Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Women's Volleyball faced a tough challenge in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where they were swept in three sets by Northern Iowa on Friday.

The Salukis, now with an 8-5 record, managed to show some resilience in the third set. However, a decisive 5-0 run by UNI halted their momentum. Throughout the match, SIU only held leads beyond the fifth point twice, specifically at 9-8 and 10-9 during the third set.

Annabelle Sulish led Southern Illinois with seven kills. Both Sulish and Jillian Shaneyfelt contributed one ace each.

Avery Parris, who had recorded 17 kills against SEMO on Saturday, seemed ready for another strong performance after scoring two early kills in the first set. However, Northern Iowa's defense contained her effectively for the rest of the game.

The second set saw a brief advantage for SIU as they led 3-0 initially. This lead quickly disappeared as UNI went on a significant 25-8 run to secure a comfortable win in that set.

In the final set, Southern Illinois displayed their best effort of the match but still could not close the gap beyond six points throughout.

Next up for Southern Illinois is their final stop in Iowa to play against Drake Bulldogs on Saturday at 5 p.m. Fans can follow this match through Live Stats and stream it on ESPN+.

To stay updated with all Saluki Volleyball news and information, follow them on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball), and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). The "Salukis" Mobile App is also available for download from both the App Store and Google Play Store.