TUESDAY'S SCORES
*Eastern Illinois 3, @SIUE 1
*Southeast Missouri 3, @Little Rock 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS 3, SIUE 1
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois volleyball team (7-15, 3-9 OVC) picked up a key conference win with a 3-1 victory over SIUE (8-13, 3-7 OVC) on Tuesday evening. After dropping the opening set, the Panthers won the next three to secure the match. The final set scores were as follows: 17-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-21.
The Cougars came out strong in the opening set and grabbed a quick 6-1 lead to begin the match. SIUE ballooned their lead to as many as eight before Eastern put together a 4-0 burst to cut the deficit in half. However, following a timeout, SIUE closed out the frame on a 6-2 run to take the set. Kaitlyn Flynn led the Panthers attack with six kills.
EIU fell behind 6-3 early in the second set before using another 4-0 run to grab their first lead of the match. SIUE jumped back in front briefly, but the Panthers strung together a 14-4 run in response to build a commanding eight-point advantage. The Cougars were unable to rally back as Eastern tied the match at one set apiece. Destiny Walker had big set with seven kills.
The Panthers carried their momentum into the third set to build an early 11-5 lead before SIUE responded with a 7-1 run to tie the score at 12 apiece. However, Eastern immediately regained their lead and protected it for the remainder of the set to go ahead 2-1 in the match. Walker kept things rolling with seven more kills to pace the Panthers offense.
EIU never trailed in the fourth set as Destiny Walker added another six kills to lead the Panthers to their first road conference win of the season.
Walker finished the match with 23 kills, which is a new career-high for the freshman. It topped her previous high of 20 kills also recorded against SIUE two weeks ago.
Two other Panthers posted double-digit kills, including Kaitlyn Flynn (15) and Matilda Dahlström (11).
Flynn also added two service aces, three blocks, and nine digs to her stat line, while Dahlström recorded one ace and two blocks.
Catalina Rochaix handed out 43 assists (10.75 APS) to help EIU to a team hitting percentage of .291.
Laura Paniagua and Destiny Walker both recorded 10 digs to lead Eastern defensively.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 3, LITTLE ROCK 2
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Southeast Missouri Volleyball (12-10, 9-1 OVC) downed Little Rock (14-11, 9-3 OVC) on Tuesday night in five sets by a final score of 3-2. The Redhawks reverse swept the Trojans, dropping the first two sets 25-17 and 25-19, before rattling off 25-15, 25-15, and 18-16 to win their eighth OVC match in a row.
SEMO's offense was led by sophomore Lucy Arndt who finished with a season-high 22 kills on the night. Arndt chipped in 15 digs as well for her 10th double-double of the season. She hit .212 on 66 total attempts with just eight errors.
Abby and Marin Johnson each finished with double figure kills as the duo finished with 12 and 10, respectively, as SEMO finished with 61 kills on the evening including 10 in the final frame.
Setters Megan Holder and Kennedey Johnson helped the Redhawks outhit LR by a .200 to .192 hitting advantage. Holder dished out 26 assists, Johnson with 17 as the duo combined for 43-of-56 SEMO assists.
In the opening set, Little Rock held a 15-12 advantage at the game's first media timeout after a service error from the Redhawks put the home team up by three points.
Out of the break, a Ramiri Gardner kill got the Redhawks back on track and trailing by just two points (15-13).
LR would utilize a 4-0 run, forcing SEMO into a timeout at 18-13. The teams would trade service errors, first LR and then the Redhawks to make the score 20-14.
The Trojans would take the first set by a final score of 25-17 with a .281 to .028 hitting advantage and led 1-0.
SEMO opened the second frame with two straight Abby Johnson kills before LR got on the board. A Marin Johnson kill and an attack error from LR's Bella Cherry gave SEMO a 4-1 lead early in the frame.
At the media break, SEMO led 15-14 following another LR error. A kill from Marin Johnson regained a two-point Redhawk advantage before a 5-1 run from the Trojans forced the Redhawks into a timeout at 19-17.
The Trojans would close the set on a 6-2 run after the Redhawks timeout to take the second frame 25-19.
SEMO would not go quietly, dominating sets three and four by final scores of 25-15 in each set to force a fifth and decisive set.
Early in the final frame, the Redhawks and Trojans were deadlocked at four following a kill from Arndt.
Five different times, inside the first eight points, the score was deadlocked as the two teams battled back in forth. A kill from LR's A'lanae Margaritha made the score 8-8 after the two teams traded sides.
Following a kill by Arndt to make it 14-14, the Trojans' Jeila Fullerton put the home team on match point with a 15-14 advantage.
Abby Johnson recorded a kill to make it 15-15 before the Trojans would regain another lead at 16-15. Johnson slammed home her 12th kill of the match to retie it at 16.
Two-straight kills from Marin Johnson sealed the deal as the Redhawks won the fifth set, 18-16.