2008 Woodie Awards
SIUE volleyball season begins with strong showings against Ohio Valley Conference foes
Catherine Klene
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Sports
Coming into the Lady Gov's classic in Clarksville, Tenn. this past weekend, SIUE Head Volleyball Coach Todd Gober was unsure how his team would fair against the competition.
Gober got the answer he was looking for, as the Cougars put up a strong showing against two Ohio Valley Conference foes, defeating the University of Tennessee at Martin 21-25, 25-11, 25-21 25-20, while falling in the tournament opener Friday at the hands of Austin Peay State University 23-25, 23-25, 15-25.
"I think it was a big confidence building weekend," Gober said. "We learned a lot in our first match, and overall it was a very successful trip."
In game one Saturday, the Cougars led UT-Martin 8-6 early until an attack error by sophomore outside hitter Sydney Winslow and a bad set by senior setter Mallory Clements rallied the Skyhawks as a part of a 13-3 run, to give Martin a comfortable 18-11 lead.
The Cougars would use a 6-0 run of their own to get the game within two points at 19-21 late, but that was as close as they would come, falling 21-25.
The first set loss did not damper the Cougars' day, as they came back with an impressive 25-11 win to tie the match. Senior middle hitter Sam Schulte recorded five kills to pace the Cougars with some help from Clements who had 12 assists.
"Sam was ferocious at the net," Gober said. "Her kills were not easy ones, and she had to work for each of them. As far as Mallory (Clements), she is our unquestioned floor leader and a big part of our team as setter."
SIUE's offense went on a torrid pace in game two, jumping out to a 14-7 lead before a Skyhawks timeout, which left the Cougars unfazed as they continued to pile on with four straight points to put the game out of reach at 18-7. Senior middle hitter Kelsey Hubert finished the game strong, accounting for kills on two of the Cougars' final three points.
Sophomore outside hitter Noelle Franke slammed five kills in the third game, as Clements put down four, assisted by a different player each time.
Gober got the answer he was looking for, as the Cougars put up a strong showing against two Ohio Valley Conference foes, defeating the University of Tennessee at Martin 21-25, 25-11, 25-21 25-20, while falling in the tournament opener Friday at the hands of Austin Peay State University 23-25, 23-25, 15-25.
"I think it was a big confidence building weekend," Gober said. "We learned a lot in our first match, and overall it was a very successful trip."
In game one Saturday, the Cougars led UT-Martin 8-6 early until an attack error by sophomore outside hitter Sydney Winslow and a bad set by senior setter Mallory Clements rallied the Skyhawks as a part of a 13-3 run, to give Martin a comfortable 18-11 lead.
The Cougars would use a 6-0 run of their own to get the game within two points at 19-21 late, but that was as close as they would come, falling 21-25.
The first set loss did not damper the Cougars' day, as they came back with an impressive 25-11 win to tie the match. Senior middle hitter Sam Schulte recorded five kills to pace the Cougars with some help from Clements who had 12 assists.
"Sam was ferocious at the net," Gober said. "Her kills were not easy ones, and she had to work for each of them. As far as Mallory (Clements), she is our unquestioned floor leader and a big part of our team as setter."
SIUE's offense went on a torrid pace in game two, jumping out to a 14-7 lead before a Skyhawks timeout, which left the Cougars unfazed as they continued to pile on with four straight points to put the game out of reach at 18-7. Senior middle hitter Kelsey Hubert finished the game strong, accounting for kills on two of the Cougars' final three points.
Sophomore outside hitter Noelle Franke slammed five kills in the third game, as Clements put down four, assisted by a different player each time.
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