— Southeast Missouri is picked to win the 2020-21 OVC Volleyball title in a votes of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. The Redhawks picked up 10 first-place votes and 222 points while Jacksonville State earned five first-place votes and 216 points to be selected to finish second. Morehead State was selected to finish third, picking up seven first-place votes and 214 points. Murray State earned the final two first-place nods and 180 points to be predicted to place four. Austin Peay completed the top five with 160 points. Rounding out the poll are SIuE (137), Tennessee Tech (123), UT Martin (123), Tennessee State (77), Eastern Kentucky (53), Belmont (48) and Eastern Illinois (31).
Southeast Missouri went 23-11 overall and 12-3 in the OVC to finish in a tie for second in the league last year. Julie Yankus, who enters her 10th year as the head coach, led her team to its sixth tournament title last year. The Redhawks placed four on the Preseason All-OVC team in senior middle blocker Maggie Adams (Fenton, Mo.), senior defensive specialist Tara Beilsmith (Weldon Springs, Mo.), senior outside hitter Laney Malooy (Roselle, Ill.) and junior setter Claire Ochs (Chesterfield, Mo.). Adams had 130 blocks (1.11 bps) to rank third in the OVC last year. She was also second in the league with a .339 hitting percentage. Bailsmith finished the year with 4.97 digs per set to rank second in the Conference. Malloy led the OVC with 47 service aces while also ranking among league leaders with 3.09 kills per set in 2019. Ochs recorded 1,206 assists (9.35 aps) to rank fifth last year.
Jacksonville State captured its fourth regular season tile as it went 20-10 overall and 13-3 in the OVC last year. Todd Garvy, who earned his first OVC Coach of the Year honor last season, enters his third season at the helm of JSU. Junior outstide hitter Lena Kindermann (Neuenkirchen, Landhagan, Germany) and senior setter Lexie Libs (Floyds Knobs, Ind.) were both named to the Preseason All-OVC team. Kinderman was fifth in the OVC with 367 kills (3.46 kps) while also recording 61 blocks and 52 digs last year. Libs earned OVC Setter of the Year honors after ranking second with 11.11 assists per set. She had 1,178 total assists and 245 digs in 2019.
Morehead State is coming off a season in which it went 23-10 overall and 12-4 in the OVC to finish in a tie for second place. Jaime Gordon enters his 18th season at the helm of the Eagles. Morehead State had three players earn Preseason All-OVC honors in sophomore setter Bridget Bessler (Hebron, Ky.), senior outside hitter Olivia Lohmeier (Cincinnati, Ohio) and senior outside hitter Lauren Rokey (Eureka, Ill.). Bessler was named the OVC Freshman of the Year after leading the league with 11.42 assists per set. She finished the year with 1,176 total assists and 228 digs. Lohmeier was second in the OVC with 4.74 kills per set while also recording at total of 138 digs. Rokey finished the 2019 season with 378 kills and 68 digs.
The 2020-21 All-OVC preseason team features 14 members from seven different schools. Joining Adams, Beilsmith, Malloy, Ochs, Kindermann, Libs, Bessler, Lohmeier and Rokey are: Tennessee Tech junior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey (Birmingham, Ala.) and senior outside hitter Ali Verzani (Sioux City, Iowa); Austin Peay senior outside hitter Brooke Moore (Louisville, Ky.); Murray State senior libero Becca Fernandez (Carol Stream, Ill.); and UT Martin redshirt junior Logan Wallick (Waddell, Ariz.).
The 2020-21 OVC volleyball schedule begins February 7.
2020-21 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team
(as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
Maggie Adams, Southeast Missouri
Tara Beilsmith, Southeast Missouri .
Bridget Bessler, Morehead State
Taylor Dorsey, Tennessee Tech
Becca Fernandez, Murray State
Lena Kindermann, Jacksonville State
Lexie Libs, Jacksonville State
Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State
Laney Malloy, Southeast Missouri
Brooke Moore, Austin Peay
Claire Ochs, Southeast Missouri
Lauren Rokey, Morehead State
Ali Verzani, Tennessee Tech
Logan Wallick, UT Martin
2020-21 OVC Volleyball Predicted Team Order of Finish
(as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. Southeast Missouri (10 first-place votes)- 222
2. Jacksonville State (Five first-place votes) - 216
3. Morehead State (Seven first-place votes) - 214
4. Murray State (Two first-place votes) - 180
5. Austin Peay - 160
6. SIUE - 137
t7. Tennessee Tech - 123
t7. UT Martin - 123
9. Tennessee State - 77
10. Eastern Kentucky - 53
11. Belmont - 48
12. Eastern Illinois - 31
(*Schools were not allowed to rank their own team. 11 points awarded for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)