CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (12-8, 4-2 OVC) was overcome by visiting SIUE (9-9, 4-2 OVC) in a five-set battle, 2-3 (25-16, 18-25, 25-11, 20-25, 19-21), Saturday afternoon at Houck Field House.
 
Annie Wehrheim and Krista Berns (.357) led the Redhawks offensively with 12 kills apiece. Laney Malloy had 11 with 11 digs for a double-double while Maggie Adams (.381) and Mikayla Kuhlmann each chipped in nine kills. 
 
Claire Ochs registered her 30th career double-double performance with 44 assists and 16 digs. 
 
With the match knotted at 2-2, the conference contest had to be decided with a decisive fifth and final set. 
 
The Redhawks opened the final frame with a 5-2 edge which prompted an early Cougars timeout.
 
A kill from Berns gave Southeast a slight 8-6 advantage before the changeover. 
 
SIUE then tied the set at 9-9 which brought on a SEMO timeout.
 
Kuhlmann evened the set at 10-10 before back-to-back kills from Wehrheim gave SEMO a 12-11 lead. 
 
Wehrheim added another kill to make the scoreboard read 14-13 and then retied the set at 15-15 with a rally stopper. She paced Southeast with five kills in the final frame on a .308 clip. 
 
Berns blasted a kill to push the advantage in favor of SEMO, 17-16. Ochs and Adams each had winners to tie the frame at 18-18 and 19-19.
 
The fifth set featured 14 ties and eight lead changes.
 
The Cougars then clinched the match, 21-19, on a block assist by Dylynn Otte and Annie Ellis. 
 
Southeast jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-16 opening set behind a .286 hitting percentage.
 
A 5-0 run from the Redhawks extended the advantage to 13-5. Kuhlmann had a pair of kills in the rally and also teamed up with Adams for a block assist. 
 
SEMO increased its margin to 22-9 after a 6-0 rally that included kills from Wehrheim (2) and Malloy along with an ace from Tara Beilsmith. 
 
The Cougars came as close as 24-16 before Kuhlmann combined with Talia Gouard for a huge block assist. 
 
SIUE responded with a 25-18 second set. A kill from Hope Everett pushed the Cougars lead to 20-13 before SEMO came within three after a 4-0 run. 
 
Kuhlmann connected with a kill at 18-23 before kills by Rachel McDonald and Savannah Christian finished the set.
 
Southeast then took a 2-1 lead in the match after a 25-11 third set behind a match-high .320 hitting clip. 
 
An 11-1 rally gave the Redhawks an early 14-5 edge in the third frame. 
 
Berns posted three block assists and a kill during the run. She led Southeast with six total blocks (one solo, five assists) Saturday. 
 
SEMO continued to keep the Cougars at bay as SIUE would only notch 11 points in the set before a kill from Berns coupled with an ace from Emily Boggetto concluded the set, 25-11. 
 
The Cougars then forced a fifth set with a 25-20 fourth frame win. 
 
Southeast had a slight edge in blocking Saturday, 11-10. Kuhlmann chipped in five and Adams had four. 
 
Boggetto led the SEMO defense with a season high 18 digs and had three service aces. Beilsmith added 15 digs and Ally Dion had nine. Wehrheim totaled a career best seven.
 
Christian led the Cougars with 14 kills and Everett had 11. Rachel McDonald had six of her 10 kills in the fifth set. 

Southeast concludes its four-match homestand next Friday and Saturday. The Redhawks face Morehead State Friday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. and then take on Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m.