MARTIN, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (5-10, 0-1) claimed the opening set before the UT Martin Skyhawks (7-7, 1-0) rallied off three straight sets to take the opening Ohio Valley Conference match, 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-20), Tuesday night at the Skyhawk Fieldhouse.
 
The loss extends SEMO's losing streak to eight matches.
 
Southeast jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the road with a 25-22 opening set win. Nzingha Clarke came up with the block to claim the first set for SEMO. The Redhawks hit a match-high .344 in the back and forth first set that featured 12 ties. Krista Berns led Southeast with four kills in the set.
 
The closeness in the match continued into the second set with a match-high 13 tie score lines. The Skyhawks responded with a 27-25 second set win to even the match at 1-1. Krissa Gearring hit three of her eight second set kills to give SEMO a 14-9 edge. Mikayla Kuhlmann added two of her three second frame kills down the stretch to chip away at the UT Martin lead, 23-24, and even the set at 25-25 before the Skyhawks took the set with kills from Kenzie Hinshaw and Hayley Gray.
 
The Skyhawks extended their lead to 2-1, with a 25-19 third set win and won the match after taking the fourth set 25-20.
 
With UT Martin leading 15-11 in the third set, the Redhawks took their first timeout. After the break, kills from Haley Bilbruck and Clarke cut the Skyhawks edge to 16-13. SEMO took their final timeout of the set down 18-13 and came as close as 24-19 with a kill from Berns. 2017 Preseason All-OVC Team honoree Jemima Idemudia then hit the set-winning kill to make the score, 25-19. Idemudia led the Skyhawks in the match with 11 kills.
 
UT Martin hit a match-high .345 in the fourth set to clinch the match, 3-1. The fourth set came down to the wire with ties at 15-15, 17-17 and 19-19.
 
Southeast took a 13-10 lead courtesy of a Skyhawks attack error. UT Martin then went on a 5-0 run with kills from Hannah Phillips, Megan Fair, Idemudia and an ace by Kenzie Hinshaw to take a 15-13 lead.
 
Kills from Gearring and Bilbruck closed the gap and gave SEMO a 16-15 edge. Berns would add a kill and a service ace and Clarke hit a kill to bring the score line in Southeast's favor, 19-18. UT Martin closed the set on a 7-1 run to finalize the score at 25-20 and win the match. 
 
Gearring led the Redhawks offense with 18 kills and Kuhlmann and Nzingha Clarke each chipped in 10. Clarke also compiled six blocks and Berns added five along with nine kills.
 
Setter Keegan Fornoff dished out 28 assists and Allie Henkelman had 16.
 
Defensively, libero Ally Dion led the team with 14 digs. Kuhlmann recorded 11 for her third double-double of the campaign and Henkelman totaled 10 for her fourth.
 
Southeast faces Jacksonville State (13-5) on Saturday at 2 p.m. in their second OVC match of the 2017 campaign at Houck Field House. This is the first home contest for the Redhawks since the team's Sept. 4, Labor Day, victory over Western Illinois.