Match #15 | OVC #3
UT Martin (5-10, 1-1 OVC)
vs. Southeast Missouri (10-4, 1-1 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Venue: Houck Field House
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads 65-22
Last Meeting: March 7-8, 2021 | SEMO 3-0 Wins | Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Tickets 
 
Match #16 | OVC #4
Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC)
vs. Southeast Missouri (10-4, 1-1 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Oct. 1, 2021
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Venue: Houck Field House
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO and Belmont are tied 7-7
Last Meeting: Feb. 21-22, 2021 | SEMO 3-1 Wins | Nashville, Tenn.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Tickets 
 
Match #17 | OVC #5
Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC)
vs. Southeast Missouri (10-4, 1-1 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Oct. 1, 2021
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Venue: Houck Field House
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Tickets 
 
Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri 
Match Notes: Belmont
 
Redhawks Host UT Martin and Belmont in Three-Match Week
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (10-4, 1-1 OVC) will host UT Martin (5-10, 1-1 OVC) and Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC) this week for a trio of Ohio Valley Conference matches at Houck Field House.
 
SEMO will face UT Martin, its OVC travel partner, in mid-week action Wednesday at 6 p.m., CT on National Coffee Day. The first 200 fans at Houck Field House will receive a $5 gift card for The Ground-A-Bout coffee shop in downtown Cape and Jackson.
 
The Redhawks conclude the week with a weekend series against Belmont Friday and Saturday. Match times are set for 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. in SEMO's second OVC series of the season.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Wednesday, Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• Live video for all three matches will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-match updates all season long.
 
Promotions
• Wednesday is National Coffee Day
• The first 200 fans at Houck Field House get a $5 gift card for The Ground-A-Bout coffee shop in downtown Cape and Jackson
 
Series History
Skyhawks
SEMO leads the all-time series with UT Martin, 65-22.
 
The Redhawks swept the series during the 2020-21 season with a pair of 3-0 wins March 7-8, 2021 at Houck Field House. The two wins pushed SEMO's win streak to eight during the 2020-21 campaign.
 
SEMO has won the last four meetings between the two institutions.
 
Bruins
SEMO and Belmont are tied 7-7 in their all-time series between the two schools. The Redhawks won both meetings in 2020-21 with a pair of 3-1 wins Feb. 21-22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
SEMO has won the last four meetings with Belmont with the last three in 3-1 decisions in the Music City. The Redhawks last met the Bruins in Cape Girardeau, on Oct. 19, 2018, a 3-0 sweep for SEMO.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Skyhawks
UT Martin split its opening OVC series at Belmont in Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 24-25. The Bruins took the opener, 3-1, before UTM swept Belmont, 3-0.
 
Olivia Saunders led the Skyhawks with 19 kills (2.71 kills/set) over the two matches. Haeleigh Paulino passed out 50 assists (7.14 assists/set) while Baillie Kearns paced the defense with 22 digs (3.14 digs/set). Zoe Merriweather tallied 10 kills (2.00 kills/set) with 11 total blocks (2.20 blocks/set).
 
The Skyhawks went 4-9 in non-conference play with wins over Alabama A&M, Arkansas-Pine-Bluff, Memphis and Middle Tennessee on Sept. 21 (3-0).
 
UTM was pegged to finish sixth in the OVC in 2021 with Logan Wallick on the 2021 Preseason All-OVC Team. The Skyhawks host Eastern Illinois Friday and Saturday in Martin, Tennessee.
 
Bruins
Belmont went 2-1 in its opening week of OVC play with a win over Tennessee State on Sept. 21 and a split of its series with UT Martin, Sept. 24-25.
 
Taylor Floyd erupted for 17 kills and 10 digs in the OVC opener with TSU. Laura Shoopman led the way with 17 kills on a .368 hitting mark with 14 digs in the series opener with UTM.
 
Belmont was selected to place eighth in the league this season with Floyd on the 2021 Preseason All-OVC Team.
 
Malloy Named OVC Offensive Player of the Week for Second-Straight Week
Laney Malloy was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. For Malloy it is her second-straight week earning the honor from the OVC.
 
Malloy, the reigning Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association Women's Division I National Player of the Week, led the Redhawks offense this past weekend in SEMO's OVC opening series at Tennessee State (Sept. 24-25) with 35 kills (3.89 kills/set) and 32 digs (3.56 digs/set).
 
The Roselle, Illinois, outside hitter, notched 19 kills and 20 digs with two assists in the 2021 OVC opener. Malloy then concluded the weekend with 16 kills and 12 digs in the series finale on Sept. 25.
 
She also totaled three assists, six aces and two blocks over the two matches with TSU.
 
The honor marks the fourth career weekly honor for Malloy and second-straight during the 2021 season.
 
Redhawks Split OVC Opening Series at TSU
SEMO split its 2021 OVC opening series at Tennessee State Sept. 24-25. The Redhawks edged the Tigers in five sets, Sept. 24, before falling 3-1 to TSU on Sept. 25.
 
Claire Ochs led the Redhawks with 79 assists (8.78 assists/set) in their OVC series against Tennessee State this past weekend. She passed out 47 assists with 13 digs in the opener before concluding the weekend with 32 assists and 10 digs. Ochs also finished the week with 23 digs, five kills, an ace and four blocks.
 
Tara Beilsmith led the SEMO defense this past weekend with 39 digs (4.33 digs/set) in its series against Tennessee State. She tallied 19 digs in the series opener before finishing the weekend with 20 to go-along with three aces. Beilsmith also totaled four assists and three aces over the two matches.
 
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 (1070) 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 10th at SEMO in program history with 1,014 career digs and second for career kills with 1,150.

Aces High!!
SEMO concluded non-conference play with consecutive season-highs of 12 aces against Southern Illinois (Sept. 17) and Central Arkansas (Sept. 18). The Redhawks finished that weekend with 30. Tara Beilsmith notched a career-best matching five against SIU and Laney Malloy recorded four versus UCA. Beilsmith, Malloy and Ally Dion each had six aces at the Redhawks Invitational.
 
The Redhawks also tallied 11 in their OVC opener with TSU on Sept. 24. Malloy had three while Dion, Kayla Closset and Izzy Lukens each had two.
 
SEMO is second in the conference (40th in the NCAA) with 76 aces in 2021 and fourth for aces per set (1.58).

Redhawks Debut for Nwagbuo
Sophomore outside hitter/rightside hitter Nwakaego Nwagbuo made her Redhawks debut this past weekend at Tennessee State on Sept. 25. The Tampa, Florida, native, finished with a kill and a dig.
    
Our Libero, Tara Beilsmith, Ladies and Gentlemen
Tara Beilsmith is first in the nation with 311 total digs (first in the OVC) in 2021. She is also third in the OVC with 5.46 digs per set (11th in the NCAA).
 
Beilsmith is also second in the OVC with 18 service aces.

Ochs Leads the OVC for Assists
Claire Ochs paces the league with 571 assists this season (eighth in the NCAA), averaging 10.02 assists/set (second in the OVC). She also ranks eighth in the OVC with 161 digs.
  
Ochs paces the Redhawks with Laney Malloy, with nine double-doubles in 2021.
 
Malloy Ranks Top-3 in the OVC
Laney Malloy leads the league in 2021 with 678 total attacks and 25 service aces (0.44 aces/set). She is second in the OVC with 227 kills. Malloy is also third for attacks per set (11.89), kills per set (3.98), points per set (4.60). Malloy is ninth in the conference with 160 digs.

Malloy has posted double-digit kills in all 14 matches in 2021. She registered a career-best 25 kills to complement 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 165 kills (2.89 kills/set) in 2021, which ranks fifth in the OVC. She is also seventh in the league with 182.5 points and 466 total attacks.
 
Beasley opened OVC play with 16 kills (.289 hitting clip) and 13 kills this past weekend at Tennessee State Sept. 24-25.
 
She 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 (9/17).
 
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 134 kills (2.35 kills/set). She opened OVC play with 10 kills this past weekend at Tennessee State Sept. 24-25.
 
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).
 
The Blocking Duo of TG and Liss-Ness
Talia Gouard (44.0 total blocks) and Elissa Moylan (41.0 total blocks) pace the Redhawks in 2021 at the net as SEMO ranks second in the league with 116.5 total blocks (2.04 blocks/set, sixth in the OVC).
 
Colby Greene has chipped in 36.0 total blocks while Zoey Beasley has 25.0 followed by Laney Malloy (17.0).
 
Leading the Conference
SEMO leads the OVC for team assists (671), team digs (992), team kills (725), team total attacks (2,133) and team service aces (94). The Redhawks are third in the nation with team digs and are ninth for total attacks.
 
SEMO is also second in the conference for opposing hitting percentage (.147), and aces per set (1.65). The Redhawks rank third for assists per set (11.77), digs per set (17.40) and kills per set (12.72).

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 1,043 in her career to complement 3,490 career assists.
 
Beilsmith has 1,115 career digs as a Redhawk. She is eighth all-time for career digs in the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008-present) followed by Ochs who is ninth.

Mack Attack
Mackenzie Meehan, a transfer from Radford, compiled a career-best five kills, two digs and two blocks at Tennessee State on Sept. 25.
 
Meehan made her Redhawks debut at the 2021 SEMO Invitational Sept. 10-11. The redshirt-junior 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.
 
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.
  
Yankus Hits 150 Wins at SEMO
With two wins at the SEMO Invitational, head coach Julie Yankus hit 150 while at the helm of SEMO.
  
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.  
 
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.
   
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
SEMO next hits the road for a three-match stretch. The Redhawks head to Charleston, Illinois, for a weekend series with Eastern Illinois, Oct. 8-9 before completing the home-and-home series with travel partner, UT Martin, Oct. 12 in Martin, Tennessee.