Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's women's volleyball team faced a challenging match against Bradley on Friday night at Davies Gym in Carbondale, Illinois. The Salukis were unable to secure a victory, as the Braves won all three sets.

Both teams entered the match with identical records of 8-7. Avery Parris and Larissa Seger led the effort for Southern Illinois with a combined total of 13 kills and eight blocks. In set one, Ema Stermenska briefly put the Salukis ahead with three consecutive service aces, leading to an 11-10 advantage. However, Bradley responded strongly with a decisive 10-1 run to win the set 25-19.

Bradley's Iva Popovic played a crucial role in set two, delivering three important kills that contributed to Bradley's two-set lead. Seger attempted to rally the Salukis in set three by securing four out of her six total kills during that period.

The Salukis appeared poised to extend the match when they held a 24-22 lead in the third set. However, Bradley managed to score four consecutive points, concluding the match with a sweep over Southern Illinois.

Southern Illinois will aim for redemption when they host Illinois State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

For updates on Southern Illinois volleyball, fans can follow their official social media accounts on X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball), and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). The "Salukis" Mobile App is also available for download on both the App Store and Google Play Store.