Volleyball Topped by Southern Illinois in Saluki Bash Opener

Friday, September 4

Carbondale, Ill.

12:00 PM

Southeast Missouri State University

1-4,0-0OVC

Southern Illinois

4-0,0-0MVC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Southeast Mo. St.	22	25	14	25	11	2
Southern Ill.	25	17	25	20	15	3

Reagan Nelson eying down a serve and ready for a dig

Photo by: SEMO Creative Media

9/4/2026 2:49:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

CARBONDALE, Ill. —Southeast Missouri volleyball fell to Southern Illinois 3-2 on Friday, with set scores of 22-25, 25-17, 14-25, 25-20, 11-15. SEMO rallied from a 7-4 fourth-set deficit to lead 9-8 and won the set before the Salukis took the fifth.

SEMO moved ahead 3-0 to open the set, scoring on a Salukis setting error and back-to-back blocks. The Salukis worked back to a 10-10 tie on Beatriz Piaia's kill, and after the teams traded points to 12-12, the Salukis scored three straight to go in front 15-12 before SEMO cut it to 15-14 with a kill and a service ace. SEMO later tied the set at 19-19 and again at 22-22, but the Salukis took the final three points on a service error, an Ella Swansiger kill and a Chloe Anderson kill to close the set 25-22.

SEMO built early leads of 4-1 and 6-3, but the Salukis stayed close and used kills by McKenzie Moeller and Carlota Mora to get within 9-8. SEMO answered by winning the next six points, using five kills and a service ace to move ahead 15-8. After the Salukis trimmed the margin to 16-11, SEMO took four straight points to extend the lead to 20-11. SEMO reached set point at 24-15, and after the Salukis scored twice, a service error closed the set at 25-17.

The third set stayed level through 6-6 before SEMO used a Salukis attack error and a kill to move ahead 8-6. The Salukis came back to tie it at 10-10 on a service error and a block, and after SEMO pulled even at 11-11, the home side scored six straight points behind kills from Carlota Mora and Ella Swansiger to lead 17-11. SEMO traded sideouts to get to 13-18, but the Salukis scored the next six points, with Beatriz Piaia involved in a block and a kill and Alexandria Arrington adding two kills, before a final Mora kill closed the set 25-14.

After the Salukis used a Lillian Dempkey service turn to go ahead 6-2, SEMO worked back from 7-4 with kills by Marin Johnson, Alaina Lester and Reagan Nelson, moving in front 8-7 before an attack error by Ella Swansiger made it 9-8. The teams traded points to 12-12, but SEMO took the next three on two Salukis attack errors around a Johnson kill to build a 15-12 lead. The Salukis stayed within 18-17 on a Chloe Anderson service ace, but SEMO answered with kills by Nelson and Johnson during a three-point push to 21-17 and later reached 24-18 on consecutive Salukis attack errors. The Salukis took the next two points before Paige Smith closed the set with a kill for a 25-20 SEMO win.

SEMO moved ahead 2-0 to start the fifth set and stayed in front through an 8-6 edge after a kill and a service ace. The Salukis answered with kills from Natalie Vance and Beatriz Piaia to tie it at 8-8, and the teams continued trading points until the Salukis moved ahead 10-9. SEMO pulled even again at 10-10 and 11-11, but the Salukis closed the set with four straight points on kills by McKenzie Moeller, Chloe Anderson, Ella Swansiger and Alexandria Arrington to take the set 15-11.

SEMO Top Performers

Reagan Nelson led SEMO with 20 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. She also had a .236 hitting percentage. Marin Johnson aded 17 kills on a .302 hitting percentage. Nina Schuberth had 10 digs, Holland Guilliam added 12 digs.

Up next, the SEMO faces Merrimack Saturday back in Carbondale to wrap up the Saluki Bash.