiffany Turner recorded 24 digs.

However, Gober said the team had to work extra hard to avoid game points in games two and three to win the match.

"It sounds like that in the box score, but it didn't feel like that to me," Gober said of any indication of a one-sided match.

The offensive numbers were a little more spread out in the Drury game, backed by junior middle hitter Samantha Schulte's 21 kills, but fellow junior Kelsey Hubert said she still saw a loud opposing crowd and overall tough Panther squad.

"I think Drury had a big powerhouse on the outside which we prepared for and handled very well," Hubert said in an e-mail interview. "Their blocking was good. I didn't notice one particular aspect of their game that was outstanding, I just thought they seemed to be solid all the way across the board."

Even with the loud fans, junior setter Mallory Clements said she and her teammates can easily tune them out.

"We don't have time to listen to the crowd," Clements said. "We just kind of laugh it off, (like) 'is that the best thing you can yell at us?"

The 11-3 Cougars return home for an extended stay, starting at 7 p.m. Friday against the University of Missouri-Rolla Miners. They continue their homestand at 1 p.m. Saturday as they host the University of Missouri-St. Louis Riverwomen.

Because the Cougars start the Division I transition next year, Gober said this may be the last time both teams will travel to the Vadalabene Center.

"It's going to be a fun environment," Gober said of the matches. "Next year is going to be tougher."

Now standing at 4-0 in the GLVC, the Cougars continue their conference trail for the next 11 games, including UMR and UMSL.

"I think we expect the exact same out of Rolla and UMSL as we do out of (Northern Kentucky University), Rockhurst, Drury and every other team we face," Hubert said. "We come in prepared knowing it will be our last opportunity to play most of these teams before we move to D-1. I think that in itself is very motivating for our team every night we come to play."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools