SIUE (5-13, 2-5 OVC) at Southeast Missouri (15-5, 6-2 OVC)
Dates: October 15-16, 2021
First Serve: 6 p.m. CT (Friday), 7 p.m. CT (Saturday)
Location: Houck Field House, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

WHERE WE'RE AT: SIUE volleyball currently sits at 5-13 with non-conference wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (Aug. 27), Eastern Kentucky (Sep. 4), and Western Illinois (Sep. 18), and a pair of Ohio Valley Conference victories over Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5) and Belmont (Oct. 9).

THE TASK AT HAND: The Cougars will look to add to their conference win total and march closer to .500 in OVC play this weekend, as SIUE will head to Cape Girardeau for a series at red-hot Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks sit at 6-2 in OVC play and are riding a five-match winning streak heading into Friday's contest. The Redhawks currently sit at #112 in the most recent RPI rankings, compared to SIUE's #267 position. SEMO was picked to finish second in the OVC and are led by a trio of Preseason All-OVC talent - Laney Malloy, Claire Ochs, and Colby Greene.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars entered the OVC win column for the first time this season on Tuesday in a 3-1 win at Eastern Illinois. The Cougars dropped the first set before finding their rhythm and claiming the next three sets.

IRON SHARPENS IRON: The Cougars put together one of the most competitive non-conference schedules in program history this fall, standing toe-to-toe against three squads currently ranked in the RPI Top 100 and eight ranked in the RPI Top 150.

SPRING RECAP: SIUE volleyball put together one of the most successful campaigns in program history last spring, compiling the third-highest conference winning percentage in the program's Division I era (.714) and earning one of just four spots in the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Championship. The season also saw four different Cougars earn All-OVC honors, including an All-OVC Second Team nod for redshirt sophomore middle blocker Savannah Christian.

LOOKING AHEAD: Following the weekend's fixtures, the Cougars will return to the friendly confines of First Community Arena for Dig Pink Night, when the Cougars will support the Side Out Foundation and look to take a pair of matches from league-leading UT Martin.