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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Southeast Missouri volleyball team picked up a crucial three-set win over the UT Martin Skyhawks Tuesday in the home finale of 2014 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17).
 
With the win, Southeast Missouri improves to 7-8 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 11-18 on the season. Because of the loss, UT Martin has been eliminated from making the OVC Tournament. The Skyhawks are 11-18, 4-11 OVC.
 
"That is exactly how the final home match should have gone," said head coach Julie Yankus. "We played with energy, enthusiasm, and heart. We were on a mission tonight and I am so proud of our team right now."
 
With an SIUE loss and Tennessee Tech win on Tuesday, the Redhawks currently hold sole possession of eighth-place in the OVC going into the final match of the season. There is also a four-way tie for fourth-place in the league with Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois, and Tennessee Tech all at 8-7.
 
Set one proved a thorough battle as the score was tied 10 times and the lead changed an astonishing eight times in the set. Southeast used a four-point run to go ahead 7-4 but UT Martin responded with a 7-1 run to go ahead 11-8. Another Redhawk run retied the set at 14. Up 21-18, Southeast put the set away with a run of four points to win the opening stanza, 25-18. The Redhawks put up five of their eight total blocks in the first set alone.
 
It was another story of runs in the second set. Southeast used four unanswered points to go up 6-3. UTM once again answered with a 7-1 run to go up 10-7. Down 11-9, the Redhawks went on a 9-1 run to go up 18-12 on the Skyhawks. The Redhawks never trailed again as they cruised to a 25-20 set two win and took a 2-0 lead in the match. Southeast Missouri hit an impressive .435 in the set.
 
It was all Southeast Missouri in the third and final set as they rolled to a 25-17 set three win; sweeping the Skyhawks. Taylor Masterson laid down 50 percent of her total kills in the third set with six in the frame.
 
Masterson had a total of 12 kills in the match and hit .550. Kelsey Keeve terminated six of her eight attempts for a .750 average. Nzingha Clarke had eight kills, hit .500, and had five blocks against the Skyhawks. Haley Roberts assisted on a career-high 20 kills.
 
As a team, Southeast hit .361 in the match. The Redhawks hit .345 in set one, .435 in set two, and .323 in set three. Southeast also had five service aces, two from Roberts.
 
Yankus added, "Taylor played great tonight and our setters did a great job of distributing the ball to our hitters. Our passers did a great job of getting us in system and that allowed us to run our offense quickly and efficiently."
 
The Redhawks will play the 2014 regular-season finale at Jacksonville State Saturday at noon.