Cape Girardeau, Mo. --- The Tennessee State University volleyball team used a valiant comeback effort to pick up a, 3-2, road win at Southeast Missouri Saturday evening in Houck Field House. TSU will enter the OVC Tournament as the second seed. 

Tennessee State (18-10, 13-7 OVC) won the opening set before dropping the next two frames. The Tigers were trailing, 2-1, when they bounced back to win two straight.

The set scores were: 25-19, 20-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-11. Southeast Missouri fell to 13-19 (11-9 OVC).

Shaquita Williams led TSU with 22 kills behind a .306 hitting percentage while Sherryce Butler posted a season-high 16 kills. Five players registered double-digits in digs led by Terakka Walker's 20. Britani Hathorn (18), Erika Moss (17), Calasia Williams (12) and Rachel Ambroch (12) also notched double figures.

Emily Coon and Karlee Lurson each tallied 15 kills for SEMO while Berkley Idel recorded 27 digs for the Redhawks.

After controlling the tempo and eventually going on to win the first set, TSU committed a combined 20 errors in the next two frames, allowing SEMO to take a, 2-1, match lead.  

In the fourth set, TSU jumped out to a 7-2 lead before SEMO responded with a run to go on top, 17-14. The Tigers used a timeout and rallied to knot the score at 18-all. Three consecutive Redhawk errors put the Tigers up, 21-18, before they eventually went on to win, 25-21.

In the fifth and deciding set, a kill by Sherryce Butler made TSU's lead, 8-3. SEMO used a 4-1 run to pull within before cutting the deficit down to just one, 11-10. Timely kills from Danielle Howell, Rachel Ambroch and Erika Moss, however, pushed TSU to the win. 

Tennessee State tallied 71 kills behind a .166 hitting percentage compared to Southeast Missouri's 54 kills and .175 hitting percentage. TSU also held the advantage in digs, 85-78, assists, 68-52 and service aces, 4-2.

The 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, hosted by Morehead State, is set to begin on Thursday, Nov. 17. Tennessee State will enter the tournament as the second seed. This marks the Tigers' first OVC tournament appearance since the 2007 season.  

As the number two seed, TSU will receive a first-round bye. The Tigers will face the winner of match one (UT Martin/ Jacksonville State) on Friday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m.