Vball looks to continue wins

After a complete turnaround from last year at this time, the Sycamore volleyball team will look to extend a 2-game winning streak to five games when they return home to host the ISU/Drury Classic. 

The volleyball team comes home, with a 3-1 record, which is a flip from last year at this time, when they were 1-3. 

The Sycamores have a dynamic offense this season, led by senior outside hitter Ana Maira Charun, who has 40 kills and sophomore outside hitter Morgan Dall. 

Dall teamed up with junior Stacy Qualizza at last week's tournament in Edwardsville, Ill to be named to the all-tournament team for the SIUE Volleyball Classic. 

Junior Shelbi Fouty and Freshman Loni Mackinson both lead the team in assists, Mackinson with 72 and Fouty with 70.

Tuesday night the team traveled to IUPUI and defeated the Jaguars 3-1 in dominant fashion. 

They were led by Dall and Charun, who had 27 kills combined. Auriel Armstrong had a career night by adding 10 blocks. She also had 10 kills on the evening. 

The Sycamores are currently sitting sixth in the highly competitive MVC with a 3-1 conference record. 

They come home to face SIU Edwardsville on Friday, who they demolished 3-0 last weekend. They will then come back to the Arena on Saturday to face Western Carolina and Montana State. 

If the Sycamores win out this weekend, they could be sitting very close to first in the conference, if not in first place or tied for it. 

This is a different team than the Sycamores had last season. 

Head coach Traci Dahl said she is looking for key players to take control, and if they do, the team will be a very big threat to anyone they face. 

"Both of our [outside hitters], Morgan [Dall] and Maira [Charun] and Stacy [Qualizza], and Auriel [Armstrong]…we have such a balanced attack," Dahl said. All of those girls really balance, out and they will be tough to beat."

They will begin play Friday night at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.