CHARLESTON, Ill. — Southeast Missouri Volleyball (21-12, 12-6 OVC) edged out Little Rock (16-15, 11-7 OVC) in a five-set thriller at Gardella Family Court at McAfee Gym, securing a 3-2 victory with scores of 18-25, 27-25, 16-25, 25-16, and 15-13. The match saw the Redhawks rally with a strong fourth set, posting a .375 hitting percentage to force a decisive fifth set.

First Set  
- The Trojans took an early lead, with Sophia Garrido and Bella Cherry contributing kills to push the score to 7-1.  
- The Redhawks responded with a block by Ramiri Gardner and Reagan Nelson, narrowing the gap to 10-3.  
- Nelson sparked a late rally for the Redhawks with consecutive kills, cutting the deficit to 22-15.  
- The Trojans maintained their lead, closing the set 25-18 with a Vivian Lucumi kill.  

Second Set  
- Southeast Missouri started the set with a strong 3-0 lead, fueled by two consecutive service aces from Nina Schuberth.  
- Nelson contributed significantly, recording multiple kills with assists from Megan Holder, maintaining the home team's momentum.  
- The Trojans rallied to tie the set at 21-21, highlighted by key kills from Crismeyli Rodriguez and Jaycee Kennedy.  
- SEMO clinched the set 27-25 after capitalizing on an attack error by Garrido.

Third Set  
- The Trojans started strong, taking an early 5-1 lead with A'lanae Margaritha contributing a kill and a block.  
- Nelson responded for the Redhawks with multiple kills, aided by assists from Holder.  
- Cherry was instrumental for the Trojans, recording several kills as they extended their advantage to 20-9.  
- Marin Johnson's late kills for the Redhawks were not enough to close the gap, as the Trojans secured the set 25-16.  

Fourth Set  
- The Trojans took an early advantage with a 6-2 lead, fueled by key plays from Cherry and Garrido.  
- SEMO rallied with a series of kills by Johnson and Oxenknecht, leveling the score at 13-13.  
- St. John and Johnson combined efforts during a decisive 9-1 run, pushing the Redhawks ahead 22-14.  
- Nelson's final kill sealed the set for the Redhawks, closing it at 25-16.

Fifth Set  
- Rodriguez opened scoring for the Trojans, but a service error quickly leveled the score at 1-1.  
- Nelson delivered consecutive kills to help the Redhawks pull ahead 4-2.  
- Alandry Below contributed with assists, including one to Johnson, extending the lead to 10-4.  
- The Trojans closed the gap with a 5-0 run, featuring a service ace by Andrea Roman, but Katherine St. John's kill secured the set 15-13 for the Redhawks.

SEMO Top Performers  
Reagan Nelson  
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- 24 kills  
- 14 digs  
- 27.0 points  

Megan Holder  
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- 28 assists  
- 2 service aces  
- 8 digs  

Holland Guilliams  
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- 26 digs  
- 4 assists  

Marin Johnson  
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- 13 kills  
- 13.5 points  

Ramiri Gardner  
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- 1 service ace  
- 5 total blocks  

Game Notes:  
- Freshman Reagan Nelson had a career high 24 kills in the match.  
- The Redhawks are now 6-2 all-time against the Trojans.

#4 SEMO Volleyball advances to the OVC Tournament's semifinal round where they will face off with #1 Eastern Illinois. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. tomorrow night in Charleston, Illinois.