Issue date: 9/15/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Alestle file photo The Cougar volleyball team lost all three games this weekend, and enter Tuesday's game at Illinois State University with an 0-11 record.

The SIUE volleyball team found a lineup that played with more consistency, but failed to collect any wins, at the Chattanooga Country Inn & Suites Tournament last Friday and Saturday. Although the Cougars had some golden opportunities to come out of the tournament with their first win of the season, they dropped three matches in two days.

In Friday night action, SIUE fell to Loyola University in the opening bout of the tournament in four sets, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16 and 27-25. The Cougars had some strong points Saturday, but dropped two more matches to Chattanooga University and Austin Peay State University back-to-back.

After falling to Chattanooga Saturday afternoon in four sets, the Cougars had to jump into their second contest of the day against Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay. The Governors took advantage of a mentally worn-down Cougar squad in three sets, 25-13, 25-18 and 25-16.

"I see improvement," SIUE volleyball Head Coach Todd Gober said. "It's encouraging to me that I am not seeing more of the same. It has been a rough start to this season. It is new ground for almost everybody on this team."

Gober said his team must continue to put itself in positions to win if it hopes to get out of the current 11 game slump. Some of the chances came in the Cougars' first two matches of the tournament where, according to senior libero Tiffany Turner, SIUE played a couple of their strongest matches so far this year.

"Our lineup changed the aspect of the game," Turner said. "Our biggest concern is staying focused and keeping the high energy level."

Turner's solid performances earned her All-Tournament honors. Gober said Turner has played with the heart of two players and has also been a vocal local on the court.

SIUE dropped their first match Saturday against tournament host, Chattanooga. After falling in set one, it was all SIUE in the second set with the Cougars claiming the 25-13 win. Chattanooga managed to dodge the Cougar rally in sets three and four, winning the final two sets by a combined total of five points.

On Friday, the Cougars won set one against Loyola, but dropped the match in four sets. SIUE saw strong points offensively with 60 kills from four players posting double digit kills.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools