UNI Tournament
Match #7
Southeast Missouri (3-3)
vs. Grand Canyon (5-1)
Match Information
Date: Friday, Sept. 9
First Serve: 4:30 p.m., CT
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa 
Venue: McLeod Center
Last Meeting: First Meeting in Program History
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats 
 
Match #8
Southeast Missouri (3-3)
vs. Northern Iowa (1-5)
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
First Serve: 12 p.m., CT
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa 
Venue: McLeod Center
All-Time Series: SEMO and Northern Iowa are tied at 1-1
Last Meeting: 3-1 UNI Win | Aug. 30, 2014 | St. Louis, Mo.
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Radio: 1540 KXEL (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)

Match #9
Southeast Missouri (3-3)
vs. Western Michigan (4-2)
Match Information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
First Serve: 5 p.m., CT
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa 
Venue: McLeod Center
All-Time Series: Western Michigan leads 3-0
Last Meeting: 3-2 WMU Win | Sept. 3, 2021 | Kalamazoo, Mich. 
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats

Media Coverage
Twitter: @SEMOvb
Match Notes: Southeast Missouri (PDF)
 
Redhawks Trek to Cedar Falls, Iowa, this Weekend for 2022 Northern Iowa Tournament 
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball (3-3) continues its non-conference road stretch this weekend at the UNI (Northern Iowa) Tournament in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Redhawks will open the Tournament Friday against Grand Canyon (5-1) before a Saturday doubleheader with Northern Iowa (1-5) and Western Michigan (4-2). All three matches will be contested at the McLeod Center and aired live on ESPN+. Match times are 4:30 p.m., CT, 12 p.m., and 5 p.m., respectively. 
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on SEMORedhawks.com
• All three of SEMO's matches 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
Grand Canyon 
Grand Canyon comes to the tournament with the best record of the field at 5-1, having recently won their home GCU Invitational last weekend (Sept. 2-4) with wins over Idaho, Wyoming, and Santa Clara.
 
The Lopes landed three individuals on the GCU Invitational All-Tournament Team in Melanie Brecka, Megan Taflinger, and senior setter Klaire Mitchell who was the tournament's MVP.
 
GCU outside hitter Mackenzie Wise has recorded 15 service aces this season for GCU, posting the 18th best ace per set average in the nation (0.9).
 
With a 19-7 record and 9-5 mark in league play last season, the Antelopes made a strong run to the WAC Tournament final as a five-seed before falling to Utah Valley.

Northern Iowa
UNI will make their 2022 home debut this weekend at their tournament. The Panthers look to bounce back after being challenged by three top-25 opponents on the road at the Bluejay Invitational last weekend in Omaha, Nebraska. The Panthers were able to hand No. 25 USC its first set loss of the season, but ultimately fell to the Trojans in four sets, before being swept by the defending SEC Champion Wildcats of Kentucky. UNI made a late rally in the third set last Saturday night against No. 17 Creighton, but fell just short in its comeback attempt, falling in straight sets to the Bluejays. With 20 kills on a .394 hitting percentage and 12 total blocks over the weekend, senior middle blocker Carly Spies was named to the Bluejay Invitational's All-Tournament Team.
 
Junior outside hitter Emily Holterhaus currently leads the Panthers with 67 total kills on the season, averaging 3.05 kills per set through six matches. Middle blocker Inga Rotto has notched 50 kills to start the year, while sophomore Kira Fallert has recorded 46 kills. Veteran setter Tayler Alden has totaled 205 assists, while Spies leads UNI with eight service aces and 23 total blocks, to go along with 50 total kills. Sydney Petersen anchors the Panther defense with a team-high 85 digs.
 
Western Michigan
Coming to Cedar Falls with a 4-2 record, the Broncos enter the UNI Tournament after a pair of home wins against North Dakota and Indiana State last weekend in Kalamazoo, Michigan. WMU opened the tournament with a four-set loss to Wright State. 
 
WMU's Julia Marr and Abi Wilcoxson were named to the All-Tournament Team. Marr tallied 35 kills (5.0/set) for the weekend while hitting .274. The sophomore recorded 30 digs (4.29/set) and posted a double-double on Friday against Wright State which saw her set career highs in both kills (27) and digs (16). Wilcoxson continued her strong start to the season with 25 kills (2.5/set) on a .317 hitting percentage in Western Michigan's three matches.
 
WMU setter Logan Case leads the nation entering Friday's match with 12.2 assists per game.
 
Series History
Grand Canyon
Friday will mark the first meeting in program history between SEMO and Grand Canyon.

Northern Iowa
SEMO and Northern Iowa are tied in the all-time series at 1-1. 
 
The two teams last faced off Aug. 30, 2014, with the Panthers winning 3-1 in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Saint Louis University Marcia E. Hamilton Classic. Andrea Baylin was named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Southeast Missouri won the initial meeting 3-1 in 1997 (Sept. 5).
 
Western Michigan 
Western Michigan leads the all-time series between the two teams, 3-0. 
 
The Broncos most recently edged SEMO in five sets (25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 17-25, 12-15) to open Western Michigan's 2021 Discover Kalamazoo Classic on Sept. 3, 2021.
 
Zoey Beasley registered 21 kills on a .341 hitting percentage with six digs. Colby Greene added 14 kills on a .367 clip while Laney Malloy posted a double-double of 12 kills and 11 digs. Claire Ochs dished out 49 assists with eight digs. Tara Beilsmith paced the defense with 22 digs while Ally Dion chipped in 10.
 
The two schools also met in 2019 (Sept. 13, 3-0 WMU Win) at Milwaukee's Panther Invitational and in 2012 (Aug. 31, 3-0 WMU Win). Beilsmith added 23 digs in the 2019 matchup. 

Redhawks Returns to the Hawkeye State
Iowans Colby Greene and Rachel Eddy return to their home state this weekend for the UNI Tournament in Cedar Falls. 
 
Greene, a graduate rightside hitter from North Liberty, attended Iowa City West High School. This weekend will be her first competing in her home state as a collegiate athlete. 
 
Eddy, a junior defensive specialist from Dubuque, returns to the Hawkeye State after competing the last two seasons for Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). She attended Wahlert Catholic High School. 
 
Beilsmith Named OVC Defensive Player of the Week for Second-Straight Week
Senior libero Tara Beilsmith was named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week, the league announced Monday.
 
Beilsmith led SEMO's defense with 54 digs (4.91 digs/set) and 14 assists (1.27 assists/set) at Illinois State's Redbird Classic in Normal, Illinois, this past weekend. 
 
She opened the tournament with 21 kills against Green Bay on Sept. 2 and finished the opening day of the Classic with 19 kills and five assists in SEMO's five-set win over Oral Roberts. Beilsmith also notched 14 digs against Classic host ISU on Sept. 3 to conclude the weekend. 
 
The Weldon Spring, Missouri, native ranks second all-time in the SEMO record books (25-point rally scoring era, 2008-present) with 1,586 career digs as she surpassed Berkley Idel (1,534 digs from 2010-13) this past weekend. 
 
For Beilsmith, the OVC honor is her eighth career weekly laurel and seventh career Defensive Player of the Week.
 
She ranks 13th in the nation and first in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) with 5.3 digs per set (122 total digs, 18th in the NCAA).
 
2022 Redbird Classic Recap
SEMO went 1-2 this past weekend in Normal, Illinois, at Illinois State's Redbird Classic.
 
Colby Greene was named to the All-Tournament Team after she led the Redhawks over the two-day tournament with 33 kills (3.00 kills/set) on a .276 clip for her second-straight all-tournament team honor in 2022 (fourth in her career). She opened the tournament with 10 kills against Green Bay on Sept. 2 before concluding the day with 16 kills on a .467 clip in SEMO's five-set win over Oral Roberts. Greene wrapped the tournament with seven kills against Classic host ISU on Sept. 3. 
 
Setter Izzy Lukens led the Redhawks with 52 assists (4.73 assists/set) and 22 digs (2.00 digs/set). She opened the tournament with 14 assists and five digs versus Green Bay on Sept. 2 and finished the first day of the tournament with 26 assists and five digs in SEMO's five-set win over Oral Roberts. She then posted a double-double (second in her career) of 12 assists and 12 digs against Classic host ISU on Sept. 3.
 
Zoey Beasley added 27 kills (2.45 kills/set) with 14 digs (1.27 digs/set) including 13 kills in the win over Oral Roberts (Sept. 2). 
 
Addy McAleer posted 18 kills (1.80 kill/set) with 19 digs (1.90 digs/set) in her first three starts of the season. She registered a career high eight kills with seven digs against Green Bay (Sept. 2). 
 
Jenny Shook dished out 28 assists (2.55 assists/set) with 17 digs (1.55 digs/set) at the tournament. The freshman from Plainfield, Illinois, made her first career start in her home state against Illinois State (Sept. 3).
 
Mackenzie Meehan led SEMO with 16 total blocks including seven against Green Bay (Sept. 2). She leads the OVC with 35 blocks (1.52 blocks/set) which ranks ninth overall in the nation.
 
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 this weekend's UNI (Northern Iowa) Tournament, the Redhawks head to border rival Southern Illinois for the 2022 Saluki Invitational Sept. 16-17. SEMO will face Bellarmine and Southern Illinois in the opening day (Friday, Sept. 16) at 10 a.m., CT and 7 p.m., before closing the tournament against Alabama A&M Saturday, Sept. 17 at 11 a.m.