Who:  Western Illinois vs. SEMO

When: Monday (Nov. 20)

Where: Charleston, Ill

Social Media: @WIUVolleyball (Twitter) + wiu_volleyball (Instagram) + WIU Volleyball (Facebook)


First Time in a Decade | Western Illinois clinched a spot in postseason play for the first time since 2013. The Leathernecks will take on the Southeast Missouri State on Monday at 4:00 p.m. WIU's last trip to the postseason was to the Summit League tournament in 2013, where they fell to South Dakota in three sets.

New Era | Western Illinois volleyball set a new standard for Western Illinois Athletics. The Leathernecks are the first team at Western Illinois to clinch a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

OVC Rankings | Keyana Cruse continues to climb up the statistical leaderboards in the OVC. The junior from Bonner Springs, Kansas, currently ranks seventh in kills with 379, averaging 3.45 per set. Cruse also sits at number five in total points as she has contributed 443 points this season, averaging 4.03 points per set.

Junior's Maggie Craker, Brittany Wulf, Karli Wenzel, and Julianna Schmidt also rank in the top 10. Craker sits at number five in assists with 1021. Wulf ranks 2nd in service aces per set at 0.42, Wenzel has 465 digs on the season, good enough for 7th, and Schmidt comes in at number nine with 101 total blocks.

Scouting SEMO | Western Illinois and SEMO matched up twice this season with Cape Girardeau, with the Redhawks taking both matches in the weekend series. Since that weekend matchup, the Redhawks are on a four-game losing streak after losing to Lindenwood.


2023 Championship Schedule
Monday, Nov. 20
Match 1 - No. 4 Morehead State vs. No. 5 Southern Indiana, 10 a.m. (ESPN+)
Match 2 - No. 1 Eastern Illinois vs. No. 8 Little Rock, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Match 3 - No. 2 Southeast Missouri vs. No. 7 Western Illinois, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Match 4 - No. 3 Lindenwood vs. No. 6 Tennessee Tech, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
 
Tuesday, Nov. 21
Match 5 - Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
Match 6 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)

Wednesday, Nov. 22
Match 7 – Semifinal Winners, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)