KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Southeast Missouri volleyball (6-3) started the KC Roos Classic off with a five-set victory over the host, Kansas City (8-2) on Friday afternoon, 3-2.
The Redhawks won the match 16-25, 25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11 handing the Roos just their second loss of the season.
After a slow start, SEMO turned it on and ended the match with three Redhawks in the double-digit kills category including freshman
Lucy Arndt with a team-high 13. Senior
Kayla Closset and graduate
Talia Gouard pitched in 11 apiece to help secure the sixth win of the season for SEMO.
As a team, SEMO hit just .144 compared to KC who finished with a .227 mark, but the Redhawks attacked the Roos finishing with 209 total attacks to just 185 from the opponent. SEMO finished with 61 kills in the contest.
Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week
Tara Beilsmith finished with a game-high 30 digs as the SEMO defense only registered two reception errors as a team in the contest.
KC struggled with receiving SEMO's serves. Beilsmith recorded two service aces as she was one of three Redhawks to do so.
Rachel Eddy and Ardnt chipped in a pair themselves as the Roos registered eight reception errors as a team.
Izzy Lukens was again on fire, setting up her teammates to the tune of 51 assists. The reiging setter of the week in the OVC now has back-to-back tournaments with 50-plus assist performances.
Seniors
Marisa Guisti and
Kaelyn O'Brien recorded nine kills apiece as O'Brien slammed home the set-winning kill in the third set. The pair helped bolster a SEMO attack that did enough to take down the home team.
SEMO never trailed in the fifth set, jumping out to a 5-3 lead. The Roos made it interesting in the final frame, closing the SEMO gap to just two (13-11) but the Redhawks would score the game's final two points to take the fifth set, 15-11 and the match.
The Redhawks will be back in action, facing another in-state opponent, this evening when they face-off with Saint Louis. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. CT. in Kansas City.
