Oct. 1, 2004

Box Score

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team will have to wait another day to pick up their first conference victory of the season. They came up short against a tough Eastern Illinois (11-3, 3-0 OVC) team, losing 3-1 (31-29, 28-30, 30-23, 30-24) in a tightly contested match. Southeast falls to 1-12 and 0-3 for the season.

In game one the Panthers jumped out to a quick 8-4 lead. Southeast was able to claw their way back and took the lead 13-12 after a Jessica Koeper (Jackson, MO/Jackson) kill. After each team exchanged points and leads Southeast was able to pull ahead 20-16 after an Ashley Smith (DeSoto, MO/Jefferson College) kill. Southeast was able to maintain to lead and eventually had the chance to win the game serving for game point. Eastern Illinois was able to rally and record the 31-29 win when Erica Gerth recorded a kill for the game-winning point.

Game two started with the Panthers jumping out to the quick 8-5 lead. Southeast then began to chip away at the Panthers lead and eventually took it 13-12. The teams then rallied back-and-forth with the lead. A Koeper kill gave Southeast a 28-26 lead. Southeast had another game point opportunity, this time they took advantage with a Koeper kill and the 30-28 win. Southeast hit .229 and held Eastern Illinois to a .200 hitting percentage.

Eastern Illinois came out on fire in game three, jumping out to a 15-9 lead. But the momentum seemed to shift when freshman Shannon Muesenfechter (Florissant, MO/Incarnate Word Academy) dove onto the scorers table to attempt to save a point. She was not successful and took a nasty spill off the table, but quickly got up and went back to action. Head Coach Cindy Gannon called a timeout and gathered her team and to try to steal momentum from the Panthers. The strategy seemed to work for a brief time as Southeast pulled within three, 16-13. That would be the closest the Southeast would come as the Panthers took game three, 30-23.

In game four, Eastern Illinois jumped out to another early lead and held 18-11 advantage. Southeast rallied and cut the lead to 20-18 on a Koeper kill. Eastern then outscored Southeast 10-6 to secure the 30-24 victory and the match.

vKoeper finished with a career-high 25 kills and added 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Jill Miller (Muncie, IN/Muncie Central) had 13 kills and 18 digs for her third straight double-double and fifth of the season.

Sophomore setter Jamie Baumstark (Hermann, MO/Hermann) topped the 50-assist platue for the third straight game with 53 assists. She also recorded 15 digs for her third straight assist/dig double-double and her fifth of the season. She missed a triple double by one kill, recording nine. She also added 5 blocks (all assist) and two aces.

Lauren Scannell (Belleville, IL/Southwestern Illinois College) finished with 13 digs to keep her streak of 13 straight games in double-digit digs alive.

As a team Southeast hit a season-high .237, including .298 in game one.

Southeast returns to the court Friday, October 8 at Houck Fieldhouse as they host Tennessee Tech at 7:00 PM.