Redbirds spike Cougars in 12th straight loss
T.J. Cowell
Issue date: 9/17/09 Section: Sports
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"(Tuesday), for the first time, I saw more of a more consistent attitude out there," SIUE volleyball Head Coach Todd Gober said. "This volleyball team is a good team. We have a tendency to shoot our own foot."
The Cougars were neck-and-neck with the Redbirds in set one. The visitors held a 10-9 advantage at one point, but ISU gained momentum on a 6-1 rally to edge out SIUE to go up 1-0 on the match.
In both sets two and three, the Redbirds gained a lead early on. According to Gober, the Cougars put themselves in a position where they had to dig themselves out of a hole. From there, SIUE could not get back on their feet.
The Redbirds used a combination of several impressive runs throughout the course of sets two and three and a home court advantage en route to bumping their record to 5-6 on the year. ISU also snapped a three-game losing streak with Tuesday's win.
Junior outside hitter Sydney Winslow had another solid game for SIUE with 14 kills and a team-high .400 hitting percentage. The Cougars hit .156 as a squad compared to the hosts who hit .316. ISU also claimed a slight advantage in kills, 44-40.
Along with Winslow, Gober said he saw strong performances from senior libero Tiffany Turner, junior middle hitter Karie Downing and freshman setter Sammi Minton.
"We talked about composure and playing with confidence," Gober said. "For us it is the little things that keep bogging us down. The thing I have learned is that in D-I, no one is easy."
Gober said blocking is an aspect that his team could improve on. The Redbirds shut out SIUE in blocks on Tuesday, 5-0. SIUE committed 21 attack errors on Tuesday as compared to ISU's seven.
"We really need to cut down on our errors," Minton said. "Once we get there, we will take off."
One of SIUE's two freshmen setters, Minton said she is still getting used to the tempo of collegiate volleyball. Minton put up 16 digs and 31 serve assists at Redbird Arena.
Gober said he moved Downing to the outside hitter position for the first time in her collegiate career for Tuesday's contest. In her first game as SIUE's outside hitter, Downing recorded 11 kills while also having 12 digs.
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