Match #15
Southeast Missouri (7-7, 2-0 OVC)
at UT Martin (9-7, 3-0 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Sept. 30, 2022
First Serve: 5 p.m., CT
Location: Martin, Tenn.    
Venue: Skyhawk Fieldhouse
All-Time Series: SEMO leads UTM, 66-23 (1-1 in 2021)
Last Meetings: 3-1 SEMO Win | Oct. 12, 2021 | Martin, Tenn. 
3-2 UTM Win | Sept. 29, 2021 | Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Video: ESPN+
 
Match #16
Southeast Missouri (7-7, 2-0 OVC)
at UT Martin (9-7, 3-0 OVC)
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022
First Serve: 11 a.m., CT
Location: Martin, Tenn.    
Venue: Skyhawk Fieldhouse
Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri
2022 SEMO Statistics
 
Redhawks Continue OVC Slate with Road Series at UT Martin Friday and Saturday
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (7-7, 2-0 OVC) continues its 2022 Ohio Valley Conference slate with its first league road series this weekend against UT Martin (9-7, 3-0 OVC) in Martin, Tennessee. SEMO will face the Skyhawks Friday at 5 p.m., CT before wrapping the series Saturday morning at 11 am. Both matches will be contested at Skyhawk Fieldhouse.

Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• Friday's match against UT Martin will be streamed on ESPN+
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
  
Scouting the Opponent
The Skyhawk are 9-7 overall and also enter this weekend with a perfect record (3-0) in the Ohio Valley Conference after the opening week of league matches. UTM beat Tennessee State in four sets on Sept. 20 before grabbing the weekend series at Little Rock (3-1 and 3-2 wins) Sept. 23-24. 
 
Logan Wallick eclipsed 13 kills in all three matches this week, helping the Skyhawks start off 3-0 in OVC play for just the fifth time in school history. Her week started with 13 kills on a .258 hitting percentage during Sept. 20's four-set victory over Tennessee State. In the two-match road series sweep of Little Rock, she collected 13 kills on a .346 attack percentage in the four-set win on Sept. 23 before posting a season-best 21 kills on a sizzling .421 hitting percentage during Sept. 24's five-set triumph.

Angel Baylark posted a pair of blocks in UTM's league opener against Tennessee State on Sept. 20 before she swatted away five blocks in the 3-1 triumph at Little Rock on Sept. 23. She followed that with seven more rejections during the Skyhawks' five-set road victory at Little Rock on Sept. 24.
 
Haeleigh Paulino was the key to the Skyhawk offensive engine this week as UT Martin hit .254 as a team. During Sept. 20's 3-1 win against Tennessee State, she distributed a season-high 40 assists and added 12 digs for an offense that hit .235. Running a 6-2 offense in the two-match series at Little Rock, she posted 26 assists and nine digs on Sept. 23 as the Skyhawks hit .294 during their four-set road triumph. The next day (Sept. 24), she collected 29 assists and nine digs while UT Martin hit .232 in the five-set thriller.

Series History
SEMO leads the all-time series with UTM, 66-23. The two teams split the 2021 regular season matchups with both teams earning wins on the road as travel partners. 
 
SEMO most recently edged the Skyhawks in four sets on Oct. 12, 2021, in Martin, Tennessee. Zoey Beasley posted 21 kills on a .388 hitting clip. Mackenzie Meehan led the Redhawks with a personal-best matching seven blocks. Claire Ochs dished out 34 assists with a personal-best matching eight kills (.538) and seven digs. Tara Beilsmith led the defense with a match-high 25 digs and seven assists. Ally Dion added eight digs.
 
In the 2021 opener, UTM outlasted SEMO in five sets on Sept. 29, 2021. Colby Greene registered a career-best 23 kills on a .283 hitting clip. Laney Malloy chipped in 20 kills and 22 digs while Zoey Beasley finished with 17 kills. Ochs finished with 50 assists and 14 digs to go along with six kills, three blocks and an ace. Beilsmith led the defense with 23 digs and a personal-best eight assists with two aces. Kayla Closset and Dion each had seven digs.
 
SEMO has won each of the last four meetings in Martin, Tennessee, against UTM dating back to Oct. 29, 2019.

OVC Opening Weekend
SEMO opened OVC play with a series sweep of Tennessee State Sept. 23-24. The Redhawks overcame the Tigers in three sets on Sept. 23 before completing the sweep with a five-set decision on Sept. 24. 
 
Zoey Beasley led the Redhawks offensively with 31 kills (3.88 kills/set) on a .250 hitting clip for 34.5 points (4.31 points/set). Beasley posted nine kills and three blocks in the opener on Sept. 23 before tallying a season-high 22 kills on a .286 clip with two blocks and four digs in the finale. It was her second 20-plus kill match in 2022. Beasley finished the week with five blocks and five digs.
 
Tara Beilsmith paced SEMO defensively with 43 total digs (5.38 digs/set) and eight assists (1.00 assists/set). Beilsmith opened the series with 13 digs, three assists, and two service aces before grabbing 30 digs, five assists and an ace in the finale. It marked the third 30-plus dig outing of the season for the senior libero from Weldon Spring, Missouri.
 
Izzy Lukens notched 43 assists (5.38 assists/set, SEMO runs a 6-2 offense) and 28 digs (3.50 digs/set). Lukens posted a pair of double-doubles, opening the series with 17 assists and 10 digs with a kill and an ace. She wrapped up the series, dishing out 26 assists with 18 digs and two aces.
 
Kaelyn O'Brien led the SEMO newcomers with 42 assists (5.25 assists/set), 21 digs (2.63 digs/set) and 16 kills (2.00 kills/set). O'Brien opened the series with 18 assists, a career best 13 digs, nine kills and a block to just miss a triple-double outing. She then wrapped the series with a personal best 24 assists, eight digs, and seven kills with two blocks. O'Brien has posted double-digit assists in each of the last three matches and started the last six SEMO contests. 

Ramiri Gardner chipped in 15 kills (1.88 kills/set) on a .278 clip with five blocks. Gardner, a freshman middle blocker from St. Peters, Missouri, tallied seven kills and then a career-high eight over the two matches. She has started the last eight matches for SEMO. 
 
Kayla Closset tallied 19 kills (2.38 kills/set) with 32 digs (4.00 digs/set). She paced the Redhawks with 10 kills, seven digs, three aces and two blocks in the opener with TSU before registering a career high 25 digs to go with nine kills and two assists. 
 
Colby Greene added 13 kills including 10 in the series finale on Sept. 24. 
 
Where We Rank
SEMO ranks first in the OVC for blocks (118.5, 2.19 blocks/set), digs per set (16.11, 870 total digs, second), opposing hitting percentage (.182) and team total attacks (36.80 attacks/set, 1,987, fourth). The Redhawks are also third for aces (79, 1.46 aces/set).

Tara Beilsmith is sixth in the nation (first in OVC) with 301 digs and 5.57 digs per set (first in OVC).
 
Mackenzie Meehan is first in the league with 1.31 blocks/set (47 total blocks, third).
 
Zoey Beasley ranks fourth in the OVC with 2.98 kills per set and third for total attacks (466) while Colby Greene is eighth with 2.77 kills per set.
 
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 paces the defense with 258 digs (5.61 digs/set) to go with 59 assists (1.28 assists/set).
 
Greene leads the offense with 134 kills (2.98 kills/set) and 150 total points (3.33 points per set). Beasley has chipped in 130 kills (2.83 kills/set) with 145.5 points (3.16 points per set).
 
Izzy Lukens leads 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 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 road series, SEMO returns to Cape Girardeau for a three-match week. The Redhawk host Eastern Illinois Oct. 7-8 before the home-and-home series opener with travel partner and OVC newcomer Little Rock on Monday, Oct. 10.