VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Southeast Missouri women's volleyball team fell to Duquesne (2-3) and Central Michigan (1-3) Saturday to finish play at the 2016 Popcorn Classic hosted by Valparaiso University.
 
The Redhawks' losing skids extends to nine matches with the losses as SEMO is now 1-9 this season.
 
Krissa Gearring earned all-tournament team honors for her work on the court this weekend.  
 
Duquesne 3, Southeast Missouri 2
The Redhawks fell to Duquesne (8-2) in its first match Saturday at the Popcorn Classic in five sets (25-16, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 12-15).
 
Gearring recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 25 kills and 21 digs. Her 25 kills fell one shy of tying a career high while her 25 digs are a season high.
 
Libero Jade Mortimer recorded 29 digs. Aside from Gearring and Mortimer, five total Redhawks recorded double-digit digs.
 
Setter Rachel Poole dished out a season-high 57 assists.
 
As a team, Southeast hit .225 and laid down 10 more kills than the Dukes and had three less errors.
 
Southeast won its first set of the weekend with a 25-16 set one victory over the Dukes. Down 5-4, SEMO used four-straight points to go up 8-5 and never looked back. A service ace by Jessica McElderry gave the Redhawks their largest lead of the set at 21-12. A Duke service error secured Southeast's 25^th point and the opening set for the Redhawks.
 
Gearring had five points and eight digs to lead SEMO in each category in the opening frame. As a team, Southeast registered an 81% (13-16) sideout percentage and hit .283.
 
Duquesne came out on top in set two by a score of 25-22. The Dukes never trailed in the set, however the score was tied three times. Down 16-8, Southeast used a 6-2 run to draw within four of the Dukes at 18-14. SEMO worked to narrowed the deficit to two points at 23-21 but simply ran out of chances.
 
Marie Less, Jade Mortimer, and Gearring all had six digs in the second set to bring their match totals into double digits. Nzingha Clarke and Gearring combined for nine of Southeast's 13 kills.
 
It was all Southeast Missouri in the third set. SEMO never trailed and the set was never tied. The Redhawks opened a 7-2 lead early in the set that they used to roll to the set win. Duquesne pulled within three at 17-14, forcing the Redhawks to use a timeout. A 5-1 run coming out of the timeout shifted the momentum back in SEMO's favor. The Redhawks won the frame 25-16 and retook a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Southeast hit an impressive .385 in the third set laying down 17 kills and only two attack errors. Gearring stayed hot in the set, picking up eight kills. She tipped the double-double mark in the set, ending the frame with 17 kills and digs each.
 
Set four came down to the wire, fitting for a set that featured eight ties and three lead changes.  Southeast held a comfortable four-point lead through much of the first half of the set. As the momentum began to shift in Duquesne's favor, the set became closer. The set was tied at 15, 18, 19, and finally at 21. Southeast wasn't able to hold on as Duquesne took the set 25-23, tying the match at 2-2.
 
Neither team hit well in the fourth set but Duquesne hit better at .070. The Redhawks committed 10 attack errors. After registering only one block in the first three sets, SEMO picked up three blocks in the fourth including two solo blocks from McElderry.
 
Duquesne rolled its late momentum in the fourth set into the fifth and final frame. The Dukes jumped out early, 6-1 but the Redhawks began chipping away at the lead, slowly but surely. The Redhawks tied the set four times but never found a lead. Tied at 12, the Dukes took the final three points to secure the five-set win.
 
Grimm finished with 14 kills while Clarke had 12.
 
Central Michgan 3, Southeast Missouri 1
The Redhawks fell in game two of the day to the Central Michigan Chippewas (5-4) in four sets (22-25, 26-24, 16-25, 21-25).
 
Gearring picked up her second double-double of the day with 16 kills and 11 digs. Less fell two digs short of a double-double, finishing with 11 kills and eight digs.
 
The Chippewas came out on top of a closely matched set one, 25-22. The score was tied 11 times and the lead changed six times. Neither team gained much of a lead in the first half of the set. With SEMO up 15-13, CMU went on a 5-0 run to take an 18-15 lead. Southeast was able to tie the match at 19 then again at 20 points but that's the closest they would get to the Chippewas.
 
Much like the earlier game, Gearring had five kills in the opening set. As a team, SEMO outhit the Chippewas .200-.184, including picking up one more kill, 13-12. The Chippewas put up four team blocks in the set, SEMO had none.
 
The Redhawks were down early, 6-1, but worked hard to get back in the set. Down 11-7, Southeast used seven unanswered points to take a 14-11 lead, one they would hold onto the remainder of the set. Southeast continued to widen the lead and drew set point at 24-18. CMU scored six points to tie the set at 24. A kill by Less and a service ace by Emily Boggetto secured the 26-24 set two win, tying the match at a set apiece.
 
The Redhawks picked up the set win despite being outhit and recording three less kills. Southeast used three team blocks, eight CMU attack and four services errors, and a pair of aces to take down the Chippewas.
 
The third set was close very early but the Chippewas quickly opened a lead that they continued to build on in the set. CMU cruised to a 25-16 set three victory to regain a lead in the match, 2-1.
 
The Redhawks struggled to keep up with the Chippewas who hit .325 in the set, laying down 16 kills and committing only three errors.
 
A 9-1 run early in the set opened an 11-4 lead for the Redhawks in the fourth set. Southeast was able to hold the lead until CMU rattled off 11 points in 12 rallies to take a 20-15 lead. The Redhawks weren't able to recover from the sudden Chippewa lead, falling in the end 25-21.
 
SEMO hit .262 in the fourth set to raise the match hitting percentage to .166.
 
Mortimer led the way for Southeast with 28 digs. Poole (15) and Gearring rounded out the double-digit digs for SEMO.
 
Jessica Lambert played in her first match of the 2016 season, playing in all four sets. Lambert picked up two service aces and an assist.
 
Southeast Missouri will be back in action Tuesday at Houck Field House when regional rival Southern Illinois comes to town. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.