The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team and first-year coach Julie Folliard achieved something this season that the program had not done since 2008. The Redhawks defeated Austin Peay on Friday to clinch an Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth.

"The past two years, when we haven't made it, it's one of the toughest things to go through as a team, to not clinch a spot in the top six," senior outside hitter Paige Dossey said. Dossey is the only player on the 2011 team that has experienced the OVC tournament.

Folliard acknowledged that she has not been to the tournament either and said that the players are ready for the challenge.

"When you go into the conference everyone is zero, zero," Folliard said. "It's single elimination, so whoever gets to the end will win that spot to the NCAA tournament."

The Redhawks enter the tournament with a conference record of 11-9. The team is the fourth seed in the tournament and will face No. 5 seed Eastern Kentucky University in the opening round because the top two tournament seeds get a bye.

"Everyone is kind of coming alive toward the end of the season, so it's really anyone's game," Folliard said. "It's going to be a lot of tough teams."

Southeast faced Eastern Kentucky twice during the regular season and won both matches in four games. The Redhawks lost the first game of both matches but swept the final three games.

If Southeast is going to progress through the tournament the team's offense must improve, Folliard said. The team had 1,010 kills during regular season conference play, averaging 12.17 kills per game. In the 11 - team conference, Southeast was ninth.

Folliard said sophomore middle blocker Emily Coon has made significant contributions on offense and defense. Coon had 192 kills and 107 blocks during conference play. She leads the conference in blocks and her .306 hitting percentage is third best in the league. Folliard also said that sophomore outside hitter Colleen Yarber has played well this season. Yarber is 10th in the conference in kills. She has 139 this season and is averaging 3.23 kills per set.

"[Colleen] plays with such enthusiasm and excitement," Folliard said. "We put her in at home, and she really responded and came alive and has earned that starting position."

Southeast will look for the entire team to continue its efforts to move on in the OVC tournament.

"It gets tough towards the end of the season to fight through," Dossey said. "I think if we just continue to have heart, we will win games. I want to win and go on to the NCAA. That's always been my dream."

Southeast will play Eastern Kentucky at 7 p.m. Thursday at Morehead State University, the OVC regular-season champion and host of the OVC tournament. The winner of the match will move on to the semifinal round against Morehead State at 7 p.m. on Friday.