BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – For the first time since doing so in consecutive seasons from 2010-12, Morehead State volleyball has secured three members of the Ohio Valley Conference's Preseason All-Conference Team for the second straight year.

Sophomore Bridget Bessler and seniors Olivia Lohmeier and Lauren Rokey—all First Team All-OVC selections last season—earned a spot on the 2020-21 Preseason All-Conference squad, the conference announced Wednesday.

Bessler, a native of Hebron, Ky., earns her first career OVC Preseason Team selection after being named the conference's Freshman of the Year following her stellar first season in an Eagle uniform. Last season, she became the 12th setter in program history to surpass 1,000 assists in a season, finishing the year with 1,176 assists, a total that ranked third in the OVC. Passing out helpers over 103 sets, Bessler averaged 11.42 assists per set, a mark that led the OVC and ranked 12th in the NCAA.

Orchestrating the Eagle offense, she led the team to a .222 team hitting percentage, ranking second in the OVC in the category while helping junior Hannah Keating to a conference-leading .339 hitting percentage. Bessler also starred defensively for Morehead State, scooping up 228 digs, including double-figure totals in 10 matches, leading to a team-best 10 double-doubles.

In addition to her selections the OVC's 2019 Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-OVC selection, Bessler also claimed three OVC Setter of the Week and three OVC Newcomer of the Week honors while earning Honorable Mention Freshman All-American honors from VolleyballMag.com.

Lohmeier makes her second straight appearance on the Preseason All-OVC squad, also earning the honor before the 2019 season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native earns the honor after crafting one of the most impressive offensive seasons in program history after becoming the eighth player in program history to surpass 500 kills in a season, setting a junior class record with 564 kills.

Overall, Lohmeier ranked top-25 in the NCAA in six different offensive categories as her 564 kills—coming at an average of 4.74 per set—ranked as the fourth-best single-season kill total in school history while ranking eighth in the nation. She became the 20th member of Morehead State's 1,000 Kill Club during the 2019 season and enters 2020-21 ranked 14th in program history with 1,223 kills.

For her efforts, Lohmeier garnered selection to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Midwest Region Team and Honorable Mention All-American honors from VolleyballMag.com. Additionally, she earned four OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors, including two by unanimous selection, and selection to the 2019 OVC All-Tournament Team.

With her Preseason All-OVC selection, Rokey becomes the first Eagle since Amy Almond from 2000-02 to earn three consecutive Preseason All-Conference selections. A Eureka, Ill. native, Rokey claimed First Team All-OVC honors last season after ranking fifth in the league with 378 total kills.

Over 113 sets last season, she averaged 3.35 kills per set, a total that ranked sixth in the OVC while she finished the season with double-digit kill totals in 18 matches, including in each of the team's last four matches. Rokey enters the 2020-21 season needing only four kills to become the 21st member of the program's 1,000 Kill Club.

As a team, Morehead State was picked third in the OVC's Preseason Predicted Order of Finish poll as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Overall, the Eagles accrued 214 points in the poll, including seven first-place votes.

Morehead State opens the 2020 season—postponed to the spring—on Feb. 7-8, travelling to Eastern Illinois for a pair of matches. The 2021 spring slate features a 16-game conference only schedule consisting of eight sets of back-to-back matches against a singular conference opponent.