EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Southeast Missouri volleyball (4-8, 1-0 OVC) started Ohio Valley Conference play with a 3-1 victory over Southern Indiana (5-8, 0-1 OVC) on Friday night from Screaming Eagles Arena. 
 
The Redhawks secured victory after dropping the first set, 25-23, before winning the final three sets 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 to down the Screaming Eagles behind 12 kills from Lucy Arndt. Arndt finished with 11 digs as well to record a double-double for her sixth of the season. 
 
Arndt was one of three Redhawks in double figures as Abby Johnson and Marin Johnson finished with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. 
 
As a team, SEMO outhit USI by a .158 to .122 hitting-percentage on 152 total attacks with just 22 errors. The Redhawks were all over the defensive side of the net accumulating 19 total blocks led by freshman Alaina Lester. 
 
Lester, who entered the match leading the Redhawks in blocks and ranked fifth in the conference, notched 11 blocks. She now has 55 total blocks through 12 games this season. Marin Johnson (8), Abby Johnson (5), and Ramiri Gardner (5) contributed their own blocks as SEMO forced USI into 37 total attack errors. 
 
The Redhawks dropped the first set in the only set that the Screaming Eagles outhit SEMO. USI used a .085 to .047 hitting-percentage to take the first set by just two points (25-23). 
 
SEMO responded with a thrilling second set as they hit .132 to just .000 from USI to take the second set by the inverse score from the first set. 
 
SEMO led 18-17 before a Lucy Arndt kill made it 19-17 Redhawks late in the second set. The teams would trade kills as USI's Ashby Willis attack was matched by Arndt on the next point to make it 20-18 Redhawks. 
 
SEMO would pull away by as many as four points as a block by Arndt and Ramiri Gardner made it 22-18 Redhawks. Three-straight USI points made it 22-21 as SEMO was forced into a timeout. 
 
An Arndt kill sparked a 3-2 run as the Redhawks closed the second set, 25-23. After two, the match was tied at one set apiece. 
 
SEMO was on fire in the third set, winning 25-21, off a .394 hitting-percentage as a team, including 15 kills, three blocks, and a service ace. 
 
USI hit just .238 in the third frame to give the Redhawks a 2-1 lead in the match, heading to the fourth set. 

The Redhawks trailed 18-14 late in the fourth set before a 3-0 run sparked by a kill from Abby Johnson made it 18-17 forcing USI into a timeout. 
 
An Arndt kill out of the break made it four-in-a-row to tie the match at 18. USI would take a brief 19-18 lead before an error on the serve retied the match at 19. 
 
SEMO would close the match on a 6-3 run, capped off by a Marin Johnson kill to secure the game, 25-22, and the match, 3-2. 
 
Looking Ahead
SEMO volleyball will return to action tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 28, when they take on Southern Indiana. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. from Screaming Eagles Arena.