2021 Season Opener
Match #1
DePaul
vs. Southeast Missouri
Match Information
Date: Friday, Aug. 27, 2021
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Venue: Renaissance Coliseum
First Serve: 3 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: DePaul leads the all-time series 5-0
Last Meeting: 3-2 DePaul Win | Aug. 30, 2019 | Missouri State's Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
 
Match #2
Southeast Missouri
at Bradley
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Venue: Renaissance Coliseum
First Serve: 12:30 p.m., CT
All-Time Regular-Season Series: SEMO leads the all-time series 5-3
Last Meeting: 3-2 SEMO Win | Sept. 18, 2015 | Peoria, Ill.
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
Live Video: ESPN+

Match #3
Central Michigan
vs. Southeast Missouri
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021
Location: Peoria, Ill.
Venue: Renaissance Coliseum
First Serve: 4:30 p.m., CT
All-Time Regular-Season Series: SEMO and Central Michigan are tied in the all-time series 1-1
Last Meeting: 3-1 Central Michigan Win | Sept. 10, 2016 | Valparaiso's Popcorn Classic
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
 
Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
 
Redhawks Open 2021 Campaign this Weekend at Bradley's CEFCU Invitational
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball will commence its 2021 season this weekend at Bradley's CEFCU Invitational in Peoria, Illinois, at the Renaissance Coliseum. SEMO will face DePaul in Friday's opener at 3 p.m., CT before concluding the tournament Saturday against Invitational host, Bradley, and Central Michigan. Saturday's match times are set for 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Bradley match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• Saturday's match against Bradley will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Blue Demons
DePaul defeated Illinois State, 3-1, in exhibition competition. The Blue Demons registered a 6-5 mark (3-5 BIG EAST) in 2020-21. DePaul returns 13 letter winners and all but one starter from that team. DePaul was selected to finish sixth this season in the BIG EAST preseason poll.
 
Braves
Bradley beat UIC in exhibition play, 3-0. The Braves finished the 2020-21 regular season with a league-high 12 conference wins (12-7); marking the second time in three years the Braves won at least 12 Missouri Valley contests. Bradley returns a pair of 2020-21 First Team All-MVC picks with senior setter Kora Kauling and senior outside hitter Hannah Thompson. The Braves were picked to finish fourth in the MVC preseason coaches' poll with Thompson selected to the All-MVC preseason team.
 
Chippewas
Central Michigan won their exhibition match against Grand Valley, 3-1. Central Michigan was selected to finish first in the Mid-American Conference West Division. Lisbeth Rosario-Martinez and Savannah Thompson were both named to the MAC West All-Preseason team. CMU went 11-11 during the 2020-21 season.
 
Series History
Blue Demons
DePaul leads the all-time series with SEMO, 5-0. The two teams last met in 2019 at Missouri State's Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational in Springfield, Missouri, on Aug. 30, 2019 with the Blue Demons edging the Redhawks, 3-2.
 
Braves
SEMO leads the all-time series with Bradley, 5-3. The Redhawks most recently beat the Braves, 3-2, on Sept. 18, 2015. SEMO has won the last three meetings with Bradley including the past two in Peoria, Illinois.
 
Chippewas
SEMO and Central Michigan are tied in the all-time series, 1-1. The two teams last competed in 2016 at Valparaiso's Popcorn Classic on Sept. 10, 2016, with CMU winning, 3-1.
 
Oh Captains, My Captains
Head coach Julie Yankus announced Thursday 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.
 
It's Been Awhile…
SEMO will play in its first non-conference tournament since the Beale Street Challenge held Sept. 20-21, 2019, at Memphis, after the 2020-21 season was conference-only. The Redhawks won two of their four non-conference tournaments in 2019 including the Beale Street Challenge and the Redhawks Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Sept. 6-7.
 
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. Laney Malloy led the Redhawks in the exhibition with 13 kills and 10 digs while also compiling two assists, two aces and two block assists. Claire Ochs ran the offense with a match-high 37 assists with six kills, four digs and four blocks. Libero Tara Beilsmith paced the SEMO defense with 23 digs and three aces.
 
SEMO Schedule
The Redhawks will play 30 regular-season matches along with an exhibition to start the season. The schedule features four non-conference tournaments including two in Cape and a full 18-match Ohio Valley Conference slate. The Redhawks will host 16 home contests (including an exhibition) in 2021.
 
The Redhawks open the 2021 campaign Aug. 27-28 at Bradley's CEFCU Invitational. SEMO will face DePaul to commence the season on Friday, Aug. 27 and take on host, Bradley, and Central Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 28.
 
The Redhawks take on Marshall in their regular-season home opener Sept. 10 at 10:30 a.m. to open the SEMO Invitational.
 
SEMO opens OVC play Sept. 24-25 at Tennessee State in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
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
After the Bradley Tournament, the Redhawks will travel to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to compete in Western Michigan's Discover Kalamazoo Classic, Sept. 3-4. SEMO will take on WMU, Purdue Fort Wayne and Indiana at the tournament. The Redhawks open the Classic against host, Western Michigan, Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. at the University Arena.