CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (5-7, 0-0 OVC) wrapped up its non-conference slate and the 2022 Saluki Invitational with a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-11, 25-23) of Alabama A&M (1-13, 0-0 SWAC) Saturday at the Banterra Center.
Zoey Beasley was named to the Saluki Invitational All-Tournament Team after she registered a team-high 36 kills (3.27 kills/set) to go along with nine digs and six blocks over the two-day Invitational. The all-tournament team was the second in Beasley's career as a Redhawk.
The senior from Paragould, Arkansas, notched six kills with three blocks Saturday against Alabama A&M.
Colby Greene led the Redhawks in the tournament finale with eight kills.
Ramiri Gardner added six rally stoppers and four blocks while
Kaelyn O'Brien finished with five kills, 12 assists and five digs.
The Redhawks notched a season high 13 service aces against the Bulldogs.
SEMO commenced the match with an 8-4 advantage that grew to 20-11 after a 5-0 run.
Kayla Closset then belted a kill on her 21st Birthday to secure the opening set, 25-15.
The Redhawks posted a hitting clip of .417 in the first stanza and finished with a .353 mark Saturday.
SEMO improved with an extraordinary percentage of .600 in the middle set Saturday. The Redhawks jumped out to a 9-3 edge that increased to 13-6 after a kill by Greene following an AAM error.
SEMO then utilized a 6-0 run to widen the margin to 22-10. O'Brien opened the sequence with a kill and the rally also featured a service ace from
Tara Beilsmith and a block assist by Beasley and Gardner.
The Redhawks increased their advantage in the match to 2-0 with a 25-11 second frame. Gardner slammed a kill before consecutive rally stoppers by Greene.
SEMO then scored the initial six points in the third period. The Beasley sisters accounted for the first five as Taylor had a kill and three consecutive aces while Zoey added a rally stopper.
A kill from
Zoey Beasley extended the lead to 10-3.
The Bulldogs responded with a 6-0 run to even the set at 14-14.
O'Brien knocked a kill before a
Taylor Beasley ace to bring the lead back in favor of the Redhawks, 18-15.
Taylor Beasley, a junior transfer from Murray State, had a career best four service aces and two digs and a kill.
Avery Torrey notched a pair of kills to bring on match point at 24-21. The Bulldogs fended off match point twice before committing a service error to wrap the match, 25-23.
Izzy Lukens posted 13 assists.
Kalia Morris grabbed a career high five digs with four service aces. Beilsmith added four digs and four aces.
Caitlin Shaw led Alabama A&M with 12 kills and three digs. Mackenzie Jarvis had 13 assists and three digs while Keyara Brooks added 11 assists. Ajanae Cressey chipped in four digs.
With the victory, SEMO concluded non-conference play with a 5-7 mark and snapped a two-match losing streak.
Following SEMO's final non-conference tournament this weekend, the Redhawks will return home to Houck Field House to defend their 2021 Ohio Valley Conference titles with a series against Tennessee State. The matches are set for 6 p.m., CT and 7 p.m., respectively in the Friday and Saturday matchup.
