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Photo Gallery (by Sandy King)

CHARLESTON, Ill. -Southeast Missouri jumped out quickly in the opening two sets on Monday evening as the Redhawks beat Eastern Illinois in three sets in the final home match of the season for Eastern Illinois at First Mid Court at Lantz Arena.
 
SEMO won 3-0 by scores of 25-22, 25-13, 25-22.
 
The Redhawks improved to 12-2 on the season while EIU fell to 2-12.  The Panthers wrap up the 2021 Spring season next Sunday and Monday at SIUE.
 
SEMO pulled out to a 17-10 lead midway through the opening set as Laney Malloy paced the Redhawks attack.  SEMO hit .400 in the opening set.  EIU had a solid attack percentage in the opening set as well finishing at .370 with Laurel Bailey hammering home six kills.  Danielle Allen added five.  EIU would climb back into the set on the serving of Bailey Chandler and kills by Bailey and Allen to trail 21-20.  SEMO would win four of the next six points closing out the set on a Malloy kill.
 
In the second set the Redhawks again jumped out to an early lead this time behind the hitting of Colby Greene.  Both teams were off the mark on the attack in the set with SEMO hitting .152 while EIU fell to negative .029.  SEMO opened up a 18-6 lead as they went on an 11-2 run with Kayla Closset doing the serving on six of those points.  Bailey would get kills on four of five attacks near the end of the set to give EIU some late momentum before Greene shut the door with a kill.
 
The final set was closely contested as EIU tied match at 15-15 on a kill by Kameryn Sillmon as head coach Sara Thomas shifted a portion of her line-up in the final set.  Ireland Hieb came off the bench to produce four of the teams 13 kills in the set.  SEMO pushed the lead to 19-15 with a pair of kills by Claire Ochs and Greene.  EIU took advantage of back-to-back attack errors by SEMO to trim the lead to 22-21.  The Redhawks won three of the final four points to close out the match.
 
Bailey finished with 13 kills in her final home match for the Panthers.  Allen added nine kills.  Christina Martinez Mundo and Bailey Chandler each had ten digs.
 
Greene led SEMO with 13 kills followed by Talia Gouard with ten.  Ally Dion had 11 digs and two of SEMO's eight service aces.