SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (1-2) split its second day of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Saturday at the Hammons Student Center. The Redhawks earned their first victory of 2019 in the morning, a 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-21, 25-22), decision over Jacksonville (0-3) before falling to tournament host Missouri State (2-1), 1-3 (23-25, 16-25, 25-23, 15-25), in the night cap.
Laney Malloy was named to the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational All-Tournament Team for her third career tournament honors. Malloy totaled 45 kills and 30 digs with two double-doubles over three matches at the Invitational.
Southeast bounced back from a 1-0 deficit for their first victory of the campaign in its 10:30 a.m. match against Jacksonville. After dropping the opening set, 24-26, SEMO responded with second, third and fourth sets of 26-24, 25-21, 25-22.
Malloy paced the Redhawks with 20 kills and 10 digs for her second double-double of the year.
Claire Ochs dished out 47 assists and had 14 digs for her third straight double-double dating back to Nov. 15, 2018.
The first two sets of the contest with the Dolphins were highly contested, needing extra frames for a resolution.
Down 15-10 in the opening set, Southeast called a timeout before mounting a 4-0 rally with a kill from Ochs, a block assist from Ochs and
Krista Berns and an ace from
Laney Malloy.
SEMO continued to pressure Jacksonville, cutting the advantage to one, 21-20, on a service ace from
Ally Dion.
Southeast fended off set point with kills from Malloy and Ochs along with a Dolphins error to even the set at 24-24 before Jacksonville closed out the set.
In the second set, the extra innings set went in favor of SEMO. Southeast started the set with a 12-6 lead after an Ochs kill coupled with a pair of Berns aces. The Redhawks increased the margin to 15-7 after consecutive Ochs aces which prompted a Dolphins timeout.
SEMO expanded its advantage to 20-11 with some kills from
Annie Wehrheim (2) and Ochs before Jacksonville pulled within four, 22-18, on a 5-0 run.
Mikayla Kuhlmann knocked a kill to put the score at 24-21 prior to the Dolphins knotting the set at 24-24.
Talia Gouard blasted her third kill of the set to close it out, 26-24. The freshman from Houston, Texas, finished with seven in her second collegiate match.
The third set was tighter from the get-go as both teams traded the lead early and were tied at 5-5, 7-7, 8-8, 10-10 and 11-11. Southeast hit a match high .433 clip in the frame.
A winner from Malloy gave the Redhawks a two-point lead, 19-17, and brought on a Dolphins timeout. She added another to grow the margin to 23-19 before Wehrheim capped off the set with a kill (25-21).
In the final set, a 3-0 run on a kill from Bern and a block by Berns and Ochs pushed the score to 11-8.
Malloy and Berns added consecutive rally stoppers to make the set, 18-16, and a block assist from Berns and Ochs forced a Dolphins timeout at 20-17.
Jacksonville came within a point on a Bailey Foy ace, 20-19, before consecutive kills from Wehrheim and Malloy clinched the victory at 25-22.
Wehrheim finished with 12 kills. Ochs chipped in a career best seven.
Dion paced SEMO with 22 digs.
Tara Beilsmith added 13 and
Emily Boggetto tallied 11.
In the evening's match with Missouri State on ESPN+, the Redhawks jumped out to an 8-3 advantage in the first set. The Bears stormed back with a 5-0 run to tie the frame at 15-15.
MSU then grew its lead to 24-19 before the Redhawks fought off four straight set points. Gouard pounded a kill,
Colby Greene and
Krista Berns combined for a block, Dion placed an ace and Greene connected with a kill in the 4-0 run.
SEMO hit a match high .214 in the opening set but couldn't finish the comeback with a kill from Azyah Green ending the set.
The Redhawks struggled in the second game and couldn't find their footing, as Missouri State extended their lead to 2-0 with a 25-16 set.
SEMO then responded with a 25-23 third set to force a fourth frame. Like the first set, the Redhawks opened with an 8-3 advantage after kills from Malloy and Greene.
Southeast then grew its margin to 19-14 on a 3-0 run that featured a kill from Ochs.
Missouri State tied the frame at 19-19 before the Redhawks took a one point lead, 23-22, on a Kuhlmann rally stopper and benefited from a Bears error.
After a MSU timeout, the Bears evened the set at 23-23 before SEMO sealed the set with a kill from Kuhlmann and an ace from Dion.
Missouri State closed out the match with a 25-15 fourth set.
Greene led Southeast with a career best 14 kills on a .370 hitting clip with three blocks.
Ochs had 33 assists. Beilsmith paced the defense with 13 digs and was inserted at the libero position in the third set.
Southeast next hosts Jackson State, Western Illinois and Evansville at the Redhawks Invitational Sept. 6-7 to open its home slate at Houck Field House. SEMO faces Jackson State (12:30 p.m.) and WIU (7 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 6 before closing out the tournament against Evansville on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m.
