The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Locke's 100th conference win another step toward MVC tourney

Sonya Locke found out minutes after Saturday's match against Drake, and the 10,045 fans who witnessed the SIU football team's rout of Western Illinois found out a couple of hours later.

As the Salukis put the finishing touches on their sweep of Drake - sending the Bulldogs home with their ninth consecutive loss - they also put the stamp on Locke's 100th conference victory.

The victory pushed SIU, who had fallen into seventh place a day earlier, back into sixth place with Indiana State.

But to ensure a spot in the 2004 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the Salukis need a total of seven wins or Indiana State losses.

"If winning that 100th match would have guaranteed us that we were in the conference tournament, I would have done a flip," Locke said. "It's an individual milestone that's just that."

Individual accomplishments can become everyday occurrences for someone that has a shelf-full already -2002 MVC Coach of the Year, Black Coaches Association National Female Coach of the Year and the only Saluki volleyball All-American.

"Unfortunately one person's name goes on those awards, but there would be no coach of the year without a team to coach," Locke said.

"Those awards are a total tribute to that 2002 team. Without them there's no way that any of that stuff would've happened."

Miller digging at history

Erica Miller's career digs total is at 927 and counting.

The senior from Middlebury, Ind., moved into eighth place on the all-time career digs list last weekend after tallying 12 digs against Drake Friday and a career-high 26 against Creighton.

"I didn't know I was anywhere near career digs," Miller said. "I think when I'm done and looking back on it, it's going to set in.

"It's neat to look at. It shows that I kind of stood out when I played here."

Miller has 389 digs on the year, the fourth-most collected by a Saluki in a single season. She has had double figure digs in 20 of 22 matches, and has recorded 20 or more digs in seven matches.

"I knew that for this season, I was going to be somewhere in the top 10 for single season digs, but I didn't know about career," Miller said.

Miller has a realistic shot at moving up another three slots if she tallies 12 digs in each of the Salukis' remaining six matches. If she does, Miller will finish the regular season with 999 digs and a fifth-place spot on the all-time career digs list.

Washington gaining on Locke

Junior Marissa Washington is hitting a team-best of .304, which is the eighth-highest attack percentage in the Valley.

If the season were to end today, Washington would have the ninth-best single season attack percentage in school history. The Alabama native, who wears Locke's No. 7, would also surpass Locke's 1982 attack percentage of .300.

"It'd be great if my hitting percentage was up there," Washington said.

"If I can compete with Sonya, that'd be great. That's just a goal to strive for now."

But Locke would still have the last laugh, as the Salukis' only volleyball All-American hit .369 in 1981, a record that has now stood for 23 years.

Holly 'double-double' Marita

Creighton may have gotten the best of the Salukis Friday, but sophomore Holly Marita doubled-up the Bluejays with 54 assists and 11 digs.

The double-double was Marita's 10th this season, easily ahead of teammates Jené Pulliam, Carrie Shephard and Marissa Washington, who each have four.

SMS, WSU stifle UNI mistique

Only two Missouri Valley Conference teams - Southwest Missouri State and Illinois State - were able to get the best of Northern Iowa last season, and UNI was never on the losing side of a sweep to its conference foes.

But the Panthers were swept on back-to-back nights last weekend by SMS and Wichita State, and the Shockers' sweep Saturday was their second of the season against UNI.

UNI, which was picked to finish in a first place tie with Wichita State, has now slipped into third place after its winless weekend.