Redhawks Drop Five-Set Thriller to Jackson State Friday Morning

Friday, September 8

Lake Charles, La.

10:30 A.M.

Southeast Missouri State University

3-3,0-0OVC

Jackson State University

2-3,0-0SWAC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Jackson St.	25	25	19	21	15	3
Southeast Mo. St.	23	17	25	25	12	2

Photo by: Jan Salmon

9/8/2023 1:20:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score FinalBook_JSU_VBall

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Southeast Missouri volleyball (3-3) dropped the opening match of the McNeese State Invite to Jackson State (2-3) by a final score of 3-2. The Redhawks dropped the match 23-25, 17-25, 25-19, 25-21, 12-15.

Senior Marisa Guisti registered her SEMO career-high in kills with 23 on 35 attempts for an impressive .629 hitting percentage to lead all Redhawks in each category.

Lucy Arndt finished the match with 10 kills on 42 attempts as SEMO hit .160 overall in the match.

Jackson State took the first two sets before the Redhawks could get on the board in the third as the Tigers out hit SEMO in each set.

JSU finished with a .166 hitting percentage to SEMO's .160 as the Tigers picked up their second win of the season.

Alexis Williams led the Tigers in total kills with 16 with a .275 hitting percentage.

SEMO battled back in the third set, trailing 2-0, behind Guisti and senior outside hitter Kayla Closset.

The duo combined for six and four kills, respectively, in the third set to lead the Redhawks back into the match.

Tied up at 17, a big kill from Closset gave the Redhawks a one-point advantage off the assist from Tara Beilsmith. Beilsmith turned around and recorded an ace to give the Redhawks a two-point advantage late in the set.

Beilsmith ended with three service aces on 17 serves, tied with Lucy Arndt for the most on the team.

Three-straight kills from Guisti gave the Redhawks a 23-19 advantage as SEMO would take the third set, 25-19.

Again, in the fourth set, Guisti led the charge recording five kills on 10 attacks, as Kaelyn O'Brien chipped in four of her own to get SEMO back even in the match, 2-2.

SEMO got out to a 3-1 lead in the fifth set, but the Tigers would respond to take the final set by a mark of 15-12 to secure the match.

Senior setter Izzy Lukens and sophomore setter Jenny Shook combined for 51 assists in the match, 31 & 20, respectively.

Tara Beilsmith, the reigning OVC defensive player of the week, finished with 24 digs (team-high) and chipped in four assists.

SEMO will be back in action Friday night when they take on McNeese State at 6:30 p.m. at the Legacy Center.