SIUE (3-12, 0-4 OVC) at Eastern Illinois (7-7, 0-4 OVC)
First Serve: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Lantz Arena | Charleston, Ill.
All-Time Series: SIUE leads 13-11
Last Meeting: Mar. 29, 2021 (SIUE 3, EIU 0)
News & Notes
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WHERE WE'RE AT: SIUE volleyball currently sits at 3-12 overall and 0-4 in OVC play with wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (Aug. 27), Eastern Kentucky (Sep. 4), and Western Illinois (Sep. 18).
THE TASK AT HAND: The Cougars will look to snap a four-match losing streak and notch their first Ohio Valley Conference win of the 2021 season on Tuesday. SIUE will meet in-state foe Eastern Illinois, who is also seeking its first OVC win of the season after falling at Murray State and at UT Martin. EIU started the season at 7-1, but have since lost six straight heading into Tuesday's contest.
LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars made the trip to Clarksville in a OVC tilt for the final time, as APSU announced they would be departing the league at the end of the academic year. The Governors were dominant on both sides of the net, recording straight-set sweeps in both matches.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS: Eastern Illinois enters Tuesday's contest at 7-7 overall and 0-4 in OVC play. The Panthers won both non-conference
tournaments in which they competed this fall, winning their own tournament with wins over Bellarmine, Chicago State, and IUPUI and the Saluki Invitational with wins over Alabama State, SIU Carbondale, and USC Upstate. The Panthers went 2-14 in the spring season, with the Cougars earning straight-set sweeps in both meetings. EIU, currently ranked #231 in the latest RPI rankings, was picked to finish last in the OVC and is led by Kameryn Sillmon.
IRON SHARPENS IRON: The Cougars put together one of the most competitive non-conference schedules in program history this fall, standing toe-to-toe against three squads currently ranked in the RPI Top 100 and seven ranked in the RPI Top 150.
SPRING RECAP: SIUE volleyball put together one of the most successful campaigns in program history last spring, compiling the third-highest conference winning percentage in the program's Division I era (.714) and earning one of just four spots in the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Championship. The season also saw four different Cougars earn All-OVC honors, including an All-OVC Second Team nod for redshirt sophomore middle blocker Savannah Christian.
LOOKING AHEAD: Following Tuesday's contest at EIU, the Cougars will return home for a weekend series against Belmont. The Bruins currently sit at 4-11 overall and 2-3 in OVC play. The Bruins are currently ranked #255 in the most recent RPI rankings.
