APSU’s volleyball team took a loss against Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on Saturday, Nov. 11. SIUE overtook the Lady Govs in three sets (17-25, 22-25, 24-26).
APSU uncharacteristically only posted 12 kills and were held to .075 attack percentage in the first set. The lack of a solid offensive performance from the Lady Govs opened the door for SIUE to take the first set. In this set, SIUE posted 15 kills with a .367 attack percentage to kick off the match.
SIUE did not let up in the second set. The Cougars set the pace early with 5-0 run, which built a 7-3 lead. The Cougars took this set as well and added 16 kills to their total.
The Lady Govs used an 8-2 run to get the lead of the third set at 11-7. Although, SIUE was not backing down and took seven of the next nine points to take the lead at 14-13. APSU tried to rally back and tied the set at 24-24, but SIUE’s Taylor Joens ended the match with two consecutive kills.
The Lady Govs showed their weakest offensive performance since their first meeting with SIUE. The Lady Govs only posted 39 kills and were held to a .099 attack percentage.
Ashley Slay posted eight kills but was also called for six attack errors.
The Cougars’ 15-blocks and 45 kills gave them an edge over the Lady Govs, and they took the match in three sets.
The Lady Govs’ second match of the weekend of against Eastern Illinois on Saturday, November 12. Letsgopeay.com reported, The Lady Govs won the match in three sets (25-16, 25-16, 25-15).
In the matches opening points, APSU and Eastern Illinois fought for control with five ties and three lead changes. Sophomore Logan Carger delivered a kill to tie the set at 8-8, and a kill from redshirt sophomore Christina White gave the Lady Govs the lead. After the Lady Govs took the lead, they used a 17-8 run to clutch the first set.
APSU had 18 kills in the first set with a .179 attack percentage.
They maintained their momentum in the second set and took that set as well. 16 kills and a .302 attack percentage were recorded for the Lady Govs in this set. They also posted 16 more kills in the third set with a .419 attack percentage.
APSU’s defense was also a key component in this victory. Freshman libero Ginny Gerig showed another strong performance with a remarkable 27-dig effort. The defense for the Lady Govs posted a combined 78 digs, and also held Eastern Illinois to 23 digs and meager .099 attack percentage.
APSU will travel to either Murray State or SIUE for the OVC Volleyball Championship. The Lady Govs are ranked as the No. 3 seed, and will face Tennessee State on Saturday, November 19.
