CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri opens Ohio Valley Conference play this weekend at Houck Field House against Murray State and Austin Peay.
 
Friday, Sept. 25, the Redhawks face reigning OVC champions Murray State at 6:30 p.m. in the annual Houck "Filled" House match. The first 500 students in attendance to Friday's match will receive an exclusive Redhawks volleyball tank top. The Redhawks look to break the attendance record set at last year's Houck "Filled" House of 1,206. The following night, Southeast will host Austin Peay at 5 p.m.
 
Redhawks Non-Conference Recap
Southeast is currently 4-9 overall entering conference play. Last weekend, the Redhawks participated in the Bradley invitational, finishing 1-2. Following the tournament, Head Coach Julie Yankus commented, "We have a very young team and it's been great to see how they have developed over the last couple of weeks. I have seen moments of greatness over the past few weeks and I'm excited to see that on a more consistent basis as we gain experience and confidence."
 
Sophomore Krissa Gearring leads Southeast in kills with 138. Sophomore Nzingha Clarke follows closely with 136 and a team-high .319 attack percentage, which ranks second in the conference. Junior libero Jade Mortimer has tallied 228 digs this year and currently leads the OVC in digs per set (4.56).
 
Scouting the Racers
After winning the OVC tournament last season, Murray State enters conference play 10-1. Currently, the Racers are on a seven-match winning streak, defeating Davidson, Winthrop and West Virginia last weekend. Murray defeated Southeast in all three encounters last season, 3-0. Sam Bedard leads the OVC averaging 11.1 assists per set (412 total), helping boost three Murray State players over the century mark in kills.
 
Scouting the Lady Govs
Austin Peay is 5-10 this year, recently snapping a 4-game losing streak by defeating Southern Mississippi. Last season, the Lady Govs defeated the Redhawks in both meetings, 3-1 and 3-0. Ashley Slay leads the Lady Govs with 148 kills, averaging 2.79 per set.
 
Looking Ahead
Southeast will finish its home stand Tuesday against UT Martin at 6:30 pm. The Redhawks then travel to play Tennesse Tech on Saturday, Oct. 3.