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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Southeast Missouri volleyball team fell to Jacksonville State Saturday in four sets (24-26, 25-15, 15-25, 21-25).
 
Southeast Missouri ends the regular season 11-19 overall and 7-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Jacksonville State climbs to 18-15, 9-7 OVC.
 
"We had a very balanced attack tonight and overall hit at a great percentage. We just went way up and down with our play and JSU capitalized on that," said head coach Julie Yankus. "We need to become more consistent from one set to the other. Our blocking was very effective, not just by getting stuff blocks but also getting positive touches and slowing down their attacks."
 
Statistically, the Redhawks won the opening set. Southeast had the same number of kills (17) and had a higher hitting percentage (.359) with five total blocks. The Redhawks led much of the set, leading as much as six points. Jacksonville State tied the set late at 23 and took a lead at the right time to steal the set away from Southeast, 26-24. Krissa Gearring had five kills in the first set and hit .444 in the frame.
 
The Redhawks cruised to a 25-15 set two win, tying up the match at a set apiece. Madalyn Werths had a five-kill set of her own in the second stanza and Southeast hit .226 as a team. 
 
Set three went much the same way but in the favor of Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks won the set by the same score, 25-15. The Gamecocks outhit Southeast for the first time in the match, .303-.057. Southeast was also out-blocked 5-3 in the frame. Andrea Baylin and Kelsey Keeve each had four kills in the set.
 
The Gamecocks drove it home in set four with a 25-21 win over Southeast. Southeast was able to tie the set five times but never took a lead. Once again, Southeast had a higher hitting percentage.
 
Gearring and Keeve each finished with 10 kills. Werths finished with nine and Taylor Masterson and Baylin each had eight. As a team, Southeast hit .212 to JSU's .158.
 
As a team, the Redhawks had 13 blocks. Masterson had seven while Nzingha Clarke had four.
 
With the loss, the Redhawks will hold the No. 8 seed in next week's OVC Tournament. No. 8 Southeast Missouri will play No. 1 Murray State in the opening round of the tournament.
 
Yankus added, "I believe we match up pretty well with Murray. They have a balanced attack and a solid team, but so do we. I believe our blocking can shut down their attackers and if we get them out of system, they will struggle to terminate. We have a very good rivalry with Murray so I know it'll be a very competitive and exciting match."
 
The OVC Tournament begins Thursday from Murray, Kentucky.