CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (22-7, 13-4 OVC) swept Ohio Valley Conference leader Morehead State (18-10 14-3 OVC), 25-22, 25-23, 25-23, Friday to open Senior Weekend at Houck Field House.
 
SEMO handed the Eagles its third loss in OVC play Friday and are now a win away from grabbing a share of the regular-season title Saturday. The Redhawks also ended MSU's 14-match winning streak.
 
Zoey Beasley led the Redhawks offense with 16 kills to go along with three blocks and a pair of digs on a .433 hitting percentage.
 
Talia Gouard added eight kills, seven blocks and an ace on a .400 clip. Colby Greene finished with seven kills, batting a .318.
 
Gouard paced the Redhawks in the opening set with four kills and four blocks on a .667 as SEMO jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a 25-22 win.
 
SEMO trailed early 10-5 before pulling within one at the media timeout, 15-14.
 
Each set Friday would feature a 15-14 score line at the media timeout with the Redhawks leading at the break in the second set.
 
The Eagles utilized a 7-2 run to extend their margin to 21-16.
 
After a Redhawks timeout, SEMO seized the first set, 25-22, on a 9-1 rally including the final eight points.
 
Laney Malloy knocked a kill before teaming up with Gouard for a block assist to cut the deficit to 22-20. Ally Dion then placed an ace to knot the set at 22-22 before Gouard had a hand in the final three Redhawks points.
 
The junior middle blocker from Houston, Texas, registered a pair of kills that book ended a block assist with Claire Ochs.
 
SEMO hit a match-high .364 in the first set.
 
The second frame featured 11 ties in a back and forth affair. The Redhawks had a slight 10-7 lead after a Morehead State error.
 
Greene knocked a kill as SEMO went to the media timeout up 15-14.
 
Elissa Moylan and Beasley combined for a block to make the edge, 20-19.
 
Rally stoppers by Olivia Lohmeier, the two-time OVC Player of the Year, and Taylor Hodges retied the set at 20-20 and 21-21.
 
Gouard and Greene added a block before a MSU error brought the score to 23-21.
 
The Eagles tied the set once again with a pair of points before SEMO claimed the set with kills by Ochs and Beasley.
 
Beasley knocked six kills in both the second and third sets on .556 and .417 rates, respectively.
 
Morehead State hit at a rate of .300 compared to the Redhawks' .278 in set #2 Friday.
 
SEMO concluded the match with a .311 and finished Friday with an overall hitting percentage of .316.
 
The Redhawks commenced the third set with a 10-6 lead after kills by Malloy, Gouard and Ochs.
 
The Eagles responded with a 3-0 run to switch the lead to 14-12 and had a 15-14 edge at the media stoppage.
 
Abby Hulsman connected on a kill to provide Morehead State a 19-17 advantage.
 
SEMO then tied the set at 19-19 after a couple of Eagles errors.
 
Morehead State then widened the gap to 22-19 after a 3-0 run.
 
SEMO continued to fight and came within a point of match point, 23-22, with a 4-0 rally. Ochs and Beasley each had two kills during the sequence.
 
Lohmeier added another kill before the Redhawks sealed the victory with rally stoppers from Beasley and Greene.
 
SEMO out blocked the Eagles, 9-1, Friday and had a 5-3 lead in aces.
 
Moylan (.364) chipped in five kills and Malloy tallied four with six digs.
 
Ochs passed out 38 assists to go along with five kills (.500) and five digs.
 
Tara Beilsmith scooped up 20 digs with a pair of assists. Dion added eight digs with a season-best matching three aces and two assists.
 
Kayla Closset finished with four digs and two assists.
 
Lohmeier led Morehead State with 16 kills and six digs on a .324 followed by McKenzee Wagener (11 kills, .529) and Hulsman (10 kills). Bridget Bessler tallied 43 assists and eight digs. Allison Whitten had 17 digs.
 
SEMO closes out the 2021 OVC regular season Saturday afternoon at Houck Field House. First service is set for 2 p.m., CT for Senior Day. SEMO will recognize seniors Ally Dion, Laney Malloy, Elissa Moylan, Claire Ochs and Caroline Draver prior to the match.
 
The Redhawks can claim a share of the regular-season title and the top-seed in the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament with another victory over the Eagles.