SIUE gets another break after a full week off by playing conference's worst

Kumar Bhooshan
Assistant Sports Editor

The SIUE volleyball team hopes to turn it all around this weekend.

The Lady Cougars, 4-6 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and 8-13 overall, will be the host for Bellarmine College this weekend as well as Kentucky Wesleyan College.

SIUE, coming off a tough loss to the Univertsity of Southern Indiana who is currently ranked eighth in the region as of Oct. 11, had a full week off since their match against the Screaming Eagles.

SIUE met Bellarmine earlier this year and defeated the Lady Knights in four sets 3-1.

The Lady Cougars controlled the match, leading statistically in service aces, digs andan attack percentage of .236.

The Lady Knights are led by seniors Sarah Stuckenburg and Carrie Wentzel, who are both ranked in the top 25 in the conference in hitting percentage.

Wentzel is fifth in the conference in kills with teammate Stuckenburg also in the top 10 at eighth in the GLVC.

The Lady Knights, 3-7 in the GLVC and 6-15 overall, are 1-3 in their last four matches with losses to the University of Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky University both in straight set matches.

Their lone win in the four-game stretch came against Kentucky Wesleyan.

The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday.

SIUE will then be the host for the Kentucky Wesleyan Lady Panthers on Saturday.

The Lady Panthers also fell to the Lady Cougars earlier in GLVC regular-season action in three straight sets 3-0.

Kentucky Wesleya,n 9-11 overall, started the season with six straight wins but have yet to claim a victory in the GLVC with a dismal 0-10 record.

The Lady Panthers are also ranked last compared to all the GLVC teams in total digs, kills, assists, service aces and hitting percentages.

The Lady Cougars are led by senior Lindsay Rust, who is currently fourth in the conference in kills and sixth in the conference in service aces.

Junior Meghan Daugherty is third among all players in the GLVC in service aces averaging .59 a game.

Senior Kathy Dulle ranks sixth in assists average with 10.6 per game.

SIUE playing both matches this weekend at home on paper seems to be a disadvantage for the Lady Cougars.

SIUE is 1-4 in conference home matches this year.

The Lady Cougars are 1-4 in their last five matches with a win coming over St. Joseph's College, which is ranked second to last in the conference.

SIUE will hope to improve its conference record with matches starting at 7 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday at the Vadalabene Center......