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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Southeast Missouri volleyball found themselves down 2-0 in their match against SEC opponent Mississippi State Friday (2-3) but battled back to force five sets. The Redhawks fell in the match but battled to the very last point. The Redhawks fall to 1-4 on the season.
 
Krissa Gearring and Andrea Baylin propelled the Redhawk offense in the opening set against the Bulldogs. Gearring recorded six kills in the opening stanza while Baylin had four of her own. They combined for 10 of the team's 13 kills. Mississippi State held a comfortable lead on Southeast much of the set. Southeast found themselves down 23-13. The Redhawks weren't going down quietly as they went on a 7-0 run to keep themselves in contention for the set. MSU was able to draw set point and wrap up the set, 25-21. Southeast outhit the Bulldogs .355 to .343 in the set.
 
The Redhawks found their first lead of the evening in set two when they went ahead 7-6 on the Bulldogs. The remainder of the set proved to be very close. In all, the lead changed a total of four times. With the set tied at 22, the Bulldogs were able to pull ahead and wrap up the closely played set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Taylor Masterson and Gearring each had five kills in the set.
 
Staring down the barrel of a sweep, the Redhawks kicked it in gear in set three, winning the stanza 25-19, and prolonging the match. The beginning of the set was tight but the Redhawks used an 8-0 run to take a lead and were able to hold on as they cruised to a set three win. Mississippi State committed seven attack errors and hit an abysmal .057 in the set. Gearring remained on a roll as she added four more kills, totaling 15 after three sets.
 
With their backs still against the wall, the Redhawks' momentum never slowed in the fourth set as they hit an astonishing .571 as a team on their way to a set four win, 25-18. The Redhawks tied the match at two sets each, forcing a final and decisive fifth set.
 
The fifth set proved to be the closest set of the match. Southeast led 8-6 going into the end change. After the teams switched sides, MSU put up four-straight points to take a lead on the Redhawks. The score was tied a total of eight times in the set; four times after the end change. Tied at 13, the Bulldogs put up the final two points to take the match away from Southeast. Each team tallied 10 kills but Southeast's five attack errors sealed the deal for MSU, who didn't have any in the set.
 
Gearring recorded her first career double-double in the match as she tallied 23 kills and 10 digs while hitting an impressive .583 in the match. Baylin also put up a double-double of her own with 10 kills and 16 digs. In all, four players recorded double digit kills, including Baylin, Gearring, Masterson (14) and Madalyn Werths (15, career-high). Katarina Rotta tallied a career-high 52 assists.
 
The Redhawks hit a season-best .301 in the match while tallying 73 kills, 11 more than the Bulldogs.
 
The Redhawks return to University Gymnasium on the campus of Indiana University Saturday. They face host Indiana at 11 a.m., CT and Miami (Ohio) at 4 p.m., CT.