EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Ohio Valley Conference announced Wednesday evening that junior outside hitter Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) has earned the first All-OVC award in University of Southern Indiana Volleyball history. Anderson was named to the All-OVC Second Team after receiving votes from the league’s head coaches and communications directors.
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The two-time All-Great Lakes Valley Conference award recipient collects her first postseason honor in the NCAA Division I era as a Screaming Eagle after tallying the sixth-most kills in the conference with 347. To go along with her offensive abilities at the net, Anderson nabbed a team-high 316 digs and 28 aces to pair with 53 blocks.
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In 107 sets played, Anderson was able to secure 14 double-doubles with 20 double-digit kill performances and 17 double-digit dig showings. She collected a career-high 26 kills in the match against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock on October 22 before receiving a season-high 20 digs in the final match of the season against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on November 12. She ended the 2022 campaign on a 10-match double-digit kills streak where she accumulated 153 kills.
In a historic season, Anderson was able to reach three milestones in her fourth year at USI. She became the 15th player to reach the 1,000-kill plateau and the 13th player to earn 1,000 career digs, making her the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. Anderson finished the season third in service aces with 167, seventh in kills with 1,231, and 10th in digs with 1,106 all-time.
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Eastern Illinois University’s Giovana Larregui Lopez received the most votes and was named OVC Player of the Year. Tennessee Tech University’s Jordan Karlen was voted as OVC Setter and Freshman of the Year while Southeast Missouri State University’s Tara Beilsmith tallied OVC Defensive Player of the Year. University of Tennessee at Martin’s head coach Jaclynn Wilson received the OVC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Skyhawks to an OVC regular season championship.
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The Eagles ended the year with a 1-28 overall record, going 1-17 within the conference. USI earned its only win against former GLVC foe, Lindenwood University on September 30, 3-0. The Eagles also missed the cut to participate in the OVC Volleyball Championships this year after placing 10th in the league.
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2022 All-Ohio Valley Conference Volleyball Teams
(voted on by the league’s head volleyball coaches and communications directors)
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FIRST TEAM
Johanna Alcantara, Tennessee State
Zoey Beasley, Southeast Missouri
Tara Beilsmith, Southeast Missouri
Bridget Bessler, Morehead State
Taylor Dorsey, Tennessee Tech
Kaitlyn Flynn, Eastern Illinois
Abby Hulsman, Morehead State
Maddie Isringhausen, Tennessee Tech
Jordan Karlen, Tennessee Tech
Giovana Larregui Lopez, Eastern Illinois
Gina Rivera-Ortiz, Tennessee State
Karen Scanlon, UT Martin
Mackenzie Sifuentes, Lindenwood
Logan Wallick, UT Martin
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SECOND TEAM
Leah Anderson, Southern Indiana
Skylar Boom, Tennessee Tech
DaeDrianna Cail, Little Rock
Kennedy Davis, Tennessee State
Christina Martinez-Mundo, Eastern Illinois
Irene Wogenstahl, Morehead State
Sydney Wyman, Morehead State
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OVC Player of the Year:Â Giovana Larregui Lopez, Eastern Illinois
OVC Freshman of the Year:Â Jordan Karlan, Tennessee Tech
OVC Defensive Player of the Year:Â Tara Beilsmith, Southeast Missouri
OVC Setter of the Year:Â Jordan Karlen, Tennessee Tech
OVC Coach of the Year:Â Jaclynn Wilson, UT Martin
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