JOPLIN, Mo. (Oct. 14, 2016) – Sixteenth ranked Central Missouri picked up their 1,400th program win Friday night in Joplin. The Jennies got a scare early, but came back to win the final three sets of a 3-1 win over Missouri Southern (20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-14). The win snaps a brief two-game losing streak and evens their conference record at 4-4 while moving them to 14-6 overall.
UCM used a balanced offensive attack and hit .263 for the match. They also landed a season-high nine service aces with three coming from Carly Offerdahl and two each from Katie Carlson and Tyler Downs. Kylie Hohlen finished with a double-double with a team-best 11 kills and 13 digs. In addition to her two aces, Downs picked up a game-high 39 assists and added seven digs, two kills and two blocks. Molly Lawrence was also in double-figures with 10 kills and Maddie Jones finished with nine kills on 16 attempts. Making her first start since Sept. 10, Kasey Hohlen hit for eight kills.
Central Missouri was helped out by 37 Missouri Southern errors. The Lions hit .200 for the match and committed 19 attack errors. They also shot themselves in the foot with 11 service errors and six ball handling errors.
The Jennies took an early lead in set one, building it to as much as six, 16-10, but the Lions roared back with an 8-0 stretch to take their first lead since the opening point, 18-16. Central Missouri reclaimed the lead, 19-18, but Missouri Southern scored seven of the final eight points and ended the set on a 15-4 run.
Central Missouri again jumped out to a lead, but this time made sure they held onto it. A 5-0 spurt put UCM up 6-1 and the rout was on. Lawrence picked up two of her five kills in the set back-to-back kills putting UCM up 16-8 and a block from Mackenzie Harding gave the Jens a double-digit lead, 22-12. The Jennies evened up the match on a kill from Kasey Hohlen.
The Jennies went up big early, and needed to hang on late to take a 2-1 lead in the match. After a kill from Kylie Hohlen put the Jennies up nine, 18-9, Missouri Southern started to mount a comeback. Things got tense for UCM when up 23-15, the Lions went on a 6-1 run to get within three, 24-21. After a timeout, the Jens squashed the rally with a kill from Kasey Hohlen to hang on for the win.
UCM led end-to-end in the fourth set to clinch the match. Up by one, 4-3, the Jens scored five straight points with kills from Jones and Downs and a Carlson service ace. The Jennies only added onto their lead as the match continued, winning the set and the match by their largest margin of the night, 25-14.
Bailey Rexford led the Lions with a match-high 12 kills and 16 points. She added nine digs, three blocks and two aces. Katie Paine finished with 20 assists for the Lions and Whitney Harrison added 18 more. Bridgette Jaeger had a team-best 12 digs.
The Jennies stay on the road to finish up the weekend. They'll play a matinee in Bolivar, Mo. against Southwest Baptist. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m.
