Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Women's Volleyball will host the Saluki Bash starting Friday, September 6, aiming to maintain their strong start. The tournament features Eastern Illinois, Jackson State, and Memphis, with three neutral-site games in a round-robin format.

The weekend schedule includes matches against Jackson State at 10 a.m. and Memphis at 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by a game against Eastern Illinois at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. All matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Historically, SIU leads the series against Eastern Illinois 14-12 but has lost four of the last five encounters, including a 3-0 sweep by the Panthers in the 2023 Saluki Bash. The Salukis have faced Jackson State once before, winning 3-0 on September 14, 2018. Against Memphis, Southern Illinois holds a 14-7 advantage and last won on January 23, 2021, with a score of 3-2.

Kelly Franklin was named Tournament MVP at the Betty Austin Invitational after achieving a career-high of 17 kills and adding 12 digs in the penultimate game against Oral Roberts. Franklin, along with teammates Annabelle Sulish and Anna Jaworski, was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the event.

The Salukis aim to start their season with a record of 4-0 for the second consecutive year, a milestone not reached since the mid-1980s. Notably, Memphis Head Coach Sean Burdette is the father of SIU middle hitter Brinley Burdette.

Tournament updates can be followed via LiveStats and streaming information available on the Tournament Central page.

For ongoing news and updates about Southern Illinois Women's Volleyball, follow them on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball), and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App from the App Store or Google Play Store.