SE RELISHES 'OFF NIGHT'; OTAHKIANS KICK HEELS, ARKANSAS ST.

Tuesday was Girls Night Out for Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team.

The cloud of pressure that looms over crucial Ohio Valley Conference matches wasn't present for Southeast's nonconference affair with Arkansas State. So the Otahkians let their hair down, slipped on their dancing shoes and relished the 15-10, 10-15, 15-13, 15-7 victory before 255 fans at Houck Field House.

"We like to play Arkansas State every year because they're a good team," said Southeast's Krista Haukap, a sophomore outside hitter who led the team with 23 kills. "We had nothing at stake in this game; it's not conference, it's not a regional game. This is a fun game."

Southeast coach Cindy Gannon echoed those bubbly sentiments.

"We get so involved in the OVC matches and there's so much on the line when it comes to the OVC," she said. "It's kind of fun to play a rival like Arkansas State and just come out and be able to play gutsy volleyball and have a good time.

"It was for pride. That was the bottom line."

The win pushed Southeast's record to 10-7, dropping Arkansas State to 9-9.

After the two teams split the first two games, the third featured a bit of high drama before Southeast prevailed. With the score knotted 11-11, Southeast's Jackie Derwort unloaded two of her 20 kills to nudge the Otahkians ahead 13-11.

A service ace from Nicole Grimes brought Arkansas State to within one, 14-13, before Southeast won the game on an Indians error after several side outs.

Southeast opened an 8-3 edge in the fourth game but Arkansas State stayed with the Otahkians until the score hit 12-7. A Haukap kill made the score 13-7, and 12 side outs later Angie Aschoff recorded a kill and a block to seal the match.

"We have to close the door," Haukap said of the protracted final game. "But we're getting there."

Said Gannon: "(Arkansas State) didn't make a whole lot of mistakes. And neither did we. I felt both teams played relatively good volleyball.

"The thing I liked about my team this evening was that they forced the other team to earn their points. There weren't a lot of points scored on errors; there were more points scored on things done well."

Southeast setter Amy Henken produced the team's first triple-double this season with 10 kills, 59 assists and 10 digs. In addition to her 23 kills, Haukap paced the Otahkians with 13 digs.

"Krista Haukap just gets smarter and smarter and plays better and better," Gannon said.

Susanne Snipes led the Indians with 18 kills and Lindsay White-Miller contributed 17. Grimes, the setter, distributed 71 assists.