SEMO Volleyball holds intrasquad scrimmage ahead of season opener

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (Heartland News) - Ahead of SEMO’s 2026 season opener, the Redhawks held an intrasquad scrimmage at Houck Field House.

Thursday’s affair went all five sets, with the final set going down to the wire, 16-14.

From the first set to the last, the Redhawks kept up the intensity, part of what senior Nina Schuberth called the team’s mentality for the year.

“That mentality is just relentless effort,” Schuberth said. “No matter what. No matter what’s going on, no matter what your role is, just effort, every day.”

Schuberth is one of the team’s two seniors, the other being outside hitter Lucy Arndt. While the Redhawks aren’t senior-heavy, they are loaded with experience. Arndt and Schuberth both played 100+ sets last season, along with returners Megan Holder, Marin Johnson and Katy St. John.

“It’s a great advantage, especially because we have a lot of experience,” Arndt said. “Everyone can play any position. We have a lot of talent.”

Already, the Redhawks have seen what it’s like to go to war. A five set battle at SLU ended with the Billikens winning in 5 sets.

The Redhawks will take what they learned Thursday and work to drill and apply it over the following week, by which time the team will be getting set for their season opener.

The SEMO Tournament opens at Houck Field House, with SEMO hosting Western Kentucky, Friday at noon, in the first game of the regular season.

After that, SEMO will host the Hilltoppers exactly 24 hours later, Saturday at noon, before hosting Oregon in the evening, at 6:00PM.