Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois Women's Volleyball faced a setback on Saturday night, losing in three sets to Valparaiso in their tenth Missouri Valley Conference game. The match took place in Carbondale.

Valparaiso capitalized on errors made by the Salukis, who ended the night with a hitting percentage of 10.1%. Kelly Franklin and Annabelle Sulish led Southern Illinois with nine kills each. Eva Krakowski contributed defensively with four blocks, while Ema Stermenska provided 15 assists.

The first set was closely contested, tied at 18 points each, but three crucial errors from Southern Illinois allowed Valpo to secure seven of the last nine points, leading to a 1-0 advantage for the Beacons.

Jessica Pickett played a pivotal role for Valpo as the match continued. She delivered the final point in set two, pushing her team to a 2-0 lead. In the third set, Pickett's defensive prowess was evident as she recorded three of her six total blocks, aiding Valpo's decisive 25-16 victory and completing the sweep.

Southern Illinois will now prepare for upcoming away games against Illinois State and Bradley starting Friday in Normal.

For fans wanting updates on Southern Illinois Women's Volleyball, they can follow the team on social media platforms like X (@SIU_Volleyball), Instagram (@SIU_Volleyball), and Facebook (SalukiVolleyball). Additionally, supporters can download the "Salukis" Mobile App available on both App Store and Google Play Store.