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SIU hangs tough, falls short of MVC tourney in final weekend

SIU fought all season long to put itself in position for a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament berth, but in the end the chips stacked against SIU proved insurmountable.

The Salukis entered the final weekend in a three-way tie with Indiana State and Evansville, and had to come away with at least one more win than Indiana State to clinch the final MVC Tournament spot.

And that meant taking down two teams - Wichita State and Southwest Missouri State - that would eventually meet in the championship match of the MVC tourney.

Wichita State dashed SIU's first opportunity, as the Shockers swept SIU 30-20, 30-22, 30-15 on Nov. 19. SIU gave up a .394 attack percentage in the loss - the second highest since Nov. 6 when Northern Iowa hit .396.

The loss meant the Salukis had to beat SMS and hope Creighton beat Indiana State and Evansville beat Wichita State.

If that situation played out Indiana State, Evansville and SIU would finish the season in a three-way tie, which would send SIU to the MVC Tournament because of its win against SMS earlier this season.

But the Salukis were eliminated from MVC tourney contention before they even took the court at SMS when Evansville fell to Wichita State.

A Purple Aces upset of Wichita State, which took home its first MVC Tournament title in school history Saturday, wouldn't have mattered anyway as SIU was swept 30-16, 30-18, 30-13 by SMS.

With the win SMS avenged its Sept. 17 loss to SIU and clinched the third seed in the MVC tourney. The Bears hit .358, while holding SIU to a record-low .000 attack percentage and a season-low 29 kills.

SIU had fewer aces, digs and blocks than Wichita State and SMS. The Salukis also had trouble in the serving game, committing 21 serving and serve receive errors against the Shockers and 10 against the Bears.

SIU ended the season on a five-match skid mainly because of a lack of offensive production, and specifically from its outside hitters - Jené Pulliam and Jaime Hinsenkamp. Pulliam led the Salukis with eight kills against both Wichita State and SMS but hit .000 and .185. Hinsenkamp had seven kills against SMS and six against Wichita State, but hit just .043 and .143. Pulliam and Hinsenkamp failed to record double-figure kills and an attack percentage greater than .185 in the Salukis' five-match losing streak.

"Our performance just wasn't up to par," Pulliam said. "It just wasn't there."

The Salukis had two more wins than last season, three more MVC victories, and were in the hunt for the post-season tournament slot all year long.

"Our kids aren't the kind of people who, just because the chips are down they're going to roll over and die," said SIU head coach Sonya Locke.

"We're never going to go down without a fight."

SIU could make another MVC Tourney run next season if it can fill the voids left by the departures of seniors Erica Miller and Carrie Shephard.

Locke is hoping that Kristy Elswick of Kentucky's Assumption High School will help compensate for Miller's absence at the libero position next season.

Elswick helped Assumption to a 38-5 record and the 2004 Kentucky State title, and received All-State and All-District team honors.

Pulliam isn't sure anyone could ever fill Miller's shoes but she is certain about where the Salukis will be this time next season.

"There will be no Thanksgiving break for us next year," Pulliam said.

"No sitting at home with mom and dad eating Turkey because we are definitely going to be in the MVC's next year."