Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Pete Ridens Junior Samantha Schulte blocks the ball during a recent contest against Bellarmine. The Cougars won both of their matches over the weekend.

SIUE Volleyball may be undefeated at home after its weekend victories, but the matches were anything but perfect.

The No. 17-ranked Cougars, who are 7-0 at the Vadalabene Center this season, took down a lowly Kentucky Wesleyan College squad, 3-1, Saturday with mixed results. They also battled through a slow offensive game to beat the Bellarmine University Knights 3-1 Friday night.

SIUE Head Coach Todd Gober experimented against KWC by sitting all but one starter, sophomore libero Tiffany Turner, in game one. When the Cougars dropped the first game, Gober tweaked the lineup again by inserting starters such as junior setter Mallory Clements and junior middle hitter Emily Rahn for the remaining three games.

The Cougars won all three.

"I think it was a nice opportunity to reward everybody for practicing hard and for their contributions to the team," Gober said. "It takes a while. Even though we practice every day together … when you have new people in different positions it affects the flow a little."

Despite limited action, junior outside hitter Kate Hofeldt picked up 11 kills to lead the team. Sophomore middle hitter Lisa Heitkamp, who usually faces limited action, collected nine kills and blocked eight of them.

The blocks were a career high for Heitkamp.

KWC's Stephanie Davis picked up 20 digs in the loss.

Panthers Head Coach Dale White said a young squad like his that nabs at least a win in a four-game series against a veteran SIUE group has achieved something.

"We're going home feeling pretty good," White said. "Any time you can take just a single game off of Edwardsville, you've done good. So, we're pleased."

Against the Knights, the Cougars cruised through game one, but played past the usual 30-point mark to claim game two. SIUE then played .500 volleyball to get the victory.

"They ran a real slow high outside offense and that was giving our block fits," Gober said of the usually quick Cougar offense.

Rahn led the team with 16 kills, while Bellarmine's star hitter, Chelsea Bibelhauser, collected 18. BU's libero Amanda Alvey also outdug Turner, 34-22.

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