Coach Piontek earns 200th Career Win as Jennies Sweep Emporia State

Box Score | Season Stats

EMPORIA, Kan. - No. 13 Central Missouri Jennies volleyball defeated Emporia State Friday night, 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-12), improving to 23-4 for the season and 11-3 in the MIAA. The win is also head coach Flip Piontek's 200^th in his career.
 
Carly Sojka was the Jennies kills leader, checking in with nine. She finished one kill shy of a double-double as she also recorded 11 digs. Kasey Hohlen and Maddie Jones each landed eight kills while Kylie Hohlen added seven. Kourtney Thompson helped the offense with 21 assists and Macki Pankratz dished out eight more. Katie Carlson connected for a career-high four service aces, including three straight in the first set.
 
Defensively, Annie Reilly led the team with 12 digs and was also a perfect 16-of-16 on serve receptions. Kasey Hohlen knocked a career-high two solo blocks and added two block assists for a team-high four total blocks.
 
The opening set saw both teams come back from multiple deficits and needed extra points for a winner. The Hornets came out strong at the start, gaining a 7-3 lead. The Jennies came back to tie the match at 8-apiece and took a small 10-9 lead. The Hornets went right back up though, opening up their largest lead of the set, 16-11. UCM was again up to the task, tying the set at 19-all. Thanks to three-straight Katie Carlson service aces, the Jennies were within set-point at 24-21, but ESU was able to tie things up, 24-24. UCM held strong though and put the set away on a Hornet attack error and Sojka's fifth kill of the set to clinch a 27-25 win.
 
The second set started much like the first, as UCM jumped to a 5-1 lead, but the Hornets quickly came back to tie things up at six. After trading points, the Jens went on a five-point spurt to open up their largest lead at 19-12. The Hornets didn't get much closer as the Jennies closed out the set, 25-19.
 
Central Missouri used a 9-1 run early in the third set to take an 11-4 lead. The Jens were able to cruise from there and won by 13, 25-12.
 
UCM is back in action tomorrow afternoon for yet another AVCA top-25 battle. The Jens travel to Topeka, Kan. to take on No. 9 Washburn. First serve is slated for 3 p.m.