Southeast builds up steam for tourney

Southeast will take a three-match conference winning streak into Saturday's play. ~

By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian

The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team hopes a late-season surge pays off with success in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Southeast, which late in its OVC schedule was in danger of missing out on a tournament berth for the first time, won four of its final five conference matches, including the last three.

Southeast figures to have plenty of momentum entering the six-team event that will begin Saturday and conclude Monday in Richmond, Ky. Eastern Kentucky is the host.

"We're playing our best volleyball at the end of the season," said Southeast coach Cindy Gannon, whose squad began the year winning just one of its first 12 matches. "I knew with as young as we were, it was going to take a lot of patience and persistence. When you start out 1-11 it's easy to throw in the towel. I'm really proud of them.

"I think they really stepped it up toward the end and won some big matches. We experienced some success, and that's only going to help us."

Southeast (11-16, 9-7 OVC) tied for fourth place in the 11-team conference and will be the No. 4 seed for the tournament. Gannon's squad faces No. 5 seed Austin Peay (14-15, 9-7) at 7 p.m. Saturday in a first-round match.

Saturday's other first-round contest pits No. 3 seed Jacksonville State (20-8, 10-6) against No. 6 seed Morehead State (9-19, 8-8).

No. 1 seed Eastern Kentucky (25-4, 15-1) and No. 2 seed Eastern Illinois (24-5, 15-1) received opening-round byes.

In Sunday's semifinals, the Jacksonville State-Morehead State winner plays Eastern Illinois at 1 p.m., and the Southeast-Austin Peay winner takes on Eastern Kentucky at 4 p.m.

The championship match is set for 3 p.m. Monday, with the winner earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

"Who knows what will happen in the tournament," Gannon said. "There have been some crazy things all year in the conference."

Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Illinois, the regular-season co-champions, combined to dominate the league despite not even being considered serious contenders when play began. The Colonels were picked fourth in the OVC preseason poll while the Panthers were seventh.

"That just shows you that you never know what to expect," Gannon said. "I think anybody can win it."

Southeast and Austin Peay split a pair of 3-2 decisions this season, with each team winning on its home court.

"I think we match up well with them, but I would think it will go down to the wire like the first two," Gannon said.

If Southeast beats Austin Peay, it advances to a semifinal meeting with Eastern Kentucky. The squads played only once this year, with the Colonels rolling to a three-game victory at home.

Regardless what happens in the tournament, Gannon knows simply making the field will benefit a team that starts no seniors.

"We're so young, this will be a good experience for us," she said.