2022 Season Opener
Match #1 (SEMO Invitational Match #2)
Arkansas – Pine Bluff
vs. Southeast Missouri
Match Information
Date: Friday, Aug. 26, 2022
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Houck Field House 
First Serve: 12:30 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the all-time series, 1-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 1, 2017 | 3-0 Win | 2017 Redhawks Invitational | Show Me Center 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 
Tickets

Match #2 (SEMO Invitational Match #4)
North Dakota State
vs. Southeast Missouri
Match Information
Date: Friday, Aug. 26, 2022
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Houck Field House 
First Serve: 7 p.m., CT
All-Time Series: SEMO and NDSU are tied in the all-time series, 1-1
Last Meeting: Sept. 15, 1990 | SEMO 3-2 Win 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 
Tickets

Match #3 (SEMO Invitational Match #6)
Jackson State
vs. Southeast Missouri
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Venue: Houck Field House
First Serve: 2 p.m., CT 
All-Time Series: SEMO leads the all-time series, 2-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 9, 2019 | SEMO 3-0 Win | 2019 Redhawks Invitational | Houck Field House
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+ 
Tickets
 
2022 SEMO INVITATIONAL Schedule – Aug. 26-27, 2022 
Tournament Information (PDF)
 
Friday, Aug. 26  
Jackson State vs. North Dakota State – 10 a.m. – Live Statistics 
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. SEMO (dark jerseys) – 12:30 p.m. – Live Statistics | ESPN+
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Jackson State – 4:30 p.m. – Live Statistics
North Dakota State vs. SEMO – 7 p.m. – Live Statistics | ESPN+
 
Saturday, Aug. 27 
North Dakota State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 11 a.m. – Live Statistics
Jackson State vs. SEMO – 2 p.m. – Live Statistics | ESPN+
 
*Second team listed is the "Home Team"

Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Media Guide: Southeast Missouri
2022 SEMO Invitational: Tournament Central
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
Redhawks Host SEMO Invitational Friday and Saturday to Open 2022 Campaign
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball will host the SEMO Invitational Friday and Saturday at Houck Field House to commence its 2022 season. The Redhawks will take on Arkansas – Pine Bluff in their season opener at 12:30 p.m., CT before concluding the first day of competition against North Dakota State at 7 p.m. SEMO wraps up the two-day tournament with a 2 p.m. meeting with Jackson State on Saturday. 
 
Promotions
• Saturday is IFC Greek Day
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• All three of SEMO's matches this weekend 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
Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Nikole Akamine was named a 2022 preseason second-team setter, which is her second consecutive year being named to the All-SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) Team. Akamine led the team in assists (508), and in service aces (38). She was third in digs (204) in 2021.
 
The Lady Lions finished last season 18-16 (13-3 SWAC) to break records of most home wins and conference wins in school history and make their second consecutive SWAC Tournament semifinals appearance. Head coach Gabrielle Floyd is entering her first year with the program.

North Dakota State
Senior outside hitter Syra Tanchin and junior outside hitter Ali Hinze were both named Players to Watch by the Summit League. As a team, North Dakota State was picked to finish seventh in the Summit League Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. 
 
NDSU posted a 12-18 mark including a 6-12 record in the Summit League. Hinze earned All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors in 2021.
 
Jackson State
Jackson State landed five student-athletes on the 2022 Preseason All-SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) Team. Junior Alexis Williams was named first-team outside/right side hitter. Williams was named 2021 All-SWAC First Team and Conference Tournament Team last season after the Tigers finished as the runners-up in the SWAC Tournament. She led the conference in points (291) and finished top-two in kills (253) and aces (27). Olivia Flanagan also received first-team honors in the outside/right side hitter category. As a freshman last season, she earned SWAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Flanagan finished sixth in the SWAC with 149 kills. Senior setter, Damassy Thompson, earned first-team honors after recording 930 assists. Thompson finished second in the SWAC in assists and registered 228 digs scoring 48 points. Trinity Bryant rounded out the Tigers' first-team picks as libero/defensive specialist. Last season, Bryant went on to record 324 digs helping the Tiger defense to finish eighth in digs as a team. She also scored 46 points on 42 service aces. Senior middle hitter/blocker Taila Gaines, was named to the preseason second team. Gaines received postseason second-team honors last season as she finished third in the SWAC in blocks (26). She recorded a total of 69 blocks, including 17 total blocks. Gaines put down 125 kills and registered 201 points for the Tigers.
 
JSU won its second-straight SWAC Regular Season Championship with a 15-1 mark in conference play (17-14 overall) in 2021. The Tigers competed in the opening round of the NIVC Tournament against Stephen F. Austin (3-1 loss) on Dec. 3.
 
Series History
Arkansas - Pine Bluff
SEMO leads the all-time series with Arkansas – Pine Bluff, 1-0. 
 
The Redhawks most recently beat APB, 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-18), to cap the opening day of the 2017 Redhawks Invitational held Sept. 1, 2017, at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. 
 
Krista Berns led SEMO with nine kills and four blocks while Krissa Gearring added eight kills on a .500 clip. Keegan Fornoff dished out 16 assists and Allie Henkelman added 15. Ally Dion grabbed 12 digs while Madeline Grimm finished with six kills and eight digs. 
 
SEMO would go on to win the 2017 Redhawks Invitational Championship after a five-set victory over Evansville as Gearring earned MVP and Nzingha Clarke and Dion were selected to all-tournament team.
 
North Dakota State
SEMO and North Dakota State are tied in the all-time series at 1-1. The two team last played on Sept. 15, 1990, with Southeast Missouri prevailing, 3-2, at a neutral site. 
 
Jackson State 
SEMO leads the all-time series with Jackson State, 2-0. The Redhawks most recently picked up a 3-0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-18) win over Jackson State, Sept. 9, 2019, to open the 2019 Redhawks Invitational at Houck Field House.
 
SEMO swept Jackson State on a .333 hitting clip behind a .455 first set. Laney Malloy led the offense with 15 kills, tallying five per set. Claire Ochs dished out 27 assists and 10 digs with five kills. Tara Beilsmith started at libero for the first time in her SEMO career against JSU and recorded a personal best 18 digs. Ally Dion added seven.
 
SEMO would go on to win the 2019 Redhawks Invitational Championship after a trio of 3-0 sweeps over the two days (Western Illinois and Evansville after JSU). Claire Ochs was named the 2019 Redhawks Invitational MVP while Colby Greene and Laney Malloy were both named to the all-tournament team.
 
Oh Captains, My Captains
Head coach Julie Yankus announced Wednesday 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. 
 
Jefferson College Exhibition Recap
SEMO swept Jefferson College Aug. 16 in exhibition play at Houck Field House. The Redhawks beat the Vikings, 25-18, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23, 15-10.
 
Offensively, Addy McAleer and Zoey Beasley led the Redhawks unofficially with six kills through three sets. Kaelyn O'Brien, a redshirt junior setter from Virginia Commonwealth University, dished out 10 assists and six digs over the opening three sets and Izzy Lukens posted nine (over three sets) with four service aces. Libero Tara Beilsmith grabbed 15 digs in three sets. Mackenzie Meehan notched nine blocks (two solo and seven assists) in the first three sets. 

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 in 2022 at Houck Field House including the SEMO Invitational to kick off the 2022 campaign Aug. 26-27 before hitting the road for three-straight weeks to wrap up non-conference play.
 
SEMO opens the league calendar with a home series against Tennessee State on Sept. 23-24 with matches set for 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. 
 
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 Avery 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
Following the SEMO Invitational, the Redhawks will hit the road for three-straight weeks to wrap up non-conference play. SEMO will continue its 2022 season at the Illinois State Redbird Classic Sept. 2-3, facing Green Bay, Oral Roberts, and Illinois State over the two days. 
 
 
Ticket Information
 
Season tickets and single match tickets are now on sale for the upcoming fall season. All seating at Houck Field House is general admission.
 
Season tickets can be purchased for $39 (including all taxes and fees). Redhawks Club members at the Varsity level and above along with SEMO Faculty and Staff are eligible for discounted season tickets.
 
Single game tickets are $6 when purchased online (including all taxes and fees). Walk-up admission at Houck Field House is $8 for adults and $6 for children 14 and younger.
 
All online tickets are delivered digitally to your mobile device. Mobile tickets are scanned on your phone, just like an airline boarding pass or St. Louis Cardinals game. For more information and instructions on using Mobile Tickets, visit www.semoredhawks.com/mobiletickets
 
Kids entering 8th grade and younger are invited to join Rowdy's Kids Club, presented by Innovative Orthodontics. The $29 (after applied fees) membership includes free admission to all home volleyball matches – as well as all home games for all other sports during the 2022-23 school year, t-shirt, membership card, and more.
 
For more information or to purchase fall 2022 SEMO Volleyball season tickets, visit SEMOVolleyballTickets or call the Athletic Ticket Office at (573) 651-2113.