Southeast Missouri (9-7, 1-1)
at Austin Peay
Match Information
Date: Friday, Oct. 4, 2019
Location: Clarksville, Tenn. 
Venue: Winfield Dunn Center
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
Series: Southeast leads 35-32
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
at Murray State
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019
Location: Murray, Ky. 
Venue: Racer Arena
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
Series: Southeast leads 52-32
Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
 
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri
  
Southeast Continues Road Swing at Austin Peay and Murray State this Weekend
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (9-7, 1-1 OVC) continues its three-match road stretch with a trip to Clarksville, Tennessee, and Murray, Kentucky, Friday and Saturday. Southeast faces Austin Peay Friday at 6 p.m. at the Winfield Dunn Center before taking on Murray State Saturday at 6 p.m. at Racer Arena.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on GoSoutheast.com.
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Governors
Austin Peay like Murray State boasts a perfect 2-0 record in conference play with wins over SIUE and Eastern Illinois last week. In non-conference play, the Governors picked up two wins (2-14) in a highly competitive slate that featured losses to North Carolina State, Kansas State, Maryland, Northwestern, Missouri and Boise State. APSU beat Texas Tech, 3-1, at the Wildcats Invitational before overcoming Missouri State, 3-2, at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge. 
 
The Governors were picked to finish second in the OVC in 2019. Ginny Gerig Busse and Brooke Moore were named to the All-OVC Preseason Team. 
 
Racers
Murray State will face UT Martin Friday night before hosting SEMO. The Racers went 2-0 this past week with consecutive sweeps at Eastern Illinois and SIUE. In non-conference competition, MSU was .500 with a 6-6 record. Murray State beat Chattanooga, Jacksonville and Troy to capture the Troy Invitational Championship and also won the UIC Invitational with wins over Sacramento State, Illinois-Chicago and Bradley. 
 
Murray State won the OVC Championship in 2018 and was selected to repeat in the preseason poll. Becca Fernandez and Rachel Giustino were both picked to the All-OVC Preseason Team.
 
Series History
Governors
Southeast has a slight 35-32 edge on Austin Peay in the all-time series. The Governors have won the last eight matchups including both meetings in 2018. APSU swept Southeast twice in 2018, first at home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on Sept. 21 and then in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Oct. 27.
 
Southeast last beat the Governors, 3-1, on Sept. 26, 2015, at Houck Field House. The last Redhawks win in Clarksville, Tennessee, occurred on Oct. 7, 2011, when the team recorded a season-high 17 blocks to beat APSU, 3-2 (16-25, 33-31, 23-25, 25-16, 15-9). Emily Coon paced the team with 10 total blocks. Brittney Kalinoski led the offense with 17 kills on a .333 clip with 10 digs. 
 
Racers
The Redhawks lead the all-time series 52-32. Southeast and Murray State split its two contests in 2018. SEMO earned its first conference victory in 2018 when it overcame MSU, 3-2, on Sept. 22. 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. In the second meeting of 2018, Haley Bilbruck connected with a career high 18 kills but SEMO lost to the Racers, 1-3, on Oct. 26. 
 
Southeast last beat Murray State in Murray, Kentucky, on Oct. 12, 2013, a 3-0 sweep behind a season high 17 team blocks. Emily Coon led SEMO with eight blocks and Taylor Masterson had seven. Katarina Rotta posted 24 assists with eight digs in the victory.
 
Southeast Split Opening Week of Conference Play 
Southeast closed the first week of conference competition with a 3-1 loss at Tennessee Tech Saturday. SEMO grabbed the first set, 25-13, before the Golden Eagles stormed back with three straight set wins to capture the match. 
 
You Get a Double-Double!!
Laney Malloy and Claire Ochs each recorded double-double outings Saturday in Cookeville, Tennessee, at Tennessee Tech. Malloy led the Redhawks offense with 14 kills and 10 digs for her 20th career double-double. Ochs also registered a double-double of 34 assists and 15 digs. She has posted a double-double in each of the last four matches. Both have totaled nine each in 2019. 
 
Redhawk Open OVC Play with Victory
Southeast opened Ohio Valley Conference play Tuesday with a 3-1 (25-13, 25-17, 22-25, 25-13) win over UT Martin in front of 823 fans at Houck Field House for the annual Redhawks Houck "Filled" House match.
 
Mikayla Kuhlmann (.400) and Laney Malloy led the Southeast offense with 11 kills each and Annie Wehrheim added 10. Malloy chipped in 11 digs for the double-double outing. Claire Ochs also tallied a double-double with 10 digs to complement her 36 assists. Kylie Plant was perfect on both of her swings, registering her first two career kills as a Redhawk down the stretch in the first and fourth sets. 
 
Aces Goin' Up on a Tuesday
For the third straight Tuesday midweek match, Southeast registered double-digit service aces with 11 in its OVC opener with UT Martin on Sept. 24. Claire Ochs and Tara Beilsmith each had three while Laney Malloy and Emily Boggetto chipped in two each. Ally Dion added one. 
 
The 12 service aces at Southern Illinois (9/10) and at St. Louis (9/17) are the most for the Redhawks in a match since Sept. 12, 2014 when the team recorded the same feat against Savannah State. Southeast posted a program record 17 service aces on Sept. 24, 1994, against Tennessee Tech. 
 
Another Ace for Southeast
Southeast ranks first in the conference and 13th nationally with 106 service aces in 2019. SEMO is also 28th in all of NCAA Division I (1st in the OVC) with 1.74 aces per set.
 
Laney Malloy tops the conference with 28 aces (0.46 ace/set, 39th NCAA) which ranks 12th nationally. Ally Dion has totaled 21 this season for third in the OVC and Claire Ochs is fourth in the league (20).
 
Da Ally D Show
Junior defensive specialist Ally Dion is three service aces away from tying Jade Mortimer (2013-2016) for first in Southeast program history (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present) with 93 career service aces. Dion is currently second on the list with 90 after posting one at TTU and one at home against UT Martin.
 
Blocking Her Way into the Record Books
Krista Berns had two blocks at Tennessee Tech and two against UT Martin this past week to increase her career total to 277 which is fifth all-time in SEMO history for career block assists (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present). Berns also ranks fifth overall at Southeast with 238 total block assists and sixth for solo blocks with 39. She is one block away from tying Kelsey Keeves (2011-14) for fourth on the total blocks list. 
 
She has compiled 45.0 total blocks this season. In the OVC, Berns ranks sixth with 1.00 block per set. 
 
Ochs the Setter, Not the Tree
Claire Ochs ranks second in the league with 553 assists this season which puts her 23rd nationally. Ochs averages 9.07 assists per set for fifth in the OVC. As a team, the Redhawks top the conference with 667 assists and 10.93 assists per set (sixth in OVC).
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Redhawks lead the conference with 136.0 total blocks this campaign which is 26th in the NCAA. The team connects at a 2.23 blocks per set rate which is third in the OVC. 
 
Krista Berns paces SEMO with 45.0 and Maggie Adams has 43.0. Freshman Talia Gouard is third on the team with 36.0 and Annie Wehrheim has notched 30.0. 
 
Non-Conference Recap
Southeast concluded non-conference play with an 8-6 mark that featured a pair of tournament championships and a four-match win streak entering the OVC slate. SEMO last won two tournaments in 2012 when the team registered a 21-13 record.
 
Southeast captured its Redhawks Invitational Championship with victories over Jackson State, Western Illinois and Evansville. SEMO posted wins over Toledo, North Alabama and Memphis to conclude non-conference play and grab the Beale Street Challenge Championship. The Redhawks also defeated Saint Louis for the first time since 2013 on Sept. 17.
  
500th NCAA Win
Southeast captured the 2019 Redhawks Invitational Championship on Sept. 7 after registering a perfect 3-0 record with three consecutive, 3-0 sweeps. SEMO opened the tournament with wins over Jackson State and Western Illinois before a sweep of Evansville. The victory over Evansville in the tournament finale marked the 500th NCAA Division I win for the Redhawks in school history. Southeast joined the NCAA Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference in 1991. 
 
Redhawk Debuts
Five members of the 2019 team have made their Southeast debuts this season. Freshmen Zoey Beasley and Kylie Plant both made their Redhawk debuts in the win over Jackson State at the Redhawks Invitational Sept. 6. Sophomore Colby Greene and freshmen Tara Beilsmith and Talia Gouard saw action at the season-opening Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Missouri State Aug. 30-31. 
 
O Captains! My Captains!
Southeast Head Coach Julie Yankus announced on Sept. 3, Claire Ochs, Laney Malloy and Emily Boggetto were selected as team captains for the 2019 season. The trio were chosen to the leadership positions by their teammates.
 
Redhawk Scrimmage Recap
Southeast competed in the Redhawk Scrimmage Aug. 24 at Houck Field House in preparation for the 2019 season. Head coach Julie Yankus coached the red team while assistant coach Loni Kreun was at the helm of the black team. The red team edged the black team in three sets, 25-15, 25-14, 25-15. Colby Greene paced the red team with a match-high 11 kill outing while Laney Malloy added nine with 12 digs and Talia Gouard tallied eight kills. Krista Berns had six kills to complement her five service aces and four blocks. Claire Ochs dished out 26 assists with 11 digs. Ally Dion finished with a double-double of 13 assists with 16 digs and two aces on black.
 
Missouri Baptist Exhibition Recap
The Redhawks edged Missouri Baptist, 3-0, in the program's third consecutive exhibition match Aug. 12 at Houck Field House. SEMO swept the Spartans by scores of 25-12, 25-16 and 25-20. Colby Greene led the Redhawks with six kills, while Laney Malloy, Krista Berns and Claire Ochs followed close behind with five each. Ochs added a double-double of 29 assists with a match-high 14 digs. The Redhawks added seven blocks, as well.
 
Roster Breakdown
The 2019 Southeast team includes 16 student-athletes and features seven upperclassmen (four seniors and three juniors). SEMO returns 12 players from the 2018 OVC Tournament Team and only lost four letter winners. The 2019 squad also includes four newcomers. 
 
Annie Wehrheim returns for her senior season, moving to the right side hitter position after a Second-Team All-OVC performance in 2018 at outside hitter. Wehrheim was named to the 2019 Preseason All-OVC volleyball team after she was third on SEMO last season with 204 kills.
 
Other top returners for the Redhawks offensively are Laney Malloy and Krista Berns. Malloy paced Southeast with 299 kills and Berns was fifth on the team, chipping in 134 kills.
 
Claire Ochs returns at setter for her sophomore campaign and totaled 1,104 assists while starting in all but one match in 2018. Ochs ranks fourth all-time for assists in a single season during SEMO's 25-point rally scoring era. She also notched a team-best 18 double-doubles last season including a 57-assist and 21-dig outing at Eastern Illinois.
 
Defensively, junior Ally Dion returns at the libero/defensive specialist position after she led the team in 2018 with 395 digs (3.53 digs/set). Senior Emily Boggetto also returns for her final collegiate season at Southeast.
 
Maggie Adams topped the team in 2018 with 105.0 total blocks and Berns tallied 80.0. Berns ranks sixth overall in the SEMO record books for career solo blocks (35), block assists (198) and total blocks (233).
 
Redhawks Add Kreun as Assistant Coach
Head coach Julie Yankus added assistant coach Loni Kreun in May. Kreun most recently spent a season as the Volunteer Assistant Coach at UNC Charlotte where she gained experience in scouting, recruiting, and practice organization. She coordinated logistics for team travel and helped develop the team's social media presence.
 
Before transitioning to coaching, Kreun was an outside hitter at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. During her senior year, she led the Camels with a team best 332 kills, which ranked fifth in the Big South Conference. Kreun was named to the Big South Second-Team after competing in 121 sets over 31 matches.
 
OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO was predicted to finished the 2019 campaign sixth overall in the league, the OVC announced Aug. 15. The Redhawks received 146 points in the poll voted on by OVC coaches and sports information directors. Murray State, the 2018 OVC Champions, were selected to repeat this season and Austin Peay was picked second followed by Morehead State, Jacksonville State and SIUE. The Racers earned 12 first-place votes. Rounding out the poll are UT Martin, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Belmont, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky from seventh through 12th.
 
Redhawks Crushing it in the Classroom 
Southeast racked up multiple academic awards in the offseason. The Redhawks earned a NCAA Public Recognition Award based on their most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rates for the fourth-straight season. SEMO was also awarded their 12th American Volleyball Coaches Association AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2018-2019 season after registering a 3.60 cumulative GPA.
 
Maggie Adams, Madara Bajare, Krista Berns, Haley Bilbruck, Caroline Draver, Keegan Fornoff, Colby Greene, Madeline Grimm, Laney Malloy, Elissa Moylan, Claire Ochs and Annie Wehrheim each were named to the OVC's Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2018-19 academic year after they achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average. 
 
Keegan Fornoff and Madeline Grimm both earned OVC Medal of Honors after they posted perfect 4.0 grade point averages during the 2018-19 academic year.
 
Looking Ahead
After the weekend trip to Tennessee and Kentucky, Southeast returns to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for a four-match homestand at Houck Field House. The Redhawks host Eastern Illinois on Friday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. before facing SIUE Saturday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.