MURRAY, Ky. – Haley Bilbruck registered a career best 18 kills as Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (14-10, 6-5) fell to Murray State (14-9, 8-3), 1-3 (25-22, 15-25, 20-25, 17-25), Friday evening at Racer Arena.
 
Southeast and Murray State have now split the season series, 1-1, with each team winning in their respective home venue.
 
SEMO took an early 1-0 edge in the match after a 25-22 opening set on a match-best team hitting clip of .267 before the Racers answered with three straight sets to take the contest.
 
Trailing 14-9, the Redhawks called a timeout in the first set before chipping away at the lead, 16-13, after back-to-back kills from Laney Malloy.
 
A 3-0 run from Southeast that included kills from Claire Ochs and Annie Wehrheim coupled with a service ace from Ally Dion then brought the Racers lead to a point, 19-18, and prompted a MSU timeout
 
Out of the break, Ochs and Krista Berns combined for a block to even the set at 19-19. SEMO then closed out the first frame 25-22 after two Racer attack errors and a rally stopper from Maggie Adams.
 
Murray State then knotted the match at 1-1 with a 25-15 second set win.
 
In the third set, SEMO built a slight 12-10 edge after a 4-0 rally that included kills from Bilbruck and Berns and a pair of block assists from the duo. MSU then snatched back the lead after a 3-0 run, 16-15, and then grew its advantage to 24-17 on a kill from Katirah Johnson.
 
Adams and Malloy then each notched kills and Dion hit her second ace of the match to pull within four points, 24-20, before another kill from Johnson claimed the set for the Racers.
 
Murray State then closed out the match with a 25-17 fourth set.
 
Malloy chipped in nine kills and Wehrheim had eight.
 
Ochs dished out 37 assists with a team-high 23 digs. Dion dug up 20 balls and Madeline Grimm added a season best of 17.
 
Berns paced the team with seven total blocks.
 
The Redhawks continue their road trip with a 1 p.m. match against Austin Peay Saturday in Clarksville, Tennessee.