Jennies vs. Arkansas Tech
Friday, October 11 | 2:00 p.m.
Leggett & Platt Athletic Center | Joplin, Mo.
Live Stats
Jennies vs. Southwestern Oklahoma
Friday, October 11 | 6:00 p.m.
Leggett & Platt Athletic Center | Joplin, Mo.
Live Stats
Jennies vs. Harding
Saturday, October 12 | 1:00 p.m.
Leggett & Platt Athletic Center | Joplin, Mo.
Live Stats | Game Notes
Last Week
The Jennies improved to 17-0, 6-0 in the MIAA, after one non-conference and two MIAA matches last week. In three matches Central Missouri had 173 total kills, 17.3 kills per set, with a .319 hitting percentage. The Jennies also averaged 15.5 assists per set, 1.5 blocks per set, and had 13 serving aces through the week.
In their first match of the week the Jennies beat Missouri S&T on the road in straight sets, 25-17 25-22 25-20. Central Missouri had with 50 kills, eight blocks, and five serving aces. Later in the week Central Missouri hosted two MIAA matches, against Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State.
Central Missouri again defeated their opponent in three sets, holding the Bronchos to under twenty points in each set, with final set scores of 25-14 25-12 25-18. The Jennies had 49 kills and ten blocks, finishing the match with a .339 hitting percentage.
Pittsburg State is only the fourth team to win a set against Central this season, winning the second set of the match 25-22. Central Missouri was able to come back in the third and fourth set, winning 25-20 and 25-17, to finish the match and earn their sixth conference win of the season. In four sets the Jennies had 74 kills, nine blocks, and five serving aces.
Jennies in the Polls
The Central Missouri Jennies were ranked No. 4, for the second week in a row, in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. The Jennies are the highest ranked MIAA team, they started the season ranking in at No.8 in the preseason poll behind two MIAA teams.
The Jennies tallied 1063 points in this week's poll, and three first place votes. Nebraska-Kearney fell three places to No. 8, after their five set loss to Washburn, making their overall record 14-2, 4-1 MIAA. Washburn is up two places in this week's poll to No. 13, and are the only other MIAA squad that is ranked.
Concordia- St. Paul maintains the top spot for the second week in a row, with 45 first place votes and 1196 points. Minnesota Duluth is right behind them at No. 2 with 1138 points. Tampa is the only other team ranked above the Jennies at No. 3, with 1104 points.
NCAA Rankings
The Jennies crack the top 20 teams in the four of six NCAA statistical categories. Central Missouri is the only MIAA team with an ace per set average in the top 50 teams of the NCAA. The Jennies lead the MIAA in aces per set, with an average of 1.98, and are ranked at No. 16 in the NCAA, up four places from last week's No. 20 ranking. Central Missouri is No. 8 in assists per set for the NCAA, and only three places behind Nebraska-Kearney, with 13.48 assists on average. Central Missouri has the second highest hitting percentage in the NCAA, at .309, up one spot from last week. Concoria-St. Paul is the only team with a higher hitting percentage, at .353. The final statistical category that the Jennies are ranked is kills per set. Central Missouri is ranked third in kills per set, with 15.14 on average, up two places from fifth last week.
Jennies Sweep MIAA Athletes of the Week
Senior setter
Julia Bates and sophomore outside hitter
Carly Sojka were named MIAA Volleyball Athletes of the Week after the Jennies went 3-0 with wins over Missouri S&T, Central Oklahoma, and Pittsburg State. This is the second MIAA Specialist of the Week nod of the season for Bates.
Bates averaged 13.00 assists, 2.20 digs and 1.40 kills per set, while also hitting .303 last week. In the win over Missouri S&T she had 38 assists, four digs and three kills. She had 37 assists, six digs and four kills in the win over UCO. Against Pitt State, she recorded a double-double with a season-high 55 assists and 12 digs. She also had seven kills and two blocks in the game.
Bates is second in the MIAA and 14th in the NCAA in assists, with 621 total this season, 11.09 assists per set. Bates is fifth in the Jennies All-Time Assists Leaders, after starting the season in eighth place. She is also second in the MIAA and 24th in the NCAA in serving aces per set, with 30 total and .54 aces per set.
Sojka was awarded MIAA Hitter of the Week after averaging 4.40 kills and 1.80 digs per set and hitting .407 through three matches last week. In the win over Missouri S&T she had 15 kills and hit .500 on the night. She also had three service aces and six digs in the match. Against Central Oklahoma she had eight kills, hitting .333, with seven digs. In the win over PSU, she had a career-high 21 kills and hit .378. She also had five digs, a block and a service ace.
Sojka has totaled 154 kills this season, the second highest total on the team, and has a season average of 2.75 kills per set. She is also third on the Jennies squad in serving aces, with 16 total and .29 per set, and digs, with 2.16 per set.
Central Missouri Jennies
Taylor Goodness led the team last week in kills with 48 kills, 4.8 kills per set, and finished the week with a .360 hitting percentage. Goodness also had one block solo and four block assists last week. Goodness has 215 kills this season, and is second in the MIAA and 22nd in the NCAA in total kills. She is also has eighth highest hitting percentage in the MIAA at .326. Goodness was MIAA Hitter of the Week for the second week of the season, Sept. 9-15.
Maddie Jones had 27 kills last week, and finished the week with the highest hitting percentage on the team at .417. Jones also had six block assists last week, the second highest total of the Jennies. Against Missouri S&T Jones had seven kills, with a .636 hitting percentage, and two blocks. Last week Jones also posted a career high 12 kills and 13.5 points against Central Oklahoma.
Jones has the fifth highest hitting percentage in the MIAA, .366, and the fourth highest kill total on the Central Missouri squad, with 122 total kills. Jones has 42 total kills and .75 blocks per set, ranking her second of the Jennies.
Haley Thompson has a hitting percentage of .359, ranking her second in the MIAA and 29th in the NCAA. She is also third on the team in kills, with 122 total, and first in blocks, 55 total .98 per set. Last week Thompson had 21 kills, and seven blocks total through three matches.
Becca Blaise rounds out the Jennies starting line-up. Blaise is second on the Jennies squad in digs, with 2.50 per set, and third in serving aces with 24 total this season. Last week Blaise total 17 kill, 19 digs, and three blocks through three matches.
A few other Jennies that have seen significant playing time this season are
Mikalee Monachino and
Courtney Cornell. Monachino has played in every match for the Jennies this season, and has 106 digs, and ten serving aces. Cornell has made an appearance in all but two matches for the Jennies. She has totaled 12 serving aces, 23 digs, and three kills this season. Last week Lauren Dudgen made her fifth appearance of the season against Central Oklahoma. Out of three attack attempts, she had two kills in the match.
Opponent Preview
The Jennies first match of the Missouri Crossover will be against Arkansas Tech. The Golden Suns are 12-5 this season, with a 4-2 conference record ranking them third in the Great American Conference (GAC). Arkansas Tech averages 12. 6 kills per set, 2.3 serving aces per set and 1.3 blocks per set. Senior setter, Amber Cerrillos, averages 9.72 assists per set, and has 34 serving aces this season. Emily Todd, junior outside hitter, has the highest total kills of the Golden Suns, with 170, 2.83 kills per set, and is also second in the digs per set with a 2.42 average. Katie Huff, a sophomore middle blocker, has the highest hitting percentage on the team, at .271. Huff has played in 57 of 60 sets this season and has 137 kills with a 2.40 kills per set average, and has 38 total blocks.
Later that day, the Jennies will face Southwestern Oklahoma. The Bulldogs are 7-10, and sixth in the GAC with a 3-2 conference record. Southwestern Oklahoma averages 11.7 kills per set, 16.4 digs per set, and 2.0 blocks per set. Senior outside hitter, Allison Cole has started every match and played in every set for the Bulldogs. Cole averages 2.41 kills per set, 154 total kills, and 1.03 blocks per set, and has the highest hitting percentage on the team at .229. Breann Whitaker averages leads the Bulldogs in assists and is second in serving aces. Whitaker averages 8.48 assists per set, and has 18 serving aces.
Saturday the Jennies will take on Harding. The Bison are 15-5, but their 6-0 conference record ranks them in at first in the GAC. Harding averages 13.1 kills per set, 1.5 serving aces per set, and 1.9 blocks per set. Mollie Arnold leads the Bison in kills, with 300 this season and 4.17 per set. Arnold also has 24 serving aces, and averages 3.11 digs per set. Liv Savage leads Harding in blocks, 1.05 per set, and has 149 kills this season. Alyssa Short has 2.12 kills per set, and the highest hitting percentage on the team at .324. Taryn Eubank has 9.75 assists per set, and 2.58 digs per set.
