Match #27 • OVC #15
Southeast Missouri (12-14, 7-7 OVC)           
vs. SIUE (11-14, 6-8 OVC)       
Match Information
Date: Friday, Nov. 4, 2022
First Serve: 6 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Houck Field House
All-Time Series: SIUE leads the all-time series 13-12, SEMO was 2-0 in 2021
Last Meetings: 3-0 SEMO Win | Oct. 16, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.
3-0 SEMO Win | Oct. 15, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Tickets
 
Match #28 • OVC #16
Southeast Missouri (12-14, 7-7 OVC)           
vs. SIUE (11-14, 6-8 OVC)      
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022
First Serve: 2 p.m., CT
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo
Venue: Houck Field House
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
Tickets

Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
SIUE (PDF)
2022 Southeast Missouri Cumulative Statistics (PDF) | 2022 Southeast Missouri OVC Statistics (PDF)
 
Redhawks Host SIUE on Senior Weekend Friday and Saturday at Houck Field House
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (12-14, 7-7 OVC) will host SIUE (11-14, 6-8 OVC) for Senior Weekend Friday and Saturday at Houck Field House. Match times are set for 6 p.m., CT and 2 p.m. in the Friday-Saturday series. 
 
Friday is 90s Night. Fans will receive 90s inspired t-shirts sponsored by Burrito-Ville, while supplies last. 
 
The Redhawks will honor graduate student Colby Greene for her career at SEMO on Senior Day Saturday, prior to the match. Greene, a rightside hitter from North Liberty, Iowa, has competed in 91 career matches entering this weekend.
 
This weekend will mark SEMO's last regular-season home series as they conclude the 2022 OVC regular-season at Morehead State Nov. 11-12. The Redhawks are currently fifth in the OVC standings while SIUE is tied for sixth in the league with Tennessee State. 
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-match updates all season long.
 
Promotions
• Friday is 90s Night
    -Fans will receive 90s inspired t-shirts sponsored by Burrito-Ville, while supplies last • Saturday is Senior Day
• Saturday is Senior Day
    -The Redhawks will honor the career of graduate student Colby Greene prior to first service.   

Scouting the Opponent
The Cougars are 11-14 (6-8 OVC) in 2022 and head into this week's matchup having lost six of their last seven matches. 
 
SIUE most recently was swept twice by OVC leader UT Martin, Oct. 28-29. Earlier in the week SIUE pulled out a five-set victory over Lindenwood on Oct. 25 in St. Charles, Missouri. 
 
Defensive specialist Nicole Kijowski was named the Ohio Valley Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. Kijowski led the Cougars' defense last week with a combined 64 digs over 11 sets played. She led the Cougars with a team-high 25 digs on Oct. 25 at Lindenwood before collecting double-digit digs on Oct. 28 (21) and Oct. 29 (18) against UT Martin.
 
Kijowski leads SIUE with 421 digs this season, which currently ranks fifth in the conference. 
  
Sydney Hummert led the Cougars with 29 kills over the past week while also adding four blocks and two aces.    
 
Caroline Waite recorded 27 assists in the series against UT Martin, with 17 of those assists coming on Oct. 28. Alyse Drifka also added 27 assists in the Friday-Saturday series with UTM. She recorded a double-double in the win at Lindenwood on Oct. 25 with 21 assists and 10 digs.
 
Series History
SIUE leads the all-time series with SEMO 13-12. 
 
SEMO swept the series last season winning both matches, 3-0, Oct. 15-16, 2021, at Houck Field House in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 
 
Zoey Beasley was awarded OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week, after the series with SIUE. Beasley registered 12 kills on a .400 hitting clip in the opener with SIUE. She wrapped the series against the Cougars with nine kills.
 
Claire Ochs opened the 2021 series with SIUE, tallying 33 assists and seven digs. Ochs concluded the series with the Cougars with 30 assists and six digs. 
 
Tara Beilsmith tallied 13 digs in each of the home matches with SIUE. 
 
Mackenzie Meehan concluded the series against SIUE with six blocks on Oct. 16, 2021. 
 
The Redhawks have won the last four meetings in the series, all in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, including the last three by 3-0 sweep.
  
Last Time Out
SEMO most recently split its series against Lindenwood Oct. 27-28, in St. Charles, Missouri. SEMO fell to Lindenwood in five sets in the opener before evening the series with a 3-2 victory in the finale at Hyland Arena. 
 
Zoey Beasley led the Redhawks this past week with 28 kills (2.80 kills/set) to go with five digs (0.50 digs/set) and five blocks (0.50 blocks/set). She opened the week with 11 kills, three digs and four blocks, while hitting .333 in the series opener with Lindenwood. 
 
Beasley then ended the weekend series, with a match-high 17 kills, two digs and one block on Oct. 28. 
 
Tara Beilsmith led the Redhawks defensively with 47 digs (4.70 digs/set), 17 assists (1.70 assists/set) and four service aces (0.4 aces/set) this past week. Beilsmith opened the week with 27 digs with a career-best matching 10 assists and two aces for her second career double-double. She wrapped up the weekend series, totaling 20 digs with seven assists and two aces. 
  
Kayla Closset posted 14 kills in the opener with Lindenwood, while also finishing with 17 digs, and an assist, for her sixth double-double of the season.
 
Colby Greene added 26 kills in the Lindenwood series (2.60 kills/set), with a .317 percentage. Greene opened the series with 15 kills on a .406 clip with seven digs. Greene then ended the series posting 11 kills. Over the weekend, Greene accumulated 27.5 points (2.75 points/set), eight digs, and three blocks.
 
Izzy Lukens finished the series with 45 assists (4.50 assist/set) and 28 digs. Lukens opened the series with 22 assists and 15 digs with two service aces on Oct. 27. On Oct. 28, Lukens added 23 assists with 13 digs and three service aces. She finished with a pair of double-doubles over the weekend, which brought her total to 11 on the year.
 
Jenny Shook played a pivotal role for the Redhawks on Oct. 28. She registered 15 assists and a career-best nine digs in SEMO's 3-2 series finale victory over Lindenwood on Oct. 28. Shook posted five assists in the final set of the night, including the match-clinching point. 
 
Addy McAleer registered her first career double-double on Oct. 28. She posted 10 kills, along with 11 digs and one assist in the series finale. 

Beilsmith in 2K
With her performance on Oct. 22 against Tennessee Tech, Beilsmith surpassed 2,000 digs in her career as a Redhawk. She is the second Southeast Missouri player to register 2,000-plus career digs and now has 2,056 career digs and 592 in 2022. Beilsmith ranks second all-time in SEMO program history for digs. 
 
Nationally, Beilsmith is second for total digs this season and second with 5.92 digs per set. In OVC play, she leads the conference with 6.19 digs per set (334 digs).
 
In 2022, Beilsmith has tallied 20 or more digs in 11 of the past 13 matches. 
 
This season, Beilsmith has achieved 20 or more digs 18 times, and finished with 30 or more digs four times. 
 
She ranks first overall in the SEMO record books for digs in a single season (660 in 2021, 25-point rally scoring era, 2008 to present). She broke her own record in 2021 after totaling 641 digs for the record as a freshman in 2019.
 
Beilsmith is also second for career digs (25-point rally scoring era, 2008 to present) in the SEMO record books behind Molly Davis (2,223 digs, 2006-09). 
 
Triple-Double!! 
Kaelyn O'Brien registered her first career triple-double on Oct. 18 in the home-and-home series finale at Little Rock. O'Brien finished with 11 kills, 19 assists, three blocks, and a career-best 15 digs. The Woodbridge, Virginia, setter, compiled the first triple-double for SEMO since Julie Shives posted the feat with 46 assists, 10 kills, and 10 digs against Murray State on Sept. 20, 2011.
 
O'Brien, a transfer from Virginia Commonwealth, has nine double-doubles in 2022. In the OVC, she ranks first for triple-doubles and 14th overall in the NCAA. 
 
Where We Rank
The Redhawks lead the league for digs (16.94, 1,694 total digs) and are ranked eighth in the nation in total digs (12th for digs/set). In OVC play, the Redhawks are first with 18.26 digs per set (986 digs). 
 
They also lead the OVC in attacks per set (37.42 attacks/set, 3,742 total attacks) and are ranked fifth in the nation for total attacks.
 
SEMO is also third in the conference for blocks (2.16 blocks/set, 216.5 total blocks, third) and opposing hitting percentage (.191). In OVC play, SEMO is fourth for blocks (2.11 blocks/set, 114.0 total blocks).
 
The Redhawks are also second for aces (139 total aces, 1.39 aces/set, fourth).
 
Mackenzie Meehan is third in the league with 1.12 blocks per set (92 total blocks, fifth in OVC). In OVC play, Meehan is averaging 0.96 blocks per set (48.0 total blocks).
 
Zoey Beasley ranks third in the OVC with 319 total kills (3.19 kills/set, fifth) and 929 total attacks (first). She is also fifth in scoring with 353.0 points. Colby Greene is averaging 2.35 kills per set (14th).
 
In OVC play, Beasley is fourth with 3.50 kills per set (189 kills) and sixth with 3.84 points per set (207.5).
 
Non-Conference Recap 
SEMO fashioned a 5-7 mark during the non-conference portion of its schedule. The Redhawks won a pair of matches (2-1) at their home SEMO Invitational to open the campaign before going 1-2 the next three weeks to wrap non-conference tournament play.
 
Tara Beilsmith was named OVC Defensive Player of the Week three-straight weeks to open the season and earned all-tournament honors twice. Colby Greene and Zoey Beasley also were selected to all-tournament teams. 
 
Beilsmith paced the defense with 258 digs (5.61 digs/set) to go with 59 assists (1.28 assists/set).
 
Greene led the offense with 134 kills (2.98 kills/set) and 150 total points (3.33 points per set). Beasley chipped in 130 kills (2.83 kills/set) with 145.5 points (3.16 points per set).
 
Izzy Lukens led the setter corps with 249 assists (5.41 assists/set) followed by Kaelyn O'Brien (117 assists, 3.77 assists/set) and Jenny Shook (44 assists, 2.93 assists/set).
 
Redhawk Debuts
Newcomers Rachel Eddy, Jenny Shook, Ramiri Gardner, Kaelyn O'Brien along with redshirt freshman Avery Torrey all made their SEMO debuts at the SEMO Invitational (Aug. 26-27). 
 
Taylor Beasley and Kalia Morris both made their Redhawk debuts at the Redbird Classic (Sept. 2-3). Taylor Beasley finished with two digs against Illinois State (Sept. 3). Morris added eight digs and two assists over the three matches. 
 
Eddy posted a service ace against Jackson State (Aug. 27).
 
Shook, a freshman setter from Plainfield, Illinois, compiled 16 assists and eight digs to go with an ace against Jackson State (Aug. 27). Gardner posted a kill against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Aug. 26).
 
Lexie Smith made her first three career starts, finishing with 20 kills (1.67 kills/set) and 10 blocks (0.83 blocks/set). She notched nine kills in the season opener with Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Aug. 26) before adding eight against North Dakota State (Aug. 26). She totaled five kills in each of the final two SEMO matches. 
 
O'Brien, a redshirt junior transfer setter from Virginia Commonwealth (VCU), registered 35 assists (4.38 assists/set) and 12 digs (0.13 digs/set) over two matches. In her SEMO debut, O'Brien posted 12 assists and six digs with four kills against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Aug. 26). O'Brien then added a career best 23 assists with six digs in the night cap against North Dakota State (Aug. 26).
 
Torrey compiled 14 kills over the weekend including five kills and six blocks versus NDSU (Aug. 26) and six kills against Jackson State (Aug. 27). She made her first two career starts against APB (Aug. 26) and NDSU (Aug. 26).
 
Oh Captains, My Captains
Head coach Julie Yankus announced Aug. 24, Zoey Beasley, Tara Beilsmith, Talia Gouard, and Colby Greene were selected as team captains for the 2022 season. For Beilsmith, the 2022 campaign marks her second straight as captain while this year is the first for Beasley, Gouard, and Greene in the leadership role. The group of four was voted captains for the season by their teammates. 
 
2022 OVC Preseason Poll
Three Redhawks were featured on the 2022 Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference Team and for the second straight-year SEMO was selected to finish second in the preseason poll, the league announced Aug. 17. Outside hitter Zoey Beasley, libero Tara Beilsmith, and rightside hitter Colby Greene were all selected to the 2022 Preseason All-OVC Team.
 
SEMO received seven first-place votes and 145 total points for second in the predicted order of finish selected by the OVC's Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors. Morehead State, the 2021 OVC Regular-Season Champions and Tournament runners-up, was picked to win the conference receiving nine first-place votes and 153 total points. 
 
SEMO tied Morehead State and UT Martin for the league-lead in players on the preseason OVC team with three. 
 
Beasley, a senior outside hitter from Paragould, Arkansas, was named to her first career OVC preseason team Wednesday. She was third in the league offensively with 3.88 kills per set (248 kills) and fourth with 4.20 points per set (269.0 points) en route to 2021 All-OVC First Team honors. Beasley also accumulated 39 digs (0.61 digs/set) and 34 blocks (0.53 blocks/set) in league action. She was awarded OVC Offensive Player of the Week three times in 2021 and was second on the Redhawks with 436 kills (3.43 kill/set) and 475.5 points (3.74 points/set). She was also fourth on the team with 62 total blocks (0.49 blocks/set). Beasley registered double-digit kills in 25 matches and had 20 or more kills four times. She posted a career high 25 kills on a .286 hitting percentage with four digs and four blocks in SEMO's five set victory over Austin Peay on Oct. 28.
 
Beilsmith, a senior libero from Weldon Spring, Missouri, was selected to her second career OVC preseason Team Wednesday after being featured on the 2020-21 list. She ranked third in the league last season with 323 digs (5.05 digs/set) to go with 71 assists and 12 aces in 2021 OVC competitions for her second career All-OVC Second Team laurels. Beilsmith led SEMO with a career best 660 digs (5.20 digs/set) which broke her own Southeast Missouri single-season record (25-point rally scoring era from 2008 to present). She was also second on the Redhawks in 2021 with 28 service aces (0.22 service aces/set) and 126 assists (0.99 assist/set). Beilsmith compiled double-digit dig outings in all but two matches in 2021 and registered 30 plus digs twice and 20 or more digs 17 times. She posted double-digit digs in 25 consecutive matches and grabbed a career high 39 digs with five assists in SEMO's non-conference victory over Memphis of the American Athletic Conference on Sept. 10. She was awarded OVC Defensive Player of the Week four times in 2021.
 
Greene, a rightside hitter graduate student from North Liberty, Iowa, rounds out the Redhawks on the 2022 Preseason All-OVC team, earning the distinction for the second-straight year. She totaled 158 kills (2.47 kills/set) on a .226 clip in conference play a year ago and was awarded 2021 All-OVC Tournament Team honors. Greene also had 30 blocks (0.47 blocks/set) and 22 digs (0.34 digs/set) in league competitions. Overall, she was third on the Redhawks with 326 kills (2.57 kills/set) and 363.0 points on a .234 hitting percentage in 2021. Greene also totaled 68 blocks (62 assists, six solo, 0.54 blocks/set, second on the team) and 53 digs (0.42 digs/set). She finished with double-digit kills 15 times in 2021 and registered a career best 23 kills on a .283 clip with three digs and a block for 23.5 points against UT Martin on Sept. 29.
 
SEMO Schedule
SEMO, the 2021 OVC Regular-Season and Tournament Champions, will play 30 regular-season matches in 2022. SEMO will compete in four non-conference tournaments before a full 18-match OVC slate. 
 
The Redhawks will host 12 home contests this season at Houck Field House and kicked off the 2022 campaign with the SEMO Invitational Aug. 26-27.
 
SEMO opened the league calendar with a home series against Tennessee State on Sept. 23-24.
 
The 2022 OVC Championship Tournament will be contested Nov. 17-19 at the regular-season champion.
 
2021 OVC Regular-Season and Tournament Champions 
SEMO, the 2021 OVC Regular-Season and Tournament Champions, fashioned a 26-8 overall mark this past fall including a 14-4 record during league matches. The Redhawks 26 wins in 2021 are the highest win total since the 1999 season when Southeast Missouri notched a 28-6 overall mark.
 
The Redhawks won their second OVC Tournament Championship in three seasons and seventh in program history in 2021. SEMO also won both the regular-season title and the tournament title in the same season for the first time since 2000.
 
SEMO concluded its season with an NCAA Tournament Appearance at #7 Kentucky.
 
SEMO returns a trio of All-OVC starters in senior libero Tara Beilsmith (2019 and 2021 All-OVC Second Team), senior outside hitter Zoey Beasley (2021 All-OVC First Team) and graduate student rightside hitter Colby Greene (2021 All-OVC Tournament Team).
 
Head coach Julie Yankus, the 2021 OVC Coach of the Year, will lead the Redhawks in her 12th season at SEMO in 2022. 
 
Team Makeup
SEMO's 2022 roster consists of 16 student-athletes including 10 returners from the 2021 Championship team.
 
Other top returners besides SEMO's three All-OVC starters include senior and starting middle blocker Talia Gouard, junior setter Izzy Lukens, junior outside hitters Kayla Closset and Addy McAleer, junior middle blocker Lexie Smith, and redshirt junior middle blocker Mackenzie Meehan. 
 
The 2022 team features six newcomers in a trio of transfers coupled with three freshmen. 
 
Rachel Eddy (junior defensive specialist/libero) and Taylor Beasley (junior outside hitter) joined the program during the Spring 2022 semester after transferring from Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and Murray State, respectively. Redshirt junior setter Kaelyn O'Brien signed with SEMO from VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) in April. 
 
Freshmen Jenny Shook (setter), Ramiri Gardner (middle blocker/rightside hitter), and Kalia Morris (defensive specialist/libero) along with redshirt freshman rightside hitter Avery Torrey round out the 2022 team.
 
SEMO's 2022 roster also includes four, three-time OVC Champions (2019 Tournament, 2021 Regular Season and Tournament Champions) in Colby Greene, Talia Gouard, Tara Beilsmith, and Zoey Beasley.
 
Academic Excellence
SEMO was awarded the United States Marine Corps (USMC)/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2021-2022 season. The Redhawks earned the honor for the 15th consecutive season and 22nd time in program history. 
 
Colby Greene, Megan Harris, and Avery Torrey all were awarded OVC Academic Medals of Honor for the 2021-22 academic year after they all registered a perfect 4.0 GPA. 
 
Kayla Closset, Caroline Draver, Talia Gouard, Colby Greene, Megan Harris, Addy McAleer, Elissa Moylan, Lexie Smith, and Torrey were named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2021-22 academic year, achieving at least a 3.25 GPA.
 
Looking Ahead
After the Redhawks host SIUE, they will travel to Morehead, Kentucky, to take on Morehead State, Nov. 11-12 in their final 2022 regular-season OVC series. Match times are set for 6 p.m., CT and 2 p.m., CT, respectively in the Friday-Saturday series at Johnson Arena.