Two players earn all-OVC recognition

~ First-team choice Koeper and second-team selection Baumstark lead the Redhawks into this weekend's league tournament in Charleston, Ill.

Southeast Missouri State volleyball coach Renata Nowacki was elated that two of her players made the all-Ohio Valley Conference teams released on Wednesday.

She's also hoping Jessica Koeper and Jamie Baumstark will continue with their high standards of play as the six-team OVC Tournament begins Friday in Charleston, Ill.

"For us to be successful in the tournament, those two have to do really well," Nowacki said.

Koeper, a junior outside hitter from Jackson High School, made the all-OVC first team, while junior setter Baumstark made the second team in voting by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

"They are very well deserved honors for both of them," Nowacki said. "They're both having really good years."

Koeper, a member of last year's all-conference second team, leads the Redhawks in kills for the second straight season. She ranks fifth in the OVC in kills per game with 4.04, and is first in total kills with 461. She is also fifth in points per game with 4.42, and first in total points with 503.

Koeper has a team-high 19 double-doubles this season, including 10 in her last 13 matches. She has recorded five matches of 20 or more kills, and has at least 10 kills in all but three matches. In addition, she has 384 digs.

"She's our go-to player," Nowacki said. "We really rely on her."

Baumstark is fifth in the OVC in assists per game with 10.81, and she is second in total assists with 1,232. She also ranks second in aces with 62, which places her 29th nationally.

Baumstark, who has recorded three triple-doubles and nine double-doubles, was recently selected the Sport Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association national player of the week, the first Southeast player to ever receive that honor.

"She is so solid for us," Nowacki said.

Nowacki hopes the fifth-seeded Redhawks (15-15) will be solid during the OVC Tournament as they open play against fourth-seeded and host Eastern Illinois (16-8) at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Friday's other first-round match pits third-seeded Jacksonville State (16-10) against sixth-seeded Austin Peay (10-20).

Top-seeded Eastern Kentucky (22-6) and second-seeded Tennessee State (22-10), who tied for the regular-season title, received byes into Saturday's semifinals. Sunday's noon championship match will be televised nationally by ESPNU.

"We played pretty well to end the season and we're coming into the tournament with confidence," Nowacki said. "I think it's wide open. I think a number of teams can win it."

One of the Redhawks' late-season matches saw them roll past Eastern Illinois in three games in Cape Girardeau, although the Panthers edged Southeast in five games early in the year in Charleston.

"We didn't get their best shot last time," Nowacki said. "They'll be tough at home, and it should be a close match, like last time we played them there."

If the Redhawks win Friday, they'll play Eastern Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals. The teams met just once this year, with Eastern Kentucky winning in three games in Cape Girardeau, although all three games were close.

The tournament champion qualifies for the NCAA tournament. The Redhawks made four NCAA appearances between 1996 and 2000 but have not been back since.

"That's what we're shooting for. That's been our goal all year," said Nowacki, in her first season as Southeast's head coach. "We know the competition is going to be really tough, but we're going to give it our best shot."