Match # 1
Lindenwood (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Central Michigan (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Match Information:
Date: Friday, Aug. 30
Start Time: 11:00 a.m. CT
Location: Normal, Ill. | CEFCU Arena
Live Stats: Stats

Match # 2
Lindenwood (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Bellarmine (0-0, 0-0 ASUN)
Match Information:
Date: Friday, Aug. 30
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. CT
Location: Normal, Ill. | CEFCU Arena
Live Stats: Stats

Match # 3
Lindenwood (0-0, 0-0 OVC)
at Illinois State (0-0, 0-0 MVC)
Match Information:
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Start Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Normal, Ill. | CEFCU Arena
Live Stats: Stats
Watch: ESPN+

Matchup
Lindenwood's women volleyball opens up their 2024 season with their first of four non-conference tournaments at the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic hosted on the campus of Illinois State. The Lions will take on Central Michigan and Bellarmine on Friday before playing the host school Illinois State on Saturday.

Head coach Will Condon brings back an experienced group as the Lions return 13 players from last year's team that made the Ohio Valley Conference semi-finals and finished with a record of 16-15. Lindenwood has made the OVC semi-finals the last two years under Condon.

Central Michigan finished with a 15-15 record last season and a 9-9 MAC record. Bellarmine had a 9-20 record and went 7-9 in the ASUN. The host school Illinois State posted a 12-19 record but went 10-8 in the MVC. This marks the first meeting for Lindenwood against all three schools in the Division I era (LU and Bellarmine are 1-1 all-time in Division II).

Preseason OVC Rankings
The OVC released their 2024 women's volleyball preseason poll last week where Lindenwood was selected to finish in fifth place. The Lions had the third best record in the conference last season earning the third seed at the OVC Tournament.

Southeast Missouri State was voted as the preseason favorite in 2024 with six first-place votes and a total of 167 points. Last year's OVC Champions Eastern Illinois was picked to finish right behind them with 166 points and five first place votes.

Morehead State (163 points/five first-place votes), Tennessee Tech (152 points/four first-place votes) and Lindenwood (145 points/one first-place vote) round out the top five in the OVC poll. The top five schools were separate by just 22 points.

Lindenwood also landed two players on the Preseason All-OVC team. Nyah Wilson and Jessie Seidel were selected after both received Second Team All-OVC honors last season. Allie Otten was voted as a player to watch as she returns for her sixth season.

Returning Lions
Wilson was second on the team in kills last season with 334 (career-high) while hitting .190%. In 2023, she started in all 31 matches playing in a total of 126 sets. Wilson had 16 double-doubles last season to lead the team. She ended the season with 365 digs, behind only Seidel at libero.

Seidel suits up for her fifth season at Lindenwood in 2024. The all-time digs leader in Lindenwood NCAA history with 1,709, Seidel had the third most digs in the conference last season with 595 and averaged 4.72 per set. She was also effective behind the service line with 51 aces, third most in the OVC.

Otten enters her sixth season of collegiate volleyball and fifth at Lindenwood. Otten was the primary setter for the Lions last season posting 842 assists for an average of 6.90 per set. She also posted 308 digs and 26 aces.

Rebecca Janke was a force in the middle for the Lions leading the team in blocks with 107.0. Janke, who enters her final season as a graduate student, had 27 solo blocks for Lindenwood along with 316 kills. She was one of three Lions to have over 300 kills in 2023.

Addy McAleer will also enter her final year at Lindenwood in 2024. A transfer from SEMO last season, McAleer posted a team-high 359 kills at LU in 2023. McAleer posted 19 matches with over 10+ kills including a season high 23 against SIUE. She was also fourth on the team in digs with 228.

Newcomer To Watch
Freshman right-side Autumn Bax comes to Lindenwood after a successful career at Blair Oaks High School in Jefferson City, Mo. At Blair Oaks she holds the record for most career kills (1519), career blocks (279) and the single season kills record (526). Bax is a three-time All-State selection and has won three 3A Missouri State Championships.

Scouting the Opponent
Central Michigan Returning Category Leaders (2023)         
Kills: Krystina Kasson - 218
Assists: Aly Gurtiza - 102
Aces: Maddy Gebhardt - 30
Digs: Aly Gurtiza - 473    
Blocks: Abby Olin - 53.0

Bellarmine Returning Category Leaders (2023)
Kills: Kylie Van Hoy - 186
Assists: Kylie Van Hoy - 326
Aces: Tessa Nauert - 29
Digs: Mara Perry - 173    
Blocks: Maddie Hagan- 63.0

Illinois State Returning Category Leaders (2023)
Kills: Aida Shadewald - 384
Assists: Kendall Burk - 6
Aces: Aida Shadewald - 38
Digs: Aida Shadewald - 222  
Blocks: Hannah Reichensperger - 84.0

Up Next:
The Lions will travel east to Boston, Mass. to partake in the Northeastern Tournament. Lindenwood will play three matches against Northeastern, Dartmouth and Florida Gulf Coast. For more information go to lindenwoodlions.com.