Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational
Location: Springfield, Mo. 
Venue: Hammons Student Center
 
Friday, Aug. 30, 2019
Match Information
Southeast Missouri (0-0)
vs. DePaul (0-0)
Start Time: 4:30 p.m., CT
Series: DePaul leads 4-0
Live Stats: SIDEARM Sports

Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019
Match Information
vs. Jacksonville (0-0)
Start Time: 10:30 a.m., CT
Series: Jacksonville leads 1-0
Live Stats: SIDEARM Sports
 
Match Information
at Missouri State (0-0)
Start Time: 7 p.m., CT
Series: Missouri State leads 10-2
Live Stats: SIDEARM Sports
Video: ESPN+

Complete Match Notes: Southeast Missouri
 
Southeast Starts Season at Missouri State's Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational
Southeast Missouri women's volleyball opens its 2019 campaign in Springfield, Missouri, at the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational Friday at 4:30 p.m., CT against the Big East's DePaul at the Hammons Student Center. Southeast then meets Jacksonville and MSU in the second day of competition on Aug. 31.
 
Follow the Redhawks
• Stats will be available for Friday and Saturday's matches on GoSoutheast.com.
• @SEMOvb, the official Twitter page of Redhawks volleyball, will feature live in-game updates all season long.
• Saturday's match against Missouri State will be broadcasted live on ESPN+
 
Scouting the Opponents
Blue Demons
DePaul was picked to finish seventh in the BIG EAST Conference for the 2019 season. Right side hitter Brittany Maxwell received an All-BIG EAST preseason honor for the third-consecutive season and has earned All-BIG EAST honors the last two seasons. The Blue Demons return 13 players from 2018 and welcome four freshmen. DePaul posted a 5-24 overall record last season with a 3-15 mark in the BIG EAST. The Blue Demons most recently fell to Illinois State, 1-3, in an exhibition match on Aug. 24. 
 
Dolphins
Jacksonville posted a 5-24 record in 2018 and was 3-13 in ASUN matches. The 2019 squad features four upperclassmen and 10 newcomers including seven freshmen and three transfers. Outside hitter Mallory Mattingly is the top returner, leading the team in kills (286), blocks (25) and aces (27) in 2018. Natalie Wehner paced the team in digs with 274.
 
Bears
Missouri State was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2019. Outside hitter Amelia Flynn was selected to the seven-player preseason all-conference team. Flynn ranked third all-time among MSU freshmen last season with 380 kills and a 3.36 per set average to lead the Bears, while her 306 total digs are the most for any returning player. MSU returns five starters from a group that finished 17-15 (10-8 MVC), posting a winning record overall and in MVC play for the 20th consecutive season. Chloe Rear handed out 1,166 assists, third-most ever by a Missouri State freshman, and had the four highest single-match assist totals for a MSU freshman since 2000. 
 
Series History
Blue Demons
DePaul leads the all-time series with Southeast, 4-0. The Blue Demons most recently overcame SEMO, 3-2, on Sept. 19, 2015, at the Bradley Invitational in Peoria, Illinois. 
 
Dolphins
Jacksonville holds a slight 1-0 edge on the Redhawks in the all-time series. The Dolphins bested Southeast, 2-1, in 1980. 
 
Bears
Missouri State has a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series with Southeast. The Bears last swept SEMO, 3-0, on Oct. 13, 2014 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Southeast last defeated MSU, 3-0, on Sept. 26, 1998 in Springfield, Missouri. 
 
Redhawk Scrimmage Recap
Southeast competed in the Redhawk Scrimmage Aug. 24 at Houck Field House in preparation for the 2019 season. Head coach Julie Yankus coached the red team while assistant coach Loni Kreun was at the helm of the black team. The red team edged the black team in three sets, 25-15, 25-14, 25-15. Colby Greene paced the red team with a match-high 11 kill outing while Laney Malloy added nine with 12 digs and Talia Gouard tallied eight kills. Krista Berns had six kills to complement her five service aces and four blocks. Claire Ochs dished out 26 assists with 11 digs. Ally Dion finished with a double-double of 13 assists with 16 digs and two aces on black.
 
Missouri Baptist Exhibition Recap
The Redhawks edged Missouri Baptist, 3-0, in the program's third consecutive exhibition match Aug. 12 at Houck Field House. SEMO swept the Spartans by scores of 25-12, 25-16 and 25-20. Colby Greene led the Redhawks with six kills, while Laney Malloy, Krista Berns and Claire Ochs followed close behind with five each. Ochs added a double-double of 29 assists with a match-high 14 digs. The Redhawks added seven blocks, as well.
 
O Captains! My Captains!
Southeast Head Coach Julie Yankus announced on Wednesday Claire Ochs, Laney Malloy and Emily Boggetto were selected as team captains for the 2019 season. The trio were chosen to the leadership positions by their teammates.
 
Redhawks Invitational Opens Home Slate 
Southeast hosts Jackson State, Western Illinois and Evansville at the Redhawks Invitational Sept. 6-7 to open its home slate at Houck Field House. SEMO faces Jackson State (12:30 p.m.) and WIU (7 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 6 before closing out the tournament against Evansville Saturday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m.  
 
Roster Breakdown
The 2019 Southeast team includes 16 student-athletes and features seven upperclassmen (four seniors and three juniors). SEMO returns 12 players from the 2018 OVC Tournament Team and only lost four letter winners. The 2019 squad also includes four newcomers. 
 
Annie Wehrheim returns for her senior season, moving to the right side hitter position after a Second-Team All-OVC performance in 2018 at outside hitter. Wehrheim was named to the 2019 Preseason All-OVC volleyball team after she was third on SEMO last season with 204 kills.
 
Other top returners for the Redhawks offensively are Laney Malloy and Krista Berns. Malloy paced Southeast with 299 kills and Berns was fifth on the team, chipping in 134 kills.
 
Claire Ochs returns at setter for her sophomore campaign and totaled 1,104 assists while starting in all but one match in 2018. Ochs ranks fourth all-time for assists in a single season during SEMO's 25-point rally scoring era. She also notched a team-best 18 double-doubles last season including a 57-assist and 21-dig outing at Eastern Illinois.
 
Defensively, junior Ally Dion returns at the libero/defensive specialist position after she led the team in 2018 with 395 digs (3.53 digs/set). Senior Emily Boggetto also returns for her final collegiate season at Southeast.
 
Maggie Adams topped the team in 2018 with 105.0 total blocks and Berns tallied 80.0. Berns ranks sixth overall in the SEMO record books for career solo blocks (35), block assists (198) and total blocks (233).
 
Redhawks Add Assistant Coach Loni Kreun
Head coach Julie Yankus added assistant coach Loni Kreun in May. Kreun most recently spent a season as the Volunteer Assistant Coach at UNC Charlotte where she gained experience in scouting, recruiting, and practice organization. She coordinated logistics for team travel and helped develop the team's social media presence.
 
Before transitioning to coaching, Kreun was an outside hitter at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. During her senior year, she led the Camels with a team best 332 kills, which ranked fifth in the Big South Conference. Kreun was named to the Big South Second-Team after competing in 121 sets over 31 matches.
 
OVC Preseason Poll
SEMO was predicted to finished the 2019 campaign sixth overall in the league, the OVC announced Aug. 15. The Redhawks received 146 points in the poll voted on by OVC coaches and sports information directors. Murray State, the 2018 OVC Champions, were selected to repeat this season and Austin Peay was picked second followed by Morehead State, Jacksonville State and SIUE. The Racers earned 12 first-place votes. Rounding out the poll are UT Martin, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Belmont, Eastern Illinois and Eastern Kentucky from seventh through 12th.
 
Redhawks Crushing it in the Classroom 
Southeast racked up multiple academic awards in the offseason. The Redhawks earned a NCAA Public Recognition Award based on their most recent multiyear Academic Progress Rates for the fourth-straight season. SEMO was also awarded their 12th American Volleyball Coaches Association AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2018-2019 season after registering a 3.60 cumulative GPA.
 
Maggie Adams, Madara Bajare, Krista Berns, Haley Bilbruck, Caroline Draver, Keegan Fornoff, Colby Greene, Madeline Grimm, Laney Malloy, Elissa Moylan, Claire Ochs and Annie Wehrheim each were named to the OVC's Commissioner's Honor Roll for the 2018-19 academic year after they achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average. 
 
Keegan Fornoff and Madeline Grimm both earned OVC Medal of Honors after they posted perfect 4.0 grade point averages during the 2018-19 academic year.