Southeast Missouri Preview

Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (10-4, 1-1 OVC)

Friday, Oct. 1 | 6pm

ESPN+ | Live Stats | Match Notes

Belmont (4-9, 2-1 OVC) vs. Southeast Missouri (10-4, 1-1 OVC)

Saturday, Oct. 2 | 2pm

ESPN+ | Live Stats

Houck Fieldhouse | Cape Girardeau, Mo.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Off to their best conference start since 2017, Belmont University volleyball takes their 2-1 OVC record on the road this weekend as they travel to Southeast Missouri for a pair of important conference tilts. 

The Bruins will first face the Redhawks in Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Friday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. before finishing out the weekend with a rematch on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available. 

What's Bruin 

• Belmont started off the first week of conference play with important home wins over Tennessee State and UT Martin, both in four sets 

• The Bruins were swept by UT Martin last Saturday, but at 2-1, Belmont is still off to their best start in conference play since 2017, when they began 3-0 

• This weekend's matches will be the first road conference games of the year

• Senior outside hitter Taylor Floyd narrowly missed out on earning OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors after Belmont's 2-1 start to OVC play, collecting 40 kills over the first three OVC matches on a .246 hitting percentage with five blocks 

• Sophomore setter Izzy Schauer set a career-high with 53 assists in last Friday's 3-1 win over the Skyhawks 

• Senior middle hitter Kailee Bass currently ranks 5th in the OVC in blocks per set (0.95). Belmont is currently 4th in the conference as a team in blocks per set (2.09) 

• The return of Lauren Walsh from injury has given the Bruins another effective attacking option at the pins. The junior is averaging 2.21 kills per set, the third-best mark on the team. 

• Rachel McBride continues to be a force at libero. The Decatur, Ind., native has tallied double-digit digs in every single match this year. 

• Peyton Kelley was on fire from the service line in matches against Tennessee State and UT Martin, picking up five service aces and continuously putting the opponent's serve-receive defense on edge. 

About the Redhawks 

• SEMO returns six starters from a team that finished 14-3 in the spring, and were picked to finish second in the 2021 OVC Preseason Poll 

• The Redhawks split with Tennessee State on the road last weekend to open up conference play, winning 3-2 in the conference opener before losing 1-3 in last Saturday's contest with the Tigers

• SEMO is coming off a five-set loss to UT Martin on Wednesday at home. The Redhawks trailed 2-0 before winning the third and fourth set to force a decisive Game 5, which the Skyhawks won 15-13

• Senior outside hitter Laney Malloy is one of the top players in the conference. The 2x All-OVC First Team selection was named the AVCA Division I National Player of the Week two weeks ago after racking up 45 kills (4.50 kills/set) on a .441 hitting clip in three home wins at the Redhawks Invitational Championship. Malloy also leads the conference in service aces (25) 

• Senior setter Claire Ochs has facilitated the Redhawks offense to a No. 2 mark in the conference in hitting percentage (.202) and ranks 2nd in the league in assists per set (10.02)  

• Junior libero Tara Beilsmith has one OVC Defensive Player of the Week honor to her name and currently ranks 3rd in the conference in digs per set (5.47) 

Series History 

• SEMO leads the all-time series 7-6 

• SEMO won both matchups in the spring, 3-1 and 3-1 

• The Redhawks have won four in a row in the series. Belmont's last win came at the Curb Event Center in 2017