Boxscore (PDF)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Eastern Illinois dropped a four-set affair at Ohio Valley Conference rival Southeast Missouri on Tuesday evening, as a late-match comeback fell just short in the 25-9, 25-19, 22-25, 25-15 contest.

The loss drops EIU to 4-14 on the year and 2-6 in league action.

Junior Emily Franklin led all Panthers with 15 kills, while sophomore Reynae Hutchinson chipped in 13 and added 12 digs to earn her fifth such performance of the year and eighth in her EIU career.

Defensively, junior Alison Berens led with four blocks, while newcomer Katie Kirby added three stuffs of her own.

The duo setters of freshman Jill Johnson and senior Chrissie Albers combined for 36 assists with Johnson notching 20 and earning her second career assist-dig double-double with the addition of 11 digs.

Team-wise, EIU trailed SEMO (7-11/5-2) in kills (54 to 42), attack (.268 to .120), assists (52 to 39), digs (56 to 47), and blocks (10.0 to six), while owning a big advantage in aces (ten to two).

In the opening set, SEMO got off to a hot start using a tough serve which would forced the Panthers off-system.  The Redhawks would continue to maintain the lead, forcing EIU to burn their final timeout down 15-5 at one point.  SEMO would ride out the lead to capture the first frame,25-9, as the nine points marked the lowest single-set Panther tally of the season.  

The second started pretty much the same way with SEMO jumping ahead 3-0 before the Panthers clawed back to within 7-5 and again at 13-11 after the home squad went on another scoring run.  But SEMO would again counter with consecutive points and take advantage of EIU miscues to lead, 21-17.  After a Eastern timeout, Emily Franklin's kill on the left side would stop the SEMO run, but more EIU errors would require the final timeout of the set for EIU down 23-18.  Unfortunately, a couple of sideouts later and the Redhawks would enjoy an early 2-0 match lead via the 25-19 victory.

After sideout play from both teams, SEMO would again begin pull ahead in the third set, up 9-4 early-on to force EIU into a timeout.  Panthers responded by taking the next three points and pull to within 9-7, but the Redhawks scored a few more to move way ahead again at 13-7 before EIU could get a sideout.  Another nice Eastern run, including a key block, would allow the Panthers to pull to within 13-10.  Consecutive impressive aces by freshman Dakota Springer pulled EIU to within 15-13 of the hosts, then further tough Panther serves, this time from junior Allison Berens, would knot the score at 16-all, forcing SEMO to use their first timeout of the match.

Third set action continued as the two league rivals would continue to battle with patented sideout play with EIU earning the 20th point first and eventually leading 23-21, requiring another SEMO break in the action.  A perfect slide kill by Berens would move the Panthers to within a set of SEMO off the 25-21 win.

In set four, consecutive put-downs from Hutchinson and Franklin would help EIU tie it at three-all after another strong SEMO start.  From then on, both squads would battle nearly point-for-point with neither team leading by more than two.  During that run, key EIU kills came via Hutchinson and Albers.  However, after a tough EIU passing miscue, the Panthers would burn a timeout suddenly down 16-13.  SEMO would extend their advantage to 18-14, forcing EIU's last break in the action, but a nice touch-shot by freshman Katie Kirby would end the Redhawk run.  Unfortunately, the home team would counter with consecutive points thanks to tough serving and Panther errors, to earn the four-set win at 25-15.

SEMO had three players finish in double-digit kill figures, led by Emily Coon and Karlee Lursen's 14 put-downs.

Meeting for the 40th time, the SEMO win upped the Redhawks to 26-14 all-time over the Panthers in the Division I series.

Panthers will return to the court this coming Friday evening, traveling to UT Martin for a 6 p.m. OVC match.

...  for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID