VOLLEYBALL: OTAHKIANS AGAIN CLASS OF THE OVC

Right now, Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team looks like it is simply way too good for the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference.

But coach Cindy Gannon warns that things are bound to get tougher the rest of the way.

"The competition hasn't been good yet, but the league is young," said Gannon. "I know the teams are going to get better. It's still going to be a tough road for us."

Southeast has gotten off to 5-0 league start as it shoots for its eighth OVC regular-season championship since joining the conference 10 years ago. The Otahkians will look to keep their league record perfect this weekend as they play two homes matches, facing Morehead State at 7 p.m. Friday and Eastern Kentucky at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"We've got two big matches this weekend," said Gannon, whose squad has won 24 straight matches at Houck Field House. "We have to win them. We have to win them all at home."

So far this season, the Otahkians have already handily defeated Eastern Illinois and Tennessee Tech, who are regarded as two of Southeast's main OVC challengers.

"But we still have to go to Eastern Illinois, which is going to be really tough," Gannon said.

As has been the case the past few years, Gannon loaded up her team's early-season schedule. She realized the Otahkians might get off to a slow start, but she figured facing the tough competition would pay off when it was time for OVC play.

Gannon has been right on both counts. Southeast won just one of its first seven matches while facing some extremely rugged opponents, but since the Otahkians got into league action, they have not been tested.

"Every year people tell me I'm crazy, with the type of schedule we play early," said a laughing Gannon, whose squad is back to the .500 mark overall with an 8-8 record. "But why fix it if it isn't broken. This has done well for us, and if we get into the NCAA Tournament again, it will be nice to have played those kind of teams.

"It's always a gamble when you play such a tough early schedule. You never know how the kids will react. But they've reacted well and I think we're really starting to come together. The tough competition we played early has really helped us."

Southeast's two standout hitters, Lea Beckemeyer and Krista Haukap, are having sensational senior seasons. They rank one-two in kills in the OVC, Beckemeyer leading the way with 259 and Haukap right behind with 247.

"Lea and Krista are playing really well," said Gannon.

The Otahkians have also gotten a boost from freshman setter Emily Scannell, who leads the OVC and ranks 18th nationally in assists with an average of 13.3 per game.

Entering the season, Gannon knew that the setter position would be a big key for the Otahkians, who lost standout Amy Henken to graduation. But so far, Scannell has stepped into the role well.

"Emily has done a fantastic job," Gannon said. "We knew we just needed to get her experience. She got it early against some really tough competition. She's a tough kid and she's getting better all the time."

Following the two weekend home matches, which the Otahkians will be heavily favored to win, Southeast will venture outside the league Monday night when Evansville comes to Houck Field House for what Gannon expects to be a difficult match.

"Evansville is a contender in the Missouri Valley Conference and our winning streak at Houck could definitely be challenged by them," she said.