MOREHEAD, Ky. – Three Redhawks finished with double-digit kills as Southeast Missouri women's volleyball's (14-15, 9-8 OVC) fifth-set (21-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 8-15) comeback fell short to Morehead State (14-14, 10-7 OVC) Friday in the series opener at Johnson Arena.
Trailing 2-0 in the match, the Redhawks won the third and fourth sets to force a decisive fifth set in the battle of third-place teams in the Ohio Valley Conference standings.
The Redhawks are now tied for fourth in the OVC with Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State at 9-8 while Morehead State is 10-7 for third.
Zoey Beasley led SEMO with a match-high 19 kills on a .273 clip with three digs and a block.
Colby Greene added 12 kills, five blocks and four digs on a .333 hitting percentage while
Kayla Closset finished with a double-double of 10 kills and 13 digs.
The double-double outing was Closset's third straight.
With the five blocks, Greene, a graduate student from North Liberty, Iowa, has now registered 200 career blocks at SEMO.
In the fifth set, Morehead State opened with a 4-1 lead that grew to 8-5 at the changeover.
The Eagles then secured the match on a 6-1 run (15-8).
Irene Wogenstahl notched seven kills on a .667 hitting percentage during the final set as Morehead State hit a match-best .409 in set #5.
Down 2-0, SEMO responded with its best set of the day, hitting .283 in the third frame.
SEMO commenced on a 7-3 lead that Morehead State knotted at 10-10 after a 5-0 rally.
A kill from
Ramiri Gardner coupled with an Eagles error put SEMO up 16-15. Gardner would add another rally stopper before a MSU error followed by a
Tara Beilsmith ace for a 20-18 edge.
SEMO would then cut the Eagles lead in the match to 2-1 after a 4-1 run (25-20). Closset hit a kill before a trio of winners from Greene followed by a setter kill from
Izzy Lukens.
Closset (.308) and Greene (.455) each had five kills during the third set.
SEMO then evened the match at 2-2 with a 25-19 fourth set. The Eagles commenced the stanza with a 10-5 lead that SEMO would trim to 12-10 and prompt a MSU timeout.
Beasley posted a kill before a Gardner solo block made it a one-point set (16-15).
SEMO then went on 9-1 run for set point at 24-17.
Beasley had five kills during the sequence to go with a
Jenny Shook ace and Gardner block.
Beasley, a senior outside hitter from Paragould, Arkansas, had seven kills on a .417 percentage in the fourth set including set point (25-19).
Morehead State took the initial two sets, 25-21, 25-22, before SEMO mounted its comeback attempt.
Abby Hulsman had six kills (.417) in the opening set for MSU. The Eagles went on a 4-0 run to take an 18-13 lead in the first period before a 5-0 Redhawks run cut the margin to 21-19.
A kill from Closset would make the score 24-21 before a rally stopper by Hulsman sealed it.
In the second set, Morehead State utilized a 3-0 run to gain some breathing room, 17-13, before SEMO came within one, 17-16.
Beasley and Closset knocked consecutive kills to keep it a one-point edge, 20-19, before a 4-0 run by the home side.
SEMO fended off set point three times before MSU went up 2-0 after a 25-22 second set.
Gardner finished with six kills, five blocks (three solo) and four digs.
Avery Torrey added five kills with a block and
Lexie Smith had four kills and three blocks.
Lukens dished out a career-best 36 assists with 13 digs, two kills and an ace. Shook tallied 13 assists and 11 digs for her second career double-double to go with an ace.
Beilsmith, this week's OVC Defensive Player of the Week, grabbed 28 digs with four aces and four assists.
Addy McAleer finished with eight digs, an ace, and an assist.
Morehead State out hit the Redhawks .203 to .169. The Eagles also led the blocks category, 15-10, including 13 by Wogenstahl for the double-double with 16 kills.
Four Eagles had double-digit kills Friday paced by Wogenstahl. Bridget Bessler finished with 51 assists and 17 digs with four kills, two aces and two blocks. Peighton Isley had 24 digs as four MSU players had double-digit digs.
SEMO next concludes its 2022 regular-season Saturday against Morehead State. First service is 1 p.m., CT at Johnson Arena.
