West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University is set to face Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) volleyball tournament. The match will take place on Monday, November 20, at 4:00 p.m. in Charleston, Illinois.

This marks Western Illinois' first appearance in postseason play since 2013 when they participated in the Summit League tournament. During that year, the Leathernecks were defeated by South Dakota in three sets. This year, Western Illinois has become the first team from their athletics department to secure a spot in the OVC tournament.

Keyana Cruse has been a standout player for Western Illinois this season. The junior from Bonner Springs, Kansas ranks seventh in kills within the OVC with a total of 379 and an average of 3.45 per set. She also holds fifth place for total points with 443 points this season, averaging 4.03 points per set.

Other notable players include juniors Maggie Craker, Brittany Wulf, Karli Wenzel, and Julianna Schmidt who have all secured spots within the top ten rankings of various statistical categories in the conference.

Western Illinois previously faced SEMO twice this season but lost both matches during their weekend series against Cape Girardeau. However, SEMO enters this matchup on a four-game losing streak following defeats by Lindenwood.

The OVC Championship schedule includes several matches leading up to Wednesday's semifinal winners' game at 6 p.m., all available for viewing on ESPN+.