MARTIN, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (8-2, 8-2 OVC) secured the regular-season sweep of UT Martin (5-5, 5-5 OVC) with a 25-21, 25-8, 25-19, victory Monday afternoon at the Skyhawk Fieldhouse. SEMO did not drop a set over the two matches at UT Martin.
With Monday's win, the Redhawks pushed their win streak to eight matches and registered their fourth series sweep of the 2020-21 season.
SEMO has now 3-0 swept its last three matches dating back to Monday, March 1 against SIUE.
Laney Malloy paced the Redhawks offense with 13 kills and eight digs on a .333 hitting clip.
Zoey Beasley and
Colby Greene each tallied seven kills and three digs. Greene connected at a rate of .500 with no errors.
Claire Ochs posted 28 assists in the victory with eight digs, two blocks, two aces and two kills. The Redhawks hit a season-high .374 Monday behind a .400 and .500 final two sets.
SEMO opened the match with a 5-2 lead that grew to 10-6 after a service ace from
Kayla Closset.
Closset led the Redhawks at the service line with three aces to complement three digs and a kill.
A 5-0 run from the Skyhawks provided the home team a slight 11-10 edge.
SEMO would then respond with its own 5-0 run to retake the lead, 15-11. Malloy had three kills and
Izzy Lukens served consecutive aces during the stretch.
Lukens, a freshman setter from Omaha, Nebraska, also notched her first three career assists Monday.
Kills from Greene widened the margin to 18-13 and then 19-14.
The Skyhawks would come within two (19-17) and then a point 21-20 after a kill from Olivia Lucia.
UTM then committed consecutive errors to provide SEMO a 23-20 lead. Malloy posted a kill before a block assist from Ochs and
Maggie Adams secured the set at 25-21.
SEMO then dominated the Skyhawks in the middle set. The Redhawks lead opened at 6-1 before increasing to 12-3.
A kill from Beasley then made the score 14-4. UTM halved the deficit to 14-7 after a 3-0 run.
SEMO then concluded the match on an 11-1 rout. During an 8-0 rally that pushed the advantage to 22-7, Malloy and Gouard each registered a pair of kills while Closset placed a pair of aces.
Elissa Moylan slammed a kill before joining Adams at the net for a block assist to make the score 24-8.
Laney Malloy then captured the set with a kill off an assist from Lukens.
In the final set, Logan Wallick hit a kill to even the frame at 7-7 before the Redhawks went on 3-0 run to take a 10-7 lead.
UTM would then knot the set at 10-10 after a 3-0 run of its own. Gouard knocked a kill before consecutive aces from
Ally Dion widened the margin to 16-12 Redhawks.
A kill from Ochs courtesy of Dion along with a block assist by the junior setter and Adams extended the SEMO advantage to 20-14.
Closset would add a kill to bring on match point at 24-17 and the Redhawks would claim the victory after a Skyhawk error.
SEMO out blocked UT Martin, 8-1, in the contest. Adams had four while Malloy and Gouard each chipped in three.
The Redhawks matched a season-high 11 aces in the match.
Tara Beilsmith led the SEMO defense with 15 digs along with three assists and a service ace. Dion added five.
Wallick led the Skyhawks with 10 kills. Kenzie Hinshaw passed out 27 assists as UTM hit at a pace of .109. Karen Scanlon and Baillie Kearns each finished with 22 digs.
SEMO next returns home to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for a showdown with Austin Peay (8-2, 8-2) on Sunday and Monday at Houck Field House. Sunday's match is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the series finale on Monday is set for 3 p.m.