CHICAGO (February 4, 2021) - Loyola continues a three-match road trip when it heads downstate to take on Missouri Valley Conference rival, Southern Illinois, for a pair of contests, February 7 and 8. Despite coming off a four-set loss at Valparaiso on February 1, the Ramblers are in search of their first 3-1 start to a season since 2012 when they won each of their first five matches. Loyola has opened a season with a 3-1 or better record just twice since 1996 - the aforementioned 2012 campaign (5-0) and also in 2008, when it claimed its first eight outings of the year.

Dating back to the 2019 campaign, the Ramblers have emerged victorious in five of their last seven road matches in Missouri Valley Conference action. Loyola is 15-5 (.750) in its last 20 regular season MVC contests.

Fast starts in Valley play have been the norm in head coach Amanda Berkley's two previous seasons in Chicago. A year ago, Loyola jumped out to a 6-0 start in Valley play, its best in conference action since 2001 when it commenced Horizon League competition with a 7-0 ledger. In Berkley's first season on the Ramblers' bench in 2018, she guided the Maroon and Gold to a 3-0 start in MVC matches.

Loyola – Southern Illinois – The Series

Loyola owns an 11-6 edge in the all-time series with Southern Illinois and has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last eight. The Ramblers, who have not fallen to the Salukis since a five-set loss at Gentile Arena on October 30, 2015, are 6-2 all time against SIU in Carbondale. The last time Loyola lost in Carbondale was its first year as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2013, and since then the Ramblers have prevailed in six straight matches at Southern Illinois. When the teams last met, on November 19, 2019 at Davies Gym, Addie Barnes and Elle Van Grinsven had 14 kills apiece to spark the Ramblers to a five-set win.

Scouting Southern Illinois

The Salukis have captured just one of their first four contests of the 2021 spring campaign and have stumbled in each of their last two outings, both to Missouri State. Southern Illinois posted a 14-18 ledger in 2019 in Ed Allen's first season at the helm of the program and dating back to the 2019 season, the Salukis have come up short in each of their last four matches at Davies Gym. Redshirt senior outside hitter Savannah Sheridan paces the SIU attack with 2.75 kills per set and has ripped double-digit kills in each of her team's last three outings. Katy Kluge, a junior defensive specialist, leads The Valley with 5.72 digs per set.

Up Next

Loyola hosts Evansville February 14 and 15 at The Alfie Norville Practice Facility.