COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri volleyball (20-7, 12-4 OVC) dropped the second match of the series at Tennessee Tech (13-16, 9-9 OVC) by a final score of 3-0 at the Eblen Center on Saturday night.
SEMO dropped the match in straight sets, 21-25, 23-25, and 24-26, for just the first time since all the way back on Sept. 2 against Chicago State.
As a team, SEMO hit a series-high .284, but the Golden Eagles hit .298 including a .385 hitting-percentage in the decisive third set.
Offensively, the Redhawks were led by outside hitter
Lucy Arndt and rightside hitter
Kaelyn O'Brien. Arndt finished with 14 kills on 35 attacks for a .314 hitting-percentage.
O'Brien led the team with a .421 hitting mark, including her 10 kills on 19 attempts.
In the third set, SEMO battled as they pushed the game to extra points. A kill from O'Brien made the game 24-24 late in the set.
TTU would record the next point and was upheld following a SEMO challenge, to put the Golden Eagles on match point, 25-24. Following Tech's serve, a SEMO attack was blocked at the net to give TTU the win.
The Golden Eagles out blocked SEMO, 8-6, as the Redhawks dropped just their fourth loss in conference play in 2023.
Setter
Izzy Lukens dished out 33 assists to help lead the Redhawks to their .284 hitting-percentage. TTU's Jordan Karlen dished out 43 to help secure the win.
Lukens finished with a double-double as she dished out her assists and dug 10 balls in the match.
Seniors
Marisa Guisti,
Talia Gouard, and
Zoey Beasley chipped in six kills each. The trio accounted for 18 of SEMO's 44 kills in the match. They also led the Redhawks in blocks as Gouard finished with four, while Beasley and Guisti finished with two blocks each.
Fourth all-time in the NCAA in digs, libero
Tara Beilsmith recorded just 12 digs on Saturday night and had two assists.
SEMO volleyball will conclude the 2023 regular season on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 15-16, as they welcome in Lindenwood to Cape Girardeau. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. on both days inside Houck Field House.
