Volleyball Returns Home Thursday Against Tennessee State - Southeast Missouri State University Athletics

Match #24

Tennessee State (0-19, 0-8) at Southeast Missouri (16-7, 9-1 OVC)

Date: Thursday, October 29th
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Series: SEMO leads 53-10
Head Coaches: Julie Yankus (SEMO | 16th Season); Donika Sutton (TSU | 10th Season)

Match #25

Tennessee State (0-19, 0-8) at Southeast Missouri (16-7, 9-1 OVC)

Date: Friday, October 30th
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Southeast Missouri volleyball (16-7, 9-1 OVC) returns home after four road matches and welcomes Tennessee State to Houck Field House Thursday (6 p.m.) and Friday (4 p.m.).

Giveaways
Thursday, fans in attendance will receive Andy's Frozen Custard and a free Red Bull energy drink. Friday is the team's senior day where they will celebrate Lucy Arndt and Nina Schuberth along with alumni day. Fans in attendance, while supplies last, will take home a sherpa hat as it is 90's night.

Series History
The Redhawks and Lions have met 63 times in the past and SEMO has dominated the series leading 53-10. The Redhawks enter the match after winning the last seven meeting against the Tigers with the last win for TSU coming in 2022. The first meeting dates back to 1986 in which SEMO won 2-0. TSU didn't get its first win until 2005.

Last Week
The Redhawks extended their winning streak to five matches with two sweeps over UT Martin. SEMO won the first match 25-21, 25-16, 25-17 and the second match 25-20, 25-22, 25-16. SEMO averaged 15.17 kills per set on a .337 attacking percentage compared to UT Martin who averaged 13.0 kills per set on a .177 hitting percentage.

OVC Standings
Lindenwood and SEMO are still tied at the top of the standings, but SEMO carries the tiebreaker over Lindenwood due to point differential in the two matches we played. Morehead State

Top of the OVC
As a team, SEMO sits atop of the OVC in two statistical categories. The Rehawks are 20th in the country in hitting percentage at .272. They also lead the OVC and are 178th in total blocks with 160.

SEMO is top 100 in the country in six other categories. The Redhawks are 52nd in team kills and kills per set. The Redhawks average 13.46 kills per set and sit second in the OVC. They also have racked up 1, 104 team kills, just 10 behind the OVC leading Lindenwood. The squad is 76th in the country in team assists with 995. The final two categories SEMO sits 92nd in service aces with 131 and 93rd in assists per set with 12.13.

The Pin
Reagan Nelson leads the OVC in three categories which includes toal kills where she is 32nd nationally with 322. She also leads in points with 362.0 to sit 36th in the country along with kills per set with 3.93 to rank 54th in the nation.

She also leads SEMO and is third in the OVC in service aces with 29 after four in the opening match against UT Martin. Nelson is averaging .35 aces per set and had a season high five against Missouri State.

The Middle
Alaina Lester leads the OVC and is up to fourth nationally in hitting percentage at .469. Since OVC play has started she has 49 kills (1.88 per set) on a .586 hitting percentage. Over the weekend against UT Martin, she totaled 11 kills on 16 attempts.

On the defensive side she leads the OVC and is 193rd in the nation in total blocks with 74 and is averaging .95 which sits second in the OVC.

Nearing History
Senior L/DS Nina Schuberth is two service aces away from eclipsing the school record. She is nearing this mark after recording two aces in the Redhawks first two OVC matches at Western Illinois. Schuberth stands at 152 aces through her career, and she is chasing Ally Dion who recorded 154 in her time at SEMO. Schuberth has the two-highest single season service aces record with 54 in 2025 and 49 in 2023.

Defense Is Key
Through 10 OVC matches the Redhawks are limiting opponents to a .158 attacking percentage and 11.56 kills per set. SEMO is averaging 2.41 blocks per set and 15.22 digs per set.

Droppin Dimes
Megan Holder and Ellie Burns are the setters in the 5-2 system, and the tandem leads SEMO which is 73rd in assists in the country and sits second in the OVC. On the season Holder has 457 assists and Burns has 322. The two have a combined 779 assists and 16 other Redhawks have recorded an assist.

Offensive Player of the Week
Reagan Nelson was tabbed as OVC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. This comes after she had 30 kills, four aces, 5.00 kills per set on a .328 hitting percentage and 22 digs. In the second match of the season she had a 15 kill, 15-dig double-double.

This is the second time Nelson earned the award this season and the fourth time a Redhawk was voted as the top OVC offensive player of the week.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lucy Arndt

Ellie Burns

Megan Holder

Alaina Lester

Reagan Nelson

Nina Schuberth

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