Ticket punched: SEMO volleyball advances to the NCAA Tournament

Before Southeast Missouri State jubilantly piled onto the Houck Field House floor following its Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship, there was a moment of confusion.

The Redhawks — leading Morehead State 14-13 in a taut, do-or-die fifth set Saturday for a trip to the NCAA Tournament — saw hard-swinging Laney Malloy send a volleyball off the hands of a defender before ricocheting into the net's antenna.

SEMO (26-7) was beginning to jump in celebration, but the official’s call wasn't immediately concrete. In that moment of indecision, Morehead State (20-12) cheered at the prospect of a tied set and possession change.

Malloy adamantly pointed toward the out-of-bounds antenna. Morehead State couldn't dispute the call because it had already exhausted its challenges.

When the last of Malloy's 21 kills was confirmed, the Redhawks' home crowd roared.

Top-seeded SEMO won its second OVC Tournament in three years after edging No. 2 seed Morehead State 25-22, 25-23, 19-25, 15-25, 15-13.

The swing of emotion during the match-deciding point was similar to the shift of momentum for SEMO, which jumped out to a two-set lead before being forced to go the distance.

Naturally, it was Claire Ochs setting up fellow senior Malloy for the final kill, a sequence performed hundreds of times in their decorated careers.

"I knew for sure Laney got that kill, I could see it clear as day," Ochs said. "I'm glad they got the call right and that they couldn't challenge the call, which would have made us wait around to see if we won."

Ochs and Malloy were key in SEMO's 2019 OVC Tournament championship and they key again at Houck Field House, hosting the tournament for the first time since 2000.

Ochs — OVC Tournament MVP — totaled 45 assists, 19 digs with five kills Saturday.

Zoey Beasley, who had four kills in the final set, had 18 kills and five blocks. Colby Greene, another front-row talent, had 11 kills and two blocks.

"When a championship is on the line, they swing aggressive," SEMO coach Julie Yankus said of her hitters. "And our lady swings aggressive at end, we get that point."

A week after sweeping Morehead State in six sets to conclude the regular season, force  a tie of the OVC regular season title and earn the right to host, SEMO looked like it was going to sweep the Eagles again.

Morehead State clawed its way back by winning the third and fourth set.

"That's a good team and we couldn't take them for granted," Yankus said. "Things got away from us, but it was good to see how our experience and leadership rise to the occasion."

Nine players on SEMO's roster were members of the OVC Tournament title team that faced the Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ochs was MVP of 2019 OVC Tournament, too.

"I love this team so much and I wanted us to have this memory forever and to win it," Ochs said. "This has been by far my favorite team and we were going to out there and win as a family or lose as a family."

Malloy — the OVC regular season MVP — Greene and Ochs were named to the All-Tournament team.

SEMO will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination during next week's selection show.