2021 OVC Championship First Round
#8 Eastern Illinois (11-17, 4-14 OVC)
vs. #1 Southeast Missouri (23-7, 14-4 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021
Venue: Houck Field House
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads 41-21-1
Last Meeting: 3-0 SEMO Wins | Oct. 8-9, 2021 | Lantz Arena | Charleston, Illinois.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ (Alex Gould and Graham Doty)
Tickets
 
Media Coverage
2021 OVC Championship Tournament Central
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
Game Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
Top-Seeded Redhawks Set to Host #8 Eastern Illinois in First Round of 2021 OVC Championship Tournament Thursday
Top-seeded Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (23-7, 14-4 OVC), the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Regular-Season Co-Champions, will host #8 Eastern Illinois (11-17, 4-14 OVC) and the league for the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament Thursday through Saturday at Houck Field House. SEMO opens its tournament run Thursday in the opening round at 6 p.m., CT against EIU.
 
SEMO is the fourth of four matches set for the First Round Thursday. Match times Thursday are set for 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. The Semifinals will be contested Friday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. followed by the Championship Final on Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for all seven matches of the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament on SEMORedhawks.com
• Live video for all of the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament matches will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-match updates all season long.
 
OVC Championship Tournament History
Southeast is 30-21 at the OVC Championship Tournament dating back to 1991 and 4-0 as the no. 1 seed from 1998 on.
 
Against Eastern Illinois, the Redhawks are 3-1 at the OVC Championship Tournament. The Redhawks are 5-1 at home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, (1997, 1999, 2000) with the tournament last held on SEMO's campus in 2000.
 
SEMO was last the no. 1 seed in 2000, beating #4 Austin Peay (15-5, 15-6, 16-14) and #2 UT Martin (15-5, 15-3, 15-9) en route to the Championship in Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri was also the top seed in 1999 and 1997. In 1999, SEMO beat #4 Murray State (15-10, 15-10, 15-11) and #3 Austin Peay (15-12, 15-3, 15-11) for the title.
 
SEMO fell to Eastern Illinois in the 1997 Semifinals (15-12, 16-14, 9-15, 15-5) after beating Tennessee State (15-10, 12-15, 15-5, 15-2) in the quarterfinals in Cape Girardeau.
 
The Redhawks were OVC Championship Tournament Semifinalists during the 2020-21 season, falling to #2 Jacksonville State (25-23, 26-24, 25-18) as the third seed.  
 
SEMO went 3-0 at the OVC Championship Tournament in 2019 to capture the Redhawks sixth title and first since 2006.
 
Prior to 2019, SEMO also won the OVC Tournament Championship in 2006, 2000, 1999, 1998 and 1994.
 
Scouting the Panthers
Eastern Illinois is the eighth seed in the OVC Tourney and will be making its first trip since 2017. The Panthers split their final regular-season series at home against Austin Peay. EIU bested the Governors in four on Nov. 12, before falling in four in the finale on Nov. 13.
 
Sara Thomas is in her second season as the head coach at Eastern Illinois. Sara Thomas is the sister of former SEMO assistant coach, Carly Thomas (2018).
 
Series History
SEMO leads the all-time series with Eastern Illinois, 41-21-1, and swept the Panthers in both of the 2021 regular-season meetings in Charleston, Illinois.
 
Claire Ochs led the Redhawks with 59 assists (9.83 assists/set). The Redhawks finished with a hitting clip of .229 over the two matches. Ochs opened the series with 30 assists in the Friday matchup as SEMO hit at a rate of .274. She finished the weekend with 29 assists and 10 digs in the series finale. Offensively, Ochs totaled eight kills on a .412 clip with just one error over the weekend. She also totaled 15 digs to complete the weekend in Charleston, Illinois.
 
Tara Beilsmith led the SEMO defense with 27 digs. Beilsmith accumulated 14 and 13 digs, respectively in the two road matches. She also totaled five assists over the two matches including three in the finale.
 
Colby Greene posted 19 kills (.302) and Laney Malloy finished with 17 over the two matches.
 
Megan Harris totaled 18 digs (3.00 digs/set) and nine service aces (1.50 aces/set). Harris opened the series with three aces and seven digs in the opener. She then followed up that performance with a career-best 11 digs and six service aces. Harris made her first two career starts as a Redhawk at EIU. She also totaled three assists and a kill over the two matches.
 
Redhawks From the Land of Lincoln
Four members of the 2021 Southeast Missouri team hail from the state of Illinois. Seniors Ally Dion (Algonquin, Ill.) and Laney Malloy (Roselle, Ill.) along with sophomore Kayla Closset (Naperville, Ill.) are from the suburbs of Chicago while Lexie Smith is a native of Smithton, Illinois, which is in southern Illinois near St. Louis.
 
Redhawks Against the Rest of the Field in 2021
2. Morehead State (2-0) – SEMO swept the Eagles, 3-0, in both of its regular-season matches Nov. 12-13 to claim a share of the 2021 OVC Regular-Season Championship at Houck Field House. With the head-to-head tiebreak, SEMO earned the right to host the tournament.
 
3. Austin Peay (2-0) – SEMO beat the Governors twice in 2021 with a five set victory on Oct. 28 and a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 29 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
 
4. UT Martin (1-1) – SEMO split its regular-season series with travel partner UT Martin. The visiting team won in each of the contests. UTM beat the Redhawks in five on Sept. 29 in Cape Girardeau, before SEMO bested the Skyhawks in four on Oct. 12.
 
5. Murray State (1-1) – SEMO split its regular-season series at OVC rival Murray State in Murray, Kentucky. The Redhawks bested the Racers in four on Nov. 5 before dropping a 3-0 decision on Nov. 6
 
6. Tennessee Tech (1-1) - SEMO split its regular-season series at Tennessee Tech. The Redhawks won in four in the opener on Oct. 22 before falling in three on Oct. 23 in Cookeville, Tennessee.
 
7. Belmont (2-0) – SEMO swept the Bruins in both matches during the regular-season series Oct. 1-2 at Houck Field House.
 
8. Eastern Illinois (2-0) - SEMO swept the Panthers in both matches during the regular-season series Oct. 8-9 in Charleston, Illinois.
 
OVC Regular-Season Champions
SEMO secured a share of the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Regular-Season title and the top seed in this week's 2021 OVC Championship Tournament with a 25-23, 25-15, 25-18 sweep of Morehead State Nov. 13 on Senior Day at Houck Field House.
 
The Redhawks swept Morehead State in the final regular-season series to secure a share of SEMO's 10th OVC Regular-Season title in program history. The title is SEMO's first since 2007. The Redhawks will host the tournament for the fourth time and first time since 2000. The Redhawks earned the right to host the 2021 OVC Championship Tournament with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles.
 
SEMO tallied five regular-season sweeps of OVC opponents and nine 3-0 victories.
 
Beasley, Ochs, and Beilsmith Capture OVC Weekly Honors
Zoey Beasley, Claire Ochs and Tara Beilsmith combined for a trio of Ohio Valley Conference Weekly honors, the league announced Monday. Beasley was named the Offensive Player of the Week while Ochs earned Setter of the Week. Beilsmith garnered Defensive Player of the Week. It marked the second time in 2021 that a trio of Redhawks combined for the honors with Laney Malloy, Ochs and Beilsmith receiving the awards on Nov. 1.
 
Beasley led the Redhawks offensively with 32 kills (5.33 kills/set) on a .368 in the final regular-season series. The junior outside hitter from Paragould, Arkansas, tallied 16 kills in each match, hitting .433 and .316 respectively in the two contests. Beasley also compiled four blocks and two digs over SEMO's final regular-season matches.
 
The honor marks the third career weekly honor for Beasley and third in 2021.
 
Ochs ran the Redhawks offense, dishing out 72 assists (12.00 assists/set) and 13 digs (2.17 digs/set) against Morehead State. The Redhawks hit a .300 clip over the two matches including a .316 in the opener and .286 in the finale. The senior setter from Chesterfield, Missouri, passed out 38 assists with five digs and five kills in the opener with Morehead State. She then finished the weekend with 34 assists, eight digs and six kills in the closer. Ochs also totaled 11 kills on a .500 clip with three blocks and two aces over the pair of matches.
 
The honor is the sixth career OVC weekly laurel and fourth career OVC Setter of the Week award for Ochs. It is the fourth time in 2021, Ochs has earned the recognition from the conference.
 
Beilsmith grabbed 40 digs (6.67 digs/set) in the series with Morehead State. The Weldon Spring, Missouri, libero, registered 20 digs in each match over the weekend series. She was also perfect in serve-receive, committing no receiving errors over the two matches. Beilsmith also finished the week with six assists and a service ace.
 
The weekly honor marks the fourth for Beilsmith this season and seventh in her career.
 
20-Plus Win Seasons
With a pair of wins over Morehead State Nov. 12-13, SEMO registered 23 wins for the second time in three seasons. The Redhawks also matched its OVC win mark from the 2020-21 season with 14. Prior to 2020-21, the 2007 SEMO team finished with a mark of 15-5.

With a win over Murray State on Nov. 5, SEMO has now surpassed 20 wins three times with head coach Julie Yankus leading the Redhawks.
 
The Redhawks notched a 23-11 mark in 2019 en route to the OVC Tournament title and were 21-13 in Yankus' second season in 2012.
 
Ochs in 4K
Senior setter Claire Ochs surpassed 4,000 assists in her career as a Redhawk with 29 in the series finale with Murray State on Nov 6. She is the sixth SEMO volleyball player in program history to reach the milestone.
 
Ochs ranks second in SEMO program history (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present) with 4,083 behind Julie Shives (4,601, 2010-13). Overall, Ochs ranks sixth for assists in a single-season at SEMO with 1,164 in 2021. Her career-high for a season is 1,207 assists, which she achieved in 2019 (second in a single-season).
 
Our Libero, Tara Beilsmith, Ladies and Gentlemen
Tara Beilsmith is third in the nation with 595 total digs (first in the OVC) in 2021. She is third in the OVC with 5.31 digs per set (16th in the NCAA). Beilsmith has registered double-digit digs in all but one match in 2021. She notched a career-high 39 digs against Memphis on Sept. 10.
 
In league play, Beilsmith is third with 5.05 digs/set (323 digs).

Ochs Second in the OVC for Assists
Claire Ochs is second in the OVC with 1,164 assists this season, which is also second in the NCAA. Ochs is averaging 10.39 assists/set (third in the OVC). She also ranks 11th in the OVC with 316 digs.
  
Ochs paces the Redhawks with 17 double-doubles in 2021.
 
In league play, Ochs is fourth with 10.48 assists/set (671 assists).
 
Malloy Ranks Top-3 in the OVC
Laney Malloy leads the league in 2021 with 504.5 total points (15th in the NCAA), 38 service aces and 1,315 total attacks. She is second with 443 total kills (15th in the NCAA, 3.96 kills/set, third in OVC), 11.74 attacks per set (19th in the NCAA) and third with 4.50 points per set.
 
Malloy is also 10th in the conference with 320 digs.
 
In OVC play, Malloy ranks first with 3.92 kills/set (251 kills) followed by Zoey Beasley (3.88 kills/set, third, 248 kills, third). Malloy is also the conference leader for points (4.45 points/set, 285.0) and eighth for aces (0.30 aces/set, 19 service aces).

Malloy has posted double-digit kills in 25 matches in 2021. She registered a career-best 26 kills to complement 16 digs in the opener with Austin Peay on Oct. 28.
 
Malloy notched 25 kills and 23 digs against Memphis (9/10) and finished the tournament with 20 kills and 16 digs versus Arkansas State (9/11). Malloy opened the Redhawks Invitational with 23 kills and 10 digs on a .457 clip against Tulsa (9/17).
 
The Beas Knees
Junior outside hitter Zoey Beasley is second on the Redhawks with 384 kills (3.43 kills/set, fifth in the OVC) in 2021, which ranks fourth in the OVC. She is also sixth in the league with 418.5 points and seventh with 1,022 total attacks.
 
In league play, she is third for kills (3.88 kills/set, 248 kills) and fourth for points (4.20 points/set, 269.0 total points).

Beasley had a career best 25 kills in the opener with Austin Peay on Oct. 28.

Beasley also tallied 21 kills to close the regular-season series with UT Martin Oct. 12 on a .388 percentage. She also notched 11 kills on a .478 in the series opener with EIU on Oct. 8 before 14 on a .345 clip in the finale on Oct. 9.

Beasley was named to her first career all-tournament team at the Redhawks Invitational and started the Invitational with 14 kills on a .300 rate against Tulsa (Sept. 17).
 
Beasley commenced the CEFCU Invitational with her first career double-double of 20 kills and 10 digs against DePaul in the season opener on Aug. 27. She also belted a career-best 21 kills on a .341 hitting percentage with six digs at Western Michigan (Sept. 3).
 
Our Favorite Color Besides Red is Greene
Redshirt-junior rightside hitter Colby Greene is third on SEMO offensively with 282 kills. She ranks 16th in the OVC with 2.54 kills per set.
 
She posted 14 kills in the final regular-season series against Morehead State Nov. 12-13.
 
She knocked a career-best 23 kills on a .283 clip with three digs in the first meeting with UT Martin (Sept. 29) in 2021. Greene also finished with 19 kills in the series with Belmont (Oct. 1-2) including 12 on a .611 rate in the finale.
 
Greene concluded SEMO's non-conference slate with 11 kills against Tulsa (Sept. 17) and 10 kills versus Central Arkansas (Sept. 18) to earn her first career all-tournament team honor.
 
Greene opened the 2021 campaign with 17 kills on a .245 clip against DePaul (8/27). She chipped in 14 kills in both of SEMO's five-set matches against Western Michigan (Sept. 3) and Indiana (Sept. 4).
 
Mack Attack
Mackenzie Meehan, a transfer from Radford, has led the Redhawks blocking in 10 of the last 16 matches. Meehan registered a career-high seven in the series finales at Eastern Illinois (Oct. 9) and at UT Martin (Oct. 12), respectively. She also posted six in the opener with Tennessee Tech (Oct. 22) and series finale with SIUE (Oct. 16).
 
Meehan has started in 10 of the last 16 Redhawk matches. She also compiled a career best six kills with a dig and a block against Belmont on Oct. 1.
 
In OVC play, Meehan is fourth with 1.08 blocks/set (42.0 total blocks).
 
Meehan made her Redhawks debut at the 2021 SEMO Invitational Sept. 10-11. The redshirt-sophomore middle blocker from Crofton, Maryland, finished with three kills and four blocks. She made her first career start at SEMO against Memphis on Sept. 10, tallying two kills and a block.
 
Block Party!!
Talia Gouard (83.0 total blocks, 0.81 blocks/set), Colby Greene (63.0 total blocks, 0.56 blocks/set), Elissa Moylan (55.0 total blocks, 0.71 block/set, Zoey Beasley (53.0 total blocks, 0.47 blocks/set) and Mackenzie Meehan (49.0 total blocks, 1.04 blocks/set) pace the Redhawks in 2021 at the net as SEMO ranks sixth in the league with 224.5 total blocks (2.00 blocks/set, seventh in the OVC).
 
Claire Ochs and Laney Malloy have 38.0 (0.34 blocks/set) and 37.0 (0.33 blocks/set), respectively.
 
Leading the Conference
SEMO leads the OVC for team digs (1,920, fifth in the NCAA, 17.14 digs/set), team service aces (171), match win loss percentage (.767) and opposing hitting percentage (.153, 14th in the NCAA).

SEMO is also second in the conference for aces per set (1.53), hitting percentage (.220), team assists (1,381, ninth in the NCAA), team kills (1,499, ninth in the NCAA) and team total attacks (4,228 fifth in the NCAA).
 
The Redhawks rank third for assists per set (12.33), kills per set (13.38) and attacks per set (37.75).
 
In league play, SEMO is second for hitting percentage (.226), opponent hitting percentage (.153), service aces (1.48 aces/set, 95), digs (16.62 digs/set, 1,064) and kills (13.72 kills/set, 878).
 
Kills Leader
With 43 kills against Austin Peay Oct. 28-29, senior Laney Malloy overtook Krissa Gearring (1,309, 2014-17) for the career kills leader (25-point rally scoring era 2008-present) with 1,366 career kills.
 
Malloy previously surpassed Krissa Gearring (4,066, 2014-17) for first in SEMO program history for total attacks (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present) with 55 total attacks in the series opener at Tennessee Tech Oct. 22. Malloy has 4,406 total attacks in her career and 1,316 in 2021.
 
Overall, Malloy ranks third in SEMO program history as Krista Haukap had 4,921 from 1997-2000.
 
Yankus Notches Her 100th OVC Win
With a win over Tennessee Tech on Oct. 22, head coach Julie Yankus has totaled 100 career wins in conference competitions. She registered 14 in 2021.

Yankus is the second coach in SEMO program history to reach 100 OVC wins as Cindy Gannon totaled 204 from 1989-2004 (SEMO joined the OVC in 1991).
 
Welcome to the 1,000 Dig, 1,000 Kill Club, Laney Malloy
Laney Malloy surpassed 1,000 career digs Sept. 24 in SEMO's win over Tennessee State. She paced the Redhawks with 19 kills and 20 digs to go along with three service aces, two assists and a block in the match.
 
Malloy previously overcame 1,000 career kills at Western Michigan's Discover Kalamazoo Classic (Sept. 3-4) and is the first Redhawk since Krissa Gearring (2014-2017) to join the 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs club.
 
Malloy ranks ninth at SEMO in program history with 1,174 career digs and first for career kills with 1,366.

1,000 Digs Club
Both senior setter Claire Ochs and junior libero Tara Beilsmith surpassed 1,000 career digs Sept. 10-11 at the 2021 SEMO Invitational. Ochs has 1,198 in her career to complement 4,083 career assists.
 
Beilsmith has 1,399 career digs as a Redhawk. She is fifth all-time for career digs in the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008-present) followed by Ochs who is seventh.
 
Yankus Hits 150 Wins at SEMO
With two wins at the SEMO Invitational (Sept. 10-11), head coach Julie Yankus hit 150 in her career at SEMO.
 
She ranks third in program history for wins behind Cindy Gannon (366, 1989-2004) and Lana Flynn (Richmond) (203, 1982-1988).
 
Non-Conference Recap
SEMO notched a 9-3 non-conference record with a pair of tournament titles at Bradley's CEFCU Invitational (Aug. 27-28) and at the Redhawks Invitational (Sept. 17-18).
 
The Redhawks compiled wins over DePaul, Bradley, Central Michigan, Purdue Fort Wayne, Marshall, Memphis, Tulsa, Southern Illinois and Central Arkansas.
 
SEMO fell in five sets at Western Michigan, against the Big Ten's Indiana, and Arkansas State.
 
Laney Malloy was named to the all-tournament all four weekends including MVP twice. Tara Beilsmith (2), Claire Ochs, Zoey Beasley and Colby Greene each were selected to all-tournament teams.
  
Oh Captains, My Captains
Head coach Julie Yankus announced Aug. 26 SEMO's three captains for the 2021 season. Senior outside hitter Laney Malloy, senior setter Claire Ochs and junior libero Tara Beilsmith will lead this year's team. Malloy and Ochs have been Redhawks captains since the 2019 season. For Beilsmith, it is her first season as captain.

Missouri Baptist Exhibition Recap
SEMO opened its 2021 season with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-18) exhibition victory over Missouri Baptist, the 2021 NAIA National Champions, on Aug. 12.  
    
2020-21 Season Recap
The Redhawks finished with a 14-3 overall record in 2020-21. SEMO posted a 14-2 record in OVC play for third in the league and the no. 3 seed at the 2020-21 OVC Championship Tournament.
 
After dropping their opening weekend at Jacksonville State, SEMO went on a 14-match win streak with seven series victories. SEMO's 14 league wins in 2020-21 are the most in the past 13 seasons as the 2007 SEMO team finished with a mark of 15-5.
 
The Redhawks' OVC winning percentage of .875 was the highest since 2000, when SEMO was perfect in league play, 16-0 (1.000). SEMO last finished an OVC slate with a record of 14-2 in 1995.
  
Team Makeup
The Redhawks return 15 letterwinners and all but one starter from the 2020-21 squad. Defensive specialist Ally Dion and All-OVC outside hitter, Laney Malloy, both return for their fifth-year senior seasons along with true seniors, All-OVC setter, Claire Ochs, Elissa Moylan and Caroline Draver.
 
Other top returners include juniors Tara Beilsmith (starting libero, 2019 All-OVC player), Talia Gouard (starting middle blocker), Colby Greene (starting right side) and Zoey Beasley (starting outside hitter).
 
Malloy led the Redhawks offensively in the spring with 226 kills (3.83 kills per set) for 2020-21 All-OVC First-Team honors. Greene was second on SEMO with 155 kills (2.63 kills/set) and Beasley ranked third on the squad with 153 (2.78 kills/set). Gouard was fourth with 99 kills (1.68 kills/set).
 
Dion was fourth in the OVC for service aces with 23 (0.39 aces per set). She was also ninth in the conference with 216 total digs (team-high). Malloy was second on the team with 186 digs followed by Beilsmith (163) and Ochs (155).
 
Ochs was third in the OVC for assists with 608 (10.31 assists/set) for 2020-21 All-OVC First-Team and All-Tournament Team laurels.
 
The 2021 roster features 10 upperclassmen and two newcomers in freshmen Megan Harris (defensive specialist/libero) and Avery Torrey (rightside hitter).
 
The team also includes nine OVC Tournament Champions from the 2019 season.
 
Academic Excellence
Colby Greene, Izzy Lukens, Addy McAleer and Elissa Moylan earned perfect 4.0 GPAs during the 2020-21 academic year and were named Ohio Valley Conference Academic Medals of Honor recipients.
 
SEMO volleyball also had 13 student-athletes listed on the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2020-21 academic year. Maggie Adams, Zoey Beasley, Tara Beilsmith, Kayla Closset, Caroline Draver, Talia Gouard, Colby Greene, Izzy Lukens, Laney Malloy, Addy McAleer, Elissa Moylan, Claire Ochs and Kylie Plant all notched at least a 3.25 grade point average in 2020-21.
 
Looking Ahead
With a win over #8 Eastern Illinois, SEMO would face the winner of #4 UT Martin and #5 Murray State Friday in the 2021 OVC Championship Semifinals. First service is set for 6 p.m., CT in the second of two semifinals.