 "Photo: Edyta Blaszczyk ~ Daily Egyptian")
The Salukis want to sweep one team and avoid being swept by another.
The SIU volleyball team (15-7, 4-7) goes on the road this weekend to face Indiana State on Friday and Illinois State on Saturday.
SIU beat Indiana State 3-1 in Carbondale earlier this season but lost to Illinois State 3-1 in the same weekend.
Head coach Brenda Winkeler said it was important to keep the momentum going after a 3-1 loss to conference leader Northern Iowa, a match in which Winkeler said the Salukis showed a lot of heart.
“We have to go forward and win some games on the road now,” Winkeler said.
Freshman middle blocker Alysia Mayes said she felt the last weekend in Carbondale would help the team move forward.
“I think you will see us play a lot better than we have been,” Mayes said.
SIU is 1-3 on the road in conference play this season, and five of its final seven matches are played on the road.
SIU plays Indiana State (6-18, 2-9) on Friday in Terre Haute, Ind. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, SIU beat Indiana State 3-1 (29-7, 25-27, 25-8, 25-21).
Indiana State is on a five-match losing streak, but two of those losses came from out-of-conference teams Valparaiso and Butler.
Indiana State’s last victory came against Bradley on Oct. 10, who is winless in conference.
Indiana State’s other conference victory was against Drake, a team that beat SIU in Carbondale on Oct. 16, 3-1 (25-18, 14-25, 25-23, 25-19).
Mayes said the team would work on passing for the matchup.
“You have to keep the offense going and minimize errors,” Mayes said.
In its victory against Indiana State, SIU committed 22 errors, just two fewer than Indiana State.
On Saturday the Salukis travel to Peoria and want to end Illinois State’s 36 consecutive regular season victories over them.
Earlier this season, Illinois State (9-13, 4-7) beat SIU in Carbondale 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-23, 25-20) to hand the Salukis their loss of the season.
Junior outside hitter Jennifer Berwanger said this is just another game for the Salukis.
“We’re just going to do what we always do when we prepare for matches,” Berwanger said. “We’re going to practice hard and try to keep our energy up.”
In the all-time series, SIU trails Illinois State 61-5-1.
Illinois State is on a two-match losing streak, which includes losses to Creighton 3-1 (23-25, 26-24, 20-25, 18-25) and Drake 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-18, 7-15).
The last victory Illinois State had was against Indiana State 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-19).
Winkeler said it is important for the Salukis to not go in thinking they will lose to the Redbirds.
“You see that mindset a lot with the older players,” Winkeler said. “You’ll see that change in the coming years. We’re a winning team and we have to go in with that mindset.”
Derek Robbins can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 269.
