Jacksonville State’s Lena Kindermann and Morehead State’s Olivia Lohmeier shared the 2020-21 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year award while Murray State’s Becca Fernandez was named the Defensive Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Jacksonville State’s Lexie Libs earned Setter of the Year honors while fellow Gamecock Courtney Glotzbach was selected as the Freshman of the Year. Morehead State’s Jaime Gordon was tabbed the OVC Coach of the Year.
Kindermann, a junior outside hitter from Neuenkirchen, Germany, ranks second in the league with a .371 hitting percentage and 4.34 kills per set. The All-OVC First Team selection recorded 230 total kills and 4.74 points per set to also rank second in the regular season. She also added 37 blocks and 26 digs over the 16 matches. She becomes the first Gamecocks to win the award since 2007.
A senior outside hitter from Cincinnati, Ohio, Lohmeier earns her second OVC Player of the Year honor after winning the award in 2018. She leads the league with 4.44 kills per set and 240 total kills so far this year. Lohmeier, a All-OVC First Team pick, also ranks among league leaders with a .291 hitting percentage. She added 81 digs, 37 blocks and 14 aces during the regular season.
Fernandez, a junior libero from Carol Stream, Ill, picks up her second OVC Defensive Player of the Year honor after she earned the award in 2018. The All-OVC first team selection ranks first in the OVC with 5.98 digs per set and 359 total digs. She reached double-digits in digs in all 16 matches this season.
A senior from Floyds Knobs, Ind., Libs earns her second straight Setter of the Year honor. She joins Austin Peay’s Kristen Stucker as the only player in OVC history to earn the award in back-to-back years. Libs, a firs team All-OVC selection, was second in the league with 11.58 assists per set and 602 total assists. She helped the Gamecocks post a .305 team hitting percentage which ranks first in the OVC.
Glotzbach, a freshman outside hitter from New Albany, Ind, ranked fourth in the OVC with a.335 hitting percentage while finishing in the league’s top ten in kills per set (3.40 kps) and total kills (153). She also had 26 digs and 18 blocks during the regular season. She is the third Gamecock to earn this honor.
Gordon wins his fourth OVC Coach of the Year honor after winning the award in 2003, 2010 and 2012. He led the Eagles to a share of its 12th OVC regular season title. Morehead State ranks second in the league in hitting percentage (.262), opponent hitting percentage (.138), assists per set (13.27), kills per set (14.27) and service aces per set (1.71). The Eagles enter the tournament having won 15 of its last 16 matches.
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
Joining Kinderman, Lohmeier, Fernandez, Libs and Glotzbach on the All-OVC First Team are: Morehead State sophomore setter Bridget Bessler (Hebron, Ky.) and senior outside hitter Lauren Rokey (Eureka, Ill.); Southeast Missouri senior outside hitter Laney Malloy (Roselle, Ill.) and junior setter Claire Ochs (Chesterfield, Mo.); Austin Peay senior outside hitter/defensive specialist Chloe Stitt (Summitville, Ind.); Eastern Kentucky freshman outside hitter Molly Michalak, Eastern Kentucky; Jacksonville State junior middle blocker Katie Montgomery (Idaho Falls, Idaho); Murray State freshman outside hitter Jayla Holcombe (Belleville, Ill.); SIUE senior outside hitter Rachel McDonald (Cold Spring, Ky.); and Tennessee Tech junior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey (Birmingham, Ala.)
Making up the All-OVC Second Team are: SIUE redshirt freshman middle blocker Savannah Christian (Washington, Mo.), redshirt sophomore middle blocker Hope Everett, and senior defensive specialist Jordyn Klein; Belmont junior outside hitter/right side hitter Taylor Floyd (Louisville, Ky.); Eastern Illinois senior outside hitter Laurel Bailey (Waunakee, Wis.); Morehead State sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Abby Hulsman (Cincinnati, Ohio); and Tennessee State junior libero Gina Rivera Ortiz (Laja, Puerto Rico).
2020-21 Volleyball All-OVC First Team
Bridget Bessler, Morehead State
Taylor Dorsey, Tennessee Tech
Becca Fernandez, Murray State
Courtney Glotzbach, Jacksonville State
Jayla Holcombe, Murray State
Lena Kindermann, Jacksonville State
Lexie Libs, Jacksonville State
Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State
Laney Malloy, Southeast Missouri
Rachel McDonald, SIUE
Molly Michalak, Eastern Kentucky
Katie Montgomery, Jacksonville State
Claire Ochs, Southeast Missouri
Lauren Rokey, Morehead State
Chloe Stitt, Austin Peay
(15 appear on the first team due to ties)
2020-21 Volleyball All-OVC Second Team
Laurel Bailey , Eastern Illinois
Savannah Christian, SIUE
Hope Everett, SIUE
Taylor Floyd, Belmont
Abby Hulsman, Morehead State
Jordyn Klein, SIUE
Gina Rivera Ortiz, Tennessee State
Co-Player of the Year: Lena Kindermann, Jacksonville State; Olivia Lohmeier, Morehead State
Defensive Player of the Year: Becca Fernandez, Murray State
Setter of the Year: Lexie Libs, Jacksonville State
Freshman of the Year: Courtney Glotzbach, Jacksonville State
Coach of the Year: Jaime Gordon, Morehead State