HEMMINGWAY'S ISLAND GRILL INVITATIONAL | Pensacola, Fla.

#5 CENTRAL MISSOURI (0-0) vs. #10 INDIANAPOLIS (0-0)
Friday, August 31 | 11:30 a.m. CT
UWF Fieldhouse | Pensacola, Fla.

#5 CENTRAL MISSOURI (0-0) at WEST FLORIDA (0-0)
Friday, August 31 | 7:00 p.m. CT
UWF Fieldhouse | Pensacola, Fla.

#5 CENTRAL MISSOURI (0-0) vs. #2 TAMPA (0-0)
Saturday, September 1 | 11:30 a.m. CT
UWF Fieldhouse | Pensacola, Fla.

#5 CENTRAL MISSOURI (0-0) vs. LOCK HAVEN (0-0)
Saturday, September 1 | 4:30 p.m. CT
UWF Fieldhouse | Pensacola, Fla.

Live Stats | Audio (Game vs. West Florida only) | Game Notes 

This Week
The Central Missouri Jennies open up the 2012 campaign with a trip to Pensacola, Florida, where the three-time defending MIAA champions will compete in the Hemmingway's Island Grill Invitational, hosted by the University of West Florida. The Jens will start the season by going up against some of the best programs in Division II, as two of the first three matches will be against teams ranked in the top ten of the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll.

The Jens get the season underway with a late-morning matchup against #10 Indianapolis, before facing host West Florida in the nightcap. On Saturday, #2 Tampa and Lock Haven await UCM to wrap up the tournament.

Last Time Out
Central Missouri wrapped up another sucessful season in 2011, returning to the NCAA Elite Eight after winning their second consecutive NCAA South Central Regional championship. The Jennies claimed their third straight MIAA title, before defeating Abilene Christian, Angelo State and Washburn en route to the regional championship.

The Jennies won their third consecutive MIAA title, going 17-1 last season. The Jens clinched the title with a pair of 3-0 wins over Washburn and Fort Hays State on the final week of the regular season.

All-Americans
UCM brings back a pair of All-Americans from 2011, in senior hitter Bradye Peniston and junior setter Julia Bates. Peniston heads into her senior season as a two-time All-American, earning an Honorable Mention last season. The Valley Center, Kan. native is the second-leading returner in the MIAA in hitting percentage, recording a .343 hit percentage last year. The senior averaged 2.18 kills per set last year, and is averaging 2.31 kills per set in her career.

Bates returns also as a two-time All-American, garnering second-team honors in 2010, and first-team honors in 2011. The junior led the league in assists last season, averaging 11.47 per set, and was the only setter in the MIAA to surpass the 11.0 assists-per-set mark. Nationally, Bates ranked 8th in Division II a year ago.

Jennies in the Polls
Central Missouri debuted in the first AVCA Division II Coaches' Poll of the year earlier this month at No. 5. The Jens picked up 642 out of a possible 800 points, and drop one spot from their No. 4 rank in the 2011 final poll.

The Jennies are the second-highest MIAA squad in the poll, behind #4 Nebraska-Kearney. #7 Washburn and Emporia State (receiving votes) also make appearances in the preseason poll. Last season, the Jens were ranked #2 in the nation in the preseason poll, before going 2-2 at the season-opening tournament at Concordia-St. Paul.

The Jennies are the only team in Division II to appear in the AVCA Coaches Poll every week since the poll began in 1986, making the top 25 for 329 consecutive weeks.

In the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, UCM was ranked second, collecting 131 points and four first-place votes. The Lady Blues took the top spot, earning seven first-place votes, while MIAA newcomers Nebraska-Kearney came in third, also picking up a  pair of first-place votes.

New Faces
Six new players will join the Jennies for the 2012 season, including four freshmen and two sophmores who will look to step in and make an immediate impact. Sophomore hitters Lauren Dudgeon and Aubri Renshaw are transferring into UCM from East Central CC and Washburn, repsectively. Dudgeon was a first-team all-conference selection at East Central, while Renshaw was named an All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2010 as a member of the Lady Blues.

The four incoming freshmen, Mackenzie Harding, Annie Reilly, Carly Sojka and Haley Thompson, won a combined five state titles at their respecitive high schools, and garnered a total of six all-state team awards. All four Jennies will compete for time on the front line, while Reilly and Sojka may also see time at libero.

Opponent Preview

#10 Indianapolis
The Greyhounds claimed the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament title last season, and reached the sweet sixteen of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Hillsdale.  Indy returns five starters from last year's squad, and are picked by GLVC coaches to repeat as conference champs. The Greyhounds are led by senior hitter Kristina Kerrigan, an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection last year, who ranked sixth in the GLVC with 3.65 kills per set.

The Jennies defeated the Greyhounds in their one and only meeting in program history, a 3-1 victory in the Multi during the 2010 Peggy Martin Challenge.

West Florida
The Argos, who are receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, claimed a Gulf South Conference tournament title before being upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Florida Southern. Middle blocker Lindsay Homme returns for her junior season after earning All-American honors in 2011; Homme averaged 3.62 kills per set and 0.84 blocks per set, while hitting for a .327 average.

The Jens are 6-1 all-time against the Argos, with their last meeting resulting in a 3-0 UCM win in 2009.

#2 Tampa
The defending South Region champions, Tampa reached the final four of the NCAA Tournament before being knocked out by eventual champs Concordia-St. Paul. The Spartans return a solid core from last year's squad, including first-team All-American Danielle Selkridge. Selkridge was the NCAA leader in hitting percentage a year ago, with a .498 average.

Tampa has held the advantage over the Jens as of late, claiming a 5-set win in Warrensburg last season, and knocking UCM out of the final four at the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 7-2.

Lock Haven
This match marks the first ever meeting between the Jennies and Lock Haven. The Eagles reached the East Regional semifinals last year, posting a 21-10 record. An up-and-coming squad, Lock Haven returns All-American outside hitter Gao Xuan along with six starters from 2011.