Match # 7
Lindenwood (4-2, 0-0 OVC)
at Southern Illinois (4-1, 0-0 MVC)
Match Information:
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 6
Start Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Carbondale, Ill. | Davies Gym
Live Stats: Stats
Video: ESPN+

Matchup
Lindenwood women's volleyball hits the road for their first midweek matchup of the season as they take on Missouri Valley opponent Southern Illinois on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6:00 p.m. It marks the first matchup between the Lions and the Salukis.

The Lions jumped out to a 4-2 start to the season after competing in two non-conference tournaments, including hosting the Lindenwood Invitational last weekend. SIU has posted a 4-1 record including defeating OVC opponent Southeast Missouri in four sets.

Lindenwood Invitational Recap
Last weekend, the Lions opened their 2023 home schedule at the Lindenwood Invitational at Hyland Arena. The two-day event saw Austin Peay, UL Monroe and Indiana State come to St. Charles, Mo. to compete.

Lindenwood went 2-1 on the weekend and earned two all-tournament selections in Addy McAleer and Nyah Wilson. McAleer was third on the team in kills with 30 but posted a season/career high 17 kills in a 3-1 win against Indiana State. She average 2.73 kills per set while hitting .179. McAleer was also active on defense with 23 digs for an average of 2.09 per set.

 Wilson also made the most of her opportunities over the weekend posting 31 kills (second most on the team) including 13 against UL Monroe. Not only was she effective on offense, but she posted a double-digit digs in each match including 19 in the win against Indiana State.

The Lions opened up with Austin Peay during the tournament and suffered a 0-3 loss. They then bounced back later on Friday picking up their first win of the tournament with a 3-1 victory over UL Monroe. It also marked head coach Will Condon's 500th career victory. LU ended the weekend with a four set victory over Indiana State.

OVC Top Ten
Multiple Lions cracked the top ten in statistical categories in the Ohio Valley Conference this week. Rebecca Janke currently ranks 10th in hitting percentage (.289), eighth in kills (67), first in total blocks (23), fifth in blocks per set (1.00), and seventh in points (3.65).

McAleer also ranks eighth in kills as she is tied with Janke with 67 on the season. Allie Otten currently ranks seventh in assists per set with an average of 7.52, but has the fifth most in the conference (173). Wilson from behind the line has 10 service aces, good for fourth in the conference.

On the defensive side of the net, Ashley Geluck ranks fourth among qualified players with a block per set rate of 1.08. Jessie Seidel also ranks sixth in the conference in digs per set with an average of 4.04, but ranks second in total digs with 93.

Players To Watch
Setter Otten set a new career high last weekend against UL Monroe when she had six service aces in a four set win. On the season, Otten has posted 173 assists for an average of 7.52. She as also helped Lindenwood post the third best hitting percentage in the conference at .198.

Freshman Anna Kraemer stepped up in Lindenwood's two wins over the weekend recording key kills in both matches. Kraemer currently has 23 kills on the season in 21 sets while hitting .210. She also had a stretch of three straight kills to start an 8-0 run against Indiana State in the final set on Saturday,

Scouting the Opponent
Southern Illinois Category Leaders                       
Kills: Nataly Garcia - 66
Assists: Ema Stermenska - 112
Aces: Ema Stermenska - 11
Digs: Nataly Garcia - 58                             
Blocks: Brinley Burdette/Imani Hartfield - 8.0

Up Next:
The Lions will participate in their third non-conference tournament of the season when they go to the Stacheville Challenge hosted by Austin Peay. LU will play Indiana (9/8) and Valparaiso (9/9) during the weekend. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.