Morehead State has been picked to win the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference volleyball title after earning a share of its sixth crown last season. The Eagles received 10 first-place votes and 151 points in preseason balloting by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. With five first-place nods and 129 points, Tennessee Tech is predicted to finish second while Southeast Missouri picked up four first-place votes and 127 points to come in third. Murray State earned 120 points for fourth place while Tennessee State garnered the final first-place vote and 103 points to be picked fifth. Jacksonville State (100 points), Eastern Kentucky (55 points), Eastern Illinois (53 points), Austin Peay (32 points) and UT Martin (30 points) round out the poll.
Morehead State posted a 15-5 league record while going 22-12 overall en route to a share of its sixth OVC regular-season crown. The Eagles made it to the championship match of the 2008 OVC Tournament before falling to Tennessee State in five games. Morehead State returns six starters from last year’s team, including preseason All-OVC first team selections Erin Peak and Katelyn Barbour. Peak, a senior middle hitter, needs just eight kills and 30 digs to have more than 1,000 of each in her career. The Georgetown, Ind., native ranked in the top 10 in the OVC with a .271 hitting percentage. Barbour, a senior setter, registered 1,535 assists last season to rank second in school history. A native of Florence, Ky., she is on pace to become only the third setter in school history with more than 3,000 assists and 1,000 digs in her career.
Tennessee Tech is coming off a season in which it went 18-15 overall and 11-9 in the OVC to finish in a tie for sixth place. The Golden Eagles will welcome back six starters among 11 letterwinners. Among the top returnees are sophomore outside hitter Leah Meffert and senior setter Kappy Lang. Meffert, a Louisville, Ky., native was named the 2007 OVC Freshman of the Year after breaking the Tech and OVC single-match record for attempts with 100. Meffert also recorded 548 kills and 449 digs last year. A Muncie, Ind., product, Lang broke the all-time Tech assists record last year and has 3,810 heading into the 2008 season.
Southeast Missouri went 20-12 overall and 15-5 in the OVC to win a share of its ninth regular-season crown. The Redhawks will have five starters among nine letterwinners back from a year ago. Junior outside hitter Karleigh DeLong and senior outside hitter Aubrey Dondlinger are among the top returning players. DeLong, a product of Corona, Calif., led the team with 433 kills and 31 aces last year. She also ranked fourth in the league with 513.5 points. A native of Palos Heights, Ill., Dondlinger ranked first on the squad with 22 double-doubles while finishing second with 27 service aces in 2007.
The 14-member preseason All-OVC team features five student-athletes that were named to the All-OVC squad last year. The first team is comprised of Morehead State senior middle hitter Erin Peak (Georgetown, Ky.) and senior setter Katelyn Barbour (Florence, Ky.); Southeast Missouri junior outside hitter Karleigh DeLong (Corona, Calif.); Tennessee Tech sophomore Leah Meffert (Louisville,Ky.); Tennessee State middle blocker/outside hitter Christian Lowe (San Antonio, Texas); Murray State libero Heather Norris (Naperville, Ill.); and Eastern Kentucky senior middle blocker Amanda Wilson (Euclid, Ohio).
Receiving preseason All-OVC second team accolades are Tennessee Tech junior libero/outside hitter Katie Kenline (Ossian, Ind.) and junior outside hitter Amanda Lindgren (Albuquerque, N.M.); Morehead State senior outside hitter Ashley Doscher (Frisco, Texas); Eastern Illinois outside hitter Alex Zwettler (Madison, Wis.); Jacksonville State junior outside hitter Brittney Whitten (Boonville, Ind.); Tennessee State senior setter Candace Salaeumua (Chula Vista, Calif.); and senior outside hitter Aubrey Dondlinger (Palos Heights, Ill.).
The 2008 volleyball season gets underway on Aug. 29 with Conference play starting Sept. 16.
2008 Preseason All-OVC Volleyball Team
( as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
First Team Pos. cl. ht. HOMETOWN
Karleigh DeLong, Southeast Missouri OH/RS Jr. 5’11 Corona, Calif.*
Leah Meffert, Tennessee Tech OH So. 5’11 Louisville, Ky.#
Erin Peak, Morehead State MH Sr. 6’1 Georgetown, Ky.*
Chrsitian Lowe, Tennessee State MB/OH Sr. 6’0 San Antonio, Texas
Heather Norris, Murray State LIB Sr. 5’3 Naperville, Ill.
Katelyn Barbour, Morehead State S Sr. 5’9 Florence, Ky.*
Amanda Wilson, Eastern Kentucky MB Sr. 5’10 Euclid, Ohio
Second Team Pos. cl. ht. HOMETOWN
Ashley Doscher, Morehead State OH Sr. 6’0 Frisco, Texas
Alex Zwettler, Eastern Illinois OH So. 5’10 Madison, Wis.
Katie Kenline, Tennessee Tech LIB/OH Jr. 5’8 Ossian, Ind.#
Brittney Whitten, Jacksonville State OH Jr 5’9 Boonville, Ind.
Amanda Lindgren, Tennessee Tech OH Jr. 6’1 Albuquerque, N.M.
Candace Salaeumua, Tennessee State S Sr. 5’8 Chula Vista, Calif.
Aubrey Dondlinger, Southeast Missouri OH Sr. 5’11 Palos Heights, Ill.
* - 1st Team All-OVC in 2007
# - 2nd Team All-OVC in 2007
2008 OVC Volleyball Predicted Team Order of Finish
(as Selected by OVC Head Volleyball Coaches and Sports Information Directors)
1. Morehead State (10 first-place votes) 151
2. Tennessee Tech (Five first-place votes) 129
3. Southeast Missouri (Four first-place votes) 127
4. Murray State 120
5. Tennessee State (One first-place vote) 103
6. Jacksonville State 100
7. Eastern Kentucky 55
8. Eastern Illinois 53
9. Austin Peay 32
10. UT Martin 30