CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (9-6, 1-1) held off 2018 Preseason Ohio Valley Conference Champion Murray State (6-8, 0-2), 3-2 (28-26, 25-17, 21-25, 16-25, 15-9), Saturday afternoon at Houck Field House for SEMO's first conference victory in 2018.
 
The win also marked the first time the Redhawks had beat Murray State since Oct. 12, 2013 (3-0 in Murray, Kentucky) and the 100th career win for head coach Julie Yankus.
 
"I love how we responded to last night's game as far as how we started this match today," Yankus said of Friday's loss to 2017 OVC Champion Austin Peay affecting SEMO's play on Saturday. "We came out ready to play. We didn't let last night's match hinder us and hold us back. This win is really special. It was hard fought. They were coming back in that third and fourth set and I think anyone in that gym today could feel that intensity."
 
Southeast and Murray State started the match with a marathon first set. Trailing, 17-19, Southeast mounted a 7-0 run which ate up two Racers timeouts to pull ahead 23-19.
 
Laney Malloy posted three service aces in the rally along with a kill and Claire Ochs and Krista Berns both chipped in kills.
 
MSU would come within a point, 24-23, to bring on a Redhawks timeout before taking a 25-24 advantage. Mikayla Kuhlmann notched a rally killer to even the set at 25-25 before the Racers added their final point of the set.
 
Southeast then closed the set with three straight points punctuated by block assists from Haley Bilbruck and Maggie Adams.
 
In the second set, SEMO recorded a match-high team-hitting clip of .500. The Redhawks jumped to a 10-4 edge on a kill from Bajare and a Malloy service ace.
 
Malloy finished the match with a career best four service aces as SEMO registered a season best of nine in the match.
 
The Redhawks then grew their advantage to 19-7 with a 7-0 run. Murray State would come as close as 24-17 before Adams finished the set with a kill to put SEMO up 2-0 in the match.
 
The Racers answered with third and fourth set wins to prompt a fifth set. Murray State tallied a match-high team-hitting percentage of .308 in the third set.
 
Southeast regrouped in the final set and snatched an 11-3 lead on a 7-0 run to force a MSU timeout.
 
"We responded with no fear in that fifth set. We hit very efficiently and I give Madeline Grimm a lot of credit for her play especially in that fifth set," Yankus said of Grimm who totaled 11 digs and served six-straight points in the fifth set.
 
Southeast notched 10 kills in the fifth set on a .286 hitting percentage.
 
Berns and Malloy would each add kills to increase the Redhawks lead to 13-7 as SEMO claimed the set, 15-9, to win the match.
 
Malloy led the offense with 18 kills in the match, including five in the fifth set on a .625 hitting clip.
 
"I'm really proud of how she responded in that fifth set," Yankus said of Malloy who struggled in the prior set. "A lot of people would just shut down if you are not playing well, but she really stepped up and I'm really proud of how she performed in that fifth set."
 
Malloy also had 17 digs for her sixth career double-double.
 
Bilbruck was second on the team with 11 kills and six total blocks. Berns and Madara Bajare each chipped in nine kills.
 
Ochs recorded 55 assists and 16 digs for her eighth career double-double.
 
Libero Ally Dion paced the defense with 18 digs and Kuhlmann added a season high of nine.
 
Southeast out blocked the Racers, 11-9, in the contest.
 
After the match, Yankus reflected on the milestone of 100 career wins.
 
"I know winning with this particular team is really special because this is a special group of women," Yankus. "They really are dedicated to putting the team first. We have such great goals. This is when you want to win 100 and get that accolade so it'll be memorable for sure."
 
Southeast next hits the road for a pair of OVC matches on Sept. 28 and 29. The Redhawks face Eastern Illinois Friday at 7 p.m. in Charleston, Illinois, followed by a 2 p.m. first serve against SIUE Saturday in Edwardsville, Illinois.