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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Southeast Missouri volleyball team fell to SIUE Saturday in five sets (17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 12-15).
 
The Redhawks now sit at 10-16 on the season and 6-6 in Ohio Valley Conference play. With two wins on the weekend, SIUE is now 12-15, 4-8 OVC.  
 
It was all SIUE in the opening stanza. The Cougars jumped out to a 5-1 lead and used that to cruise to a 25-17 opening set victory and taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
The Redhawks looked much better in the second set. The Redhawks trailed very early but quickly overcame the early deficit and found a lead. Southeast led as much as seven points in the set. A four-point run by SIUE made it closer than the Redhawks would have preferred but Southeast held on to win the second set, 25-22 and tie the match at a set apiece. The Redhawks hit .447 in set two as opposed to -.059 in set one.
 
Southeast started the third set off with a 5-1 lead. A five-point run by the Cougars shortly thereafter put SIUE ahead 9-7. The Redhawks immediately returned the favor with five-straight points of their own to go up 12-9 only to have SIUE immediately retie it at 12. Both squads found themselves knotted up at 20 all. Southeast put up three points only to have SIUE answer with two, 23-22. Southeast drew set point. An SIUE kill and attack error sealed the deal for the Redhawks, 25-23, and gave Southeast a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
A four-point run early in the fourth set gave SIUE an early lead and they never looked back as they rolled to a 25-18 set win to tie the match at two sets apiece and force a fifth and final set.
 
The Redhawks were up 6-3 in the final set. SIUE called time and immediately scored five-straight points out of the timeout to go up 8-6. SIUE would never trail again. The Cougars won the set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
 
Taylor Masterson tied a career-high in kills Saturday with 17. Masterson also hit .457 with five blocks. Andrea Baylin had another good match as she tallied 14 kills and 15 digs. Madalyn Werths came off the bench and contributed 12 kills, hitting .400.
 
While the Redhawks had a higher hitting percentage and had 55 kills, the ultimate nail in their coffin was 14 reception errors and nine service errors in the match.
 
The Redhawks will return home for three matches beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Austin Peay.