OTAHKIANS TRY TO MAKE RACERS PAY

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team will be looking for some revenge tonight.

When the Otahkians take on host Murray State in a key Ohio Valley Conference match, they will be aiming to avenge a recent loss to the Lady Racers that snapped Southeast's long OVC regular-season winning streak.

MSU came to Cape Girardeau on Oct. 2 and rallied for a five-game victory, ending Southeast's 34-match regular-season OVC winning streak.

Tonight, in a 7 o'clock start in Murray, Ky., the Otahkians will look to even the score.

"They beat us at our place and now we need to go over there and beat them at their place," said Southeast coach Cindy Gannon.

Which doesn't figure to be easy, because the Lady Racers are one of three teams virtually tied for first place in the 10-team OVC heading into the latter stages of the season.

Southeast, which has won the past four OVC regular-season championships, is tied with Tennessee Tech for first place in the league, both having 8-1 records. But MSU is just percentage points behind those two squads at 9-2.

The Otahkians have the best overall record among conference teams at 18-6. The Lady Racers are 15-7.

During the match on Oct. 2, Southeast won the first two games 15-12, 15-6 and appeared on its way to a routine victory. But MSU stormed from behind to take the last three games 16-14, 15-11, 16-14.

Since that time, the Otahkians have won two straight league matches and four of five matches overall.