CHARLESTON, Ill. – #2 Southeast Missouri Volleyball (22-10, 12-6 OVC) fell in the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship match on Wednesday night to #1 Eastern Illinois (28-4, 15-3 OVC) by a final score of 3-0 at Lantz Arena. 
 
Izzy Lukens and Tara Beilsmith were named to the 2023 All-Ohio Valley Conference Tournament team for their efforts over the three-day tournament. 
 
The Redhawks dropped the match 21-25, 16-25, and 20-25 as the Panthers outhit SEMO by a .283 to .112 difference. 
 
SEMO finished the season with a 22-10 overall record and advanced to the conference championship match for the fourth time in five seasons. 
 
Offensively, outside hitter Zoey Beasley paced the way for the Redhawks finishing with 10 kills on 33 total attacks (4 errors) for a .182 hitting-percentage. Beasley was the only Redhawk in double-digits for kills. 
 
Third all-time in the NCAA's history for digs, libero Tara Beilsmith finished with a team-high 21 digs in her final match in a Redhawks jersey. Tara finished her career with 3,035 total digs. 

SEMO was solid at the net, out blocking EIU by a 7-6 advantage led by graduate student, middle blocker Talia Gouard. Gouard, in her final match as a Redhawk, finished with four block assists to pace the defense. She chipped in four kills on 20 total attacks. 
 
In the match that lasted one hour and 41 minutes there was eight lead changes and 11 different times the score was tied as EIU took advantage of seven service errors by the Redhawks. 
 
EIU's Giovana Larregui Lopez finished with 12 kills and .156 hitting percentage to lead the Panthers to the conference tournament championship.
 
Senior setter Izzy Lukens dished out 26 assists on 95 attempts and finished with a .274 assist percentage to lead SEMO to a .112 team hitting percentage. 
 
The Redhawks conclude 2023 with four all-conference selections in Izzy Lukens, Marisa Guisti, Lucy Arndt, and Tara Beilsmith. 
 
Arndt was named the 2023 Freshman of the Year in the OVC, while Beilsmith was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season.