OTAHKIANS FLATTEN SIU; SE SPIKERS POST SWEEP AT HOME

Amy Henken is starting to feel at home in her new environs.

On Tuesday evening, Henken, a junior transfer from Indiana State, had 50 assists and four kills in Southeast Missouri State's 15-11, 15-5, 15-7 victory over Southern Illinois-Carbondale at Houck Field House.

Henken spread the wealth among the Otahkian hitters. Krista Haukap led Southeast with 16 kills, Angie Aschoff had 15, Jackie Derwort 13 and Lea Beckemeyer 11 in the rout.

"Amy's starting to really get to know her hitters," Southeast coach Cindy Gannon said. "She's played (SIU) before. She probably knows them better than I do."

Southeast is 3-2 after a devastating Ohio Valley Conference sweep by Eastern Illinois on Sept. 22.

"That loss to Eastern Illinois kind of woke us up," Gannon said. "We're starting to focus on each other as a team."

"I think we all came into the year thinking we were Southeast, and seeing all those banners (for five consecutive OVC championships)," Henken said. "We realize we haven't done anything, and that we have to work hard to get another one."

The Otahkians jumped to a 3-1 lead in the first game of Tuesday's match and quickly stretched it to 7-1 courtesy of a pair of kills from Beckemeyer and Haukap.

Mandy Edgington added a service ace and Aschoff a vicious spike before SIU finally stopped the bleeding at 9-1.

Led by middle blockers Monique Galvin and Laura Pier, the Salukis closed to within 13-9 in the opening game, but a kill and service winner by Derwort closed out the opening game.

Game two was even at 2-2 when Haukap ripped a spike through the middle of the Salukis defense, starting a 6-1 run which gave the Otahkians an 8-3 advantage.

Henken added a kill and two blocks, and Haukap had two of her kills as Southeast ran away with the second game.

"I played with her in high school," Henken said of Haukap. "I know she wants the ball, so she's gonna get it."

After a pair of sideouts starting game three, Aschoff and Beckmeyer recorded consecutive kills to put the Otahkians in front 2-0.

Lindsay Resmer's spike pulled the Salukis to within one at 3-2, but after a sideout, a Beckemeyer block, a Saluki mishit and a Haukap spike, Southeast had quickly built a 6-2 advantage.

The Salukis hung close until 8-5, but a dink from Haukap made it 9-5, and her spike a few plays later increased the Otahkians' lead to 10-5.

Lori Lange's service ace gave Southeast a 12-5 lead, and moments later, Haukap's service winner and Beckmeyer's block of Pier gave Southeast a 15-7 third-game win and the match.

Salukis setter Debbie Barr broke the SIU all-time assist record in the match. The junior setter now has 3257 for her career.

But all was not well afterwards for the Salukis, who hashed out their problems in a long closed-door meeting after the match.

"Their setter ran a great offense tonight," SIU coach Sonya Locke said. "The meeting was just to take care of some business."