Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Box Score (XML) | Box Score (HTML) | Season Stats

Tampa, Fla. – The Central Missouri volleyball team opened the 2014 season with the Tampa Spartan's Classic at the Bob Martinez Athletic Center on Friday. The Jens split their first two matches of the season with a three set win over No. 24 Indianapolis, 29-27, 25-20, 27-25, followed by a three set loss to No. 2 Tampa, 21-25, 15-25, 14-25.

The Greyhounds kept the first set close until the Jennies were able to string together six of seven point in a row to take a 17-12 lead. Indianapolis caught Central Missouri again at 19-19, but three kills in a row from Carly Sojka ended the set at 29-27. The Jennies led the entire second set but Greyhounds threatened to catch them in the second half of the set. The Jennies again earned three consecutive points end the set, this time it was a kill each from Haley Thompson and Sojka before Annie Reilly sealed the deal with an ace at 25-20. The final set of the match was much like the first, the Greyhounds again caught up to the Jens late in the set. Things were all tied up at 25-25 when a block from Becca Blaise and Mackenzie Harding and a kill from Kourtney Thompson earned the Jennies their first win of the season.

H. Thompson led the Jennies with 22 kills and two blocks. She hit .656, with only one attack error on 32 attempts. She had eight kills in both the second and third sets. Sojka was the only other Jennie to reach double-digit kills, with 13 kills through the match. It was the first time that K. Thompson appeared in the starting line-up, and she had an explosive match. She had a double-double, with 45 assist and 10 digs, while also tallying five kills, three serving aces, and a block in the match. Reilly led the defense with 19 digs, and also had two serving aces and a kill. Blaise had three kills and one block.  UCM added two fresh faces to their starting-line up this season, Shelby Winkelmann and Jessica McDougald. Winkelmann had three kills, six digs, and a block, while McDougald also had three kills, and hit .200.

Later in the afternoon the Jens fell in three to the Spartans. Tampa held the lead a majority of the match, and for the entire first set. The Spartans did not allow the Jennies to earn more than three points in a row, and ultimately handed them their first loss of the season.

H. Thompson was again the leading scorer, with nine kills and four blocks. Sojka had the second most points on the team, with five kills and a block. K. Thompson had 12 assists and three kills in the match. Reilly had 17 digs. Winkelmann was the only Jennie to record a service ace, she also had two kills. McDougald had four kills, and hit .200. Blaise had two kills and two blocks.  

Central Missouri will play No. 13 Ferris State and Tusculum Saturday at 9 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., respectively.