CHARLESTON, Ill. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (12-2, 12-2 OVC) captured the third seed in the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Championship with a 25-22, 25-13, 25-22 win over Eastern Illinois (2-12, 2-12 OVC) Monday at Lantz Arena.
 
With the victory, SEMO extended its win streak to 12 and secured its sixth regular-season series sweep. The Redhawks have now posted six 3-0 sweeps this season.
 
Colby Greene paced the SEMO attack with 13 kills on a rate of .375. Talia Gouard chipped in a career-high 10 kills with two blocks on a .714 hitting clip. Laney Malloy added nine kills and four digs.
 
Claire Ochs compiled 36 assists with 10 digs for her eighth double-double of the campaign as SEMO finished with a .277 hitting percentage.
 
The Redhawks opened the match with a 7-2 advantage that grew to 16-9 after a block assist from Maggie Adams and Colby Greene followed by an Ally Dion service ace.
 
Gouard then knocked a kill before Kayla Closset placed a service ace to push the lead to 19-11. Malloy added a rally stopper to make the score, 20-12.
 
An 8-1 run by the Panthers cut the SEMO edge to 21-20. Greene then slammed a pair of kills to bring the SEMO margin to 23-21.
 
Malloy sealed the first frame win with a kill after an EIU service error, 25-22. SEMO hit a match-high .400 in the opening set. Malloy had five kills in the first set, connecting at a rate of .400.
 
The Redhawks then started the second set with a 4-0 lead that prompted an early Panthers timeout. Out of the break, SEMO would widen the gap to 20-7.
 
Kills by Lexie Smith and Greene followed by a solo block from Greene increased the lead to 23-9. Greene knocked another kill to bring on set point at 24-10 and then won the set for SEMO with another rally stopper, 25-13.
 
Greene had five kills during the frame on a .333 hitting clip. 
 
Greene (6) and Gouard (5) then combined for 11 kills in the final set to secure the victory for SEMO.
 
EIU opened the set with a 5-1 lead that SEMO cut to 8-7 after a winner from Gouard.
 
Back-to-back kills from Ireland Hieb gave Eastern Illinois a 13-9 lead before a 6-1 run by the Redhawks brought the lead back in favor of SEMO, 15-14.
 
Kameryn Sillmon then knotted the frame at 15-15 with a kill. SEMO responded with a 4-0 rally that featured kills from Greene, Ochs and Gouard along with a service ace by Addy McAleer.
 
The Panthers clawed within a point before consecutive kills by Gouard made the scoreboard read 21-18.
 
Malloy added a pair of winners to bring the SEMO lead to 23-21.
 
Hannah Sieg and Hieb would combine for a block assist before the Redhawks claimed the victory with a 25-22 third stanza. SEMO concluded the match with a .302 hitting percentage in the third set.
 
Libero Ally Dion led the defense with 11 digs and an assist. Closset chipped in five digs and McAleer finished with four.
 
SEMO outscored the Panthers, 59-39, and led the kill differential, 43-32.
 
The Redhawks also tallied eight aces compared to EIU's two. Dion and Izzy Lukens both notched a pair. Ochs, Closset, Malloy and McAleer each had one.
 
SEMO out blocked Eastern Illinois, 8-5. Greene led the Redhawks with a season-high five blocks. Adams added four and Beasley had two.
 
Laurel Bailey led the Panthers with 13 kills. Danielle Allen added nine as EIU hit a percentage of .165.
 
Bailey Chandler had 26 assists and 10 digs to pace the Panthers in both statistics. Christina Martinez Mundo added 10 digs.
 
SEMO will next wrap up its 2020-21 regular season March 28 and 29 at home at Houck Field House against Murray State. The Redhawks will recognize seniors Maggie Adams, Ally Dion and Laney Malloy on March 29.  Match times are set for 7 p.m., CT and 2 p.m. in the Sunday and Monday matchup with the Racers.