Redhawks bow out of OVC tournament

~ Eastern Kentucky handed Southeast a 30-23, 30-24, 30-22 setback in the semifinal.

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team struggled mightily with its hitting on Saturday and fell in three games to top-seeded Eastern Kentucky in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Charleston, Ill.

Eastern Kentucky ended Southeast's season with a 30-23, 30-24, 30-22 win.

The Redhawks finished with a 16-16 overall record.

Eastern Kentucky improved to 23-6 and will play third-seeded Jacksonville State for the OVC championship at noon today. Jacksonville State swept No. 2 Tennessee State.

The Redhawks, the No. 5 seed, finished with a hitting percentage of .068, and had just one player in double figures in kills.

Jackson graduate Jessica Koeper led Southeast with 12 kills. No other Southeast player had more than six.

Lauren Scannell led Southeast with 24 digs, Koeper added 10 digs, and Jamie Baumstark had 27 assists and 13 digs.

Eastern Kentucky had three players in double figures in kills, led by Liz Guard's 17. Jessica Sabath had 12, and Amy Arlinghaus 10.