(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The host Central Missouri Jennies wrapped up the two-day Peggy Martin Challenge Saturday, with a 3-1 win over the Azusa Pacific Cougars, before falling to the No. 3 Tampa Spartans in a five-set thriller. Senior Paula Harris led the Jennies attack with 36 kills between the two matches, while Kelsey Ortwerth and Taylor Krejci reached the 20-dig mark in both matches.
      Central Missouri appeared set to roll through the Cougars, an NAIA squad that will enter NCAA Division II next season, and a team that has given their Division II opponents fits throughout the tournament. After taking the first two games, 25-14 and 25-17, the Cougars hung with the Jens in the third, holding a narrow lead throughout most of the set, and stealing a 25-22 win. Central Missouri closed out the match in the fourth set with a 7-0 run, giving them a 22-14 lead and the eventual victory.
      In a rematch of last season's national semifinal game, the Jennies pushed third-ranked Tampa to the limit before falling in five sets, 25-22, 25-14, 13-25, 25-27, 15-9. The Jens nearly pulled out the opening set, coming back from a three-point deficit with three straight kills from Harris, to tie the score at 18-18. A combination of kills from Tampa's Danielle Selkridge and a few offensive errors by the Jens, however, gave the set to the Spartans. Tampa went on to take the second game comfortably, before Central Missouri struck back, quickly taking the third set. The Jennies looked to do the same in the fourth, leaping out to a 9-1 advantage. Tampa wouldn't go down quietly, however, as the Spartans immediately took off on an 11-3 run to tie the set at 12-12. The two sides went back and forth until a back-to-back kills from Selkridge gave the Spartans match point at 24-23. A kill from Ortwerth staved off the loss, then after another Selkridge kill, Harris tied the match again at 25-25. Sophomore Taylor Goodness broke the tie at 26-25, then the Jens closed out the set to force a fifth game.
      Tampa took control early in the final game, taking a 10-2 lead and essentially closing out the match. The Jennies got to within five points, but ultimately fell, 15-9. Senior Allie Huffman, along with Harris, averaged 3.92 and 3.83 kills per set respectively for the tournament, the third- and fourth-highest totals in the Peggy Martin Challenge. Jamie Haworth's 0.58 service aces per set was the tournament-high as well.
      With the split, the Jennies move to 5-3 on the year. Central Missouri is back in action at the UCM Multipurpose Building next Saturday, September 17, as they take on Lindenwood at 3 p.m.