OTAHKS SWEEP UP NCAA TOURNEY BID

Southeast Missouri State could get used to this.

Oh wait, Southeast Missouri State is used to this.

The top-seeded Otahkians (28-5) continued their mastery of Ohio Valley Conference volleyball by claiming another OVC Tournament title -- 15-12, 15-3 and 15-11 -- over No. 3 Austin Peay (23-11) Saturday at Houck Field House, assuring Southeast a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

It was the Otahkians' 20th straight win and their fourth OVC Tournament championship in the last five years.

And although the Otahks are accustomed to OVC championships, the feeling never grows old for coach Cindy Gannon."Every time we win it, it just shows the dedication and commitment that Southeast Missouri State has to volleyball," said Gannon. "You can't ever win a championship too many times."Southeast pulled out to commanding leads in each of the three sets, but the Lady Governors were able to mount comebacks in the first and third.

In the first game, Austin Peay trailed 11-4 and 13-6, but came back to within 14-12, before Southeast outside hitter Lea Beckemeyer ended that set with an ace.

In the third set, the Otahks held a 12-7 lead, but the Lady Governors battled back to within 12-11 before Southeast pulled away late."We just never quit," said Austin Peay coach Cheryl Holt. "A couple of times we gained some momentum, but we pretty much struggled all day. Southeast Missouri is a great club. They're so powerful and have great leaders. Their record and performance all year long has been outstanding and they deserve to be champs."Holt was particularly impressed with Southeast's blocking on Saturday."They play some great offense," she said, "but they blocked really well. And we didn't attack smart this game."Southeast posted 31 blocks and didn't allow any Austin Peay player more than seven kills.

The Otahkians were led offensively by setter Amy Henken's 36 assists and outside hitter Krista Haukap's 14 kills. Henken had 11 digs, while Haukap the tournament MVP had 10.

Beckemeyer provided 12 kills, while Angie Aschoff had 11 for Southeast.

After the game, both coaches acknowledged the athletic ability of the Otahkians, but both said the balance and decision making is what sets Southeast apart."Amy Henken is just a fine player and does a great job of quarterbacking that team," said Holt. "She just makes great decisions.""I wouldn't say this is the most talented team we've had here, because we have been blessed with some very good teams," Gannon said. "But this is probably the most balanced team and this team plays really well together. Each position complements another. When Jackie (Derwort) went out with an injury this year, (freshman) Emily Johnson came in and we didn't miss a beat. That's a sign of a strong team."Henken attributes Southeast's success to communication."Our team is smart and we communicate well together," said the OVC player of the year. "This is the best communicating team that I've ever been on and that's why we're successful. And we're balanced too. All of our hitters are good. Sometimes our middle hitters don't get as much attention because our outside hitters have been so good. But our middle hitters are drawing blockers and freeing up the outside. They're just as important as anybody. They're doing what they're supposed to be doing."Now that Southeast has taken care of its business, its seed in the NCAA tournament is up to the NCAA."I would like for Southeast to be in the 11-12 range to stay away from the top four seeds," said Gannon. "Beating a nationally ranked team (Arkansas) should help us and we've done everything in our power to help our cause.""We're hoping for a high seed," Henken said. "But who knows about the NCAA."The Otahkians have played in the NCAA tournament twice before, but haven't been seeded higher than 15.