WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Nov. 2, 2017) - Three of Central Missouri's final four games are at home starting this weekend, Friday-Saturday Nov. 3-4.
Opponents: Washburn (17-10, 7-7 MIAA)
Emporia State (14-13, 6-8 MIAA)
Where: Warrensburg, Mo. - UCM Multipurpose Building
When: Friday, Nov. 3 - 6 p.m. vs. Washburn
Saturday, Nov. 4 - 6 p.m. vs. Emporia State
How to Watch
• This weekends match will be webcast online through Central Missouri's Blueframe Internet portal on the MIAA Network at TheMIAANetwork.com/ucmmules It is a pay-per-view broadcast. Live stats can be found at UCMathletics.com.
First Serve
• Central Missouri went 1-2 last week and are on a two-game losing streak. They fell to No. 19 in the AVCA rankings. They had previously been ranked 16th.
• This is the Jennies first two-game losing streak of the season.
• The Jennies will play three of their final four games at home starting with two this weekend against Washburn and Emporia State.
• Washburn is 17-10 on the season and have won two straight, however are just 1-4 on the road. The Hornets won their last match to snap a four game losing streak. They are 6-8 in the MIAA and 14-13 overall.
Story Lines
• Central Missouri has developed a rivalry with Washburn recently. The Jennies hold a large lead in the all-time series, 51-16, but are 6-5 in their last 11 meetings dating back to 2011. Washburn has more wins against the Jennies than any other MIAA opponent, including one earlier this season, 3-2 in Topeka.
• Emporia State's seven wins against UCM are tied for the third most for any MIAA team. All-time though the Jennies lead by more than six touchdowns, 49-7. The Hornets last win came in 2014. The Jennies defeated the Hornets 3-0 in September at Emporia.
• After winning four straight at home, the Jennies lost two on the road last weekend. They return home for their next three, two of which come this weekend. The Jens are undefeated at the Multi this season, with a 7-0 record. The last time Central Missouri finished a season without a home loss was 2013, when they went 17-0.
• Last season, UCM went 11-7 in conference and finished fourth overall in the regular season. A win this weekend will match the Jennies MIAA win total from a year ago.
• With their win against Lindenwood, Central Missouri now has 37 straight 20 win seasons.
Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri saw their four game winning streak come to a halt last weekend as the fell to Northwest Missouri and followed that up with a loss to Missouri Western. The Jens won only one set last weekend, falling 3-1 against the Bearcats and 3-0 against the Griffons.
UCM in the Polls
The Jennies feel three spots this week in the AVCA Coaches Poll to No. 19. They reached a high of No. 15 Sept. 11. They are the third-highest ranked MIAA team in the poll. The Jens have been ranked in every AVCA poll since its inception in 1986, and this week, hit 406 straight weeks, the longest in the AVCA. In the first NCAA regional polls, Central Missouri came in at No. 9. The top-8 teams advance to the NCAA Regional Nov. 30-Dec. 2.
Conference Leader Board (as of 11/1/2017)
Central Missouri's offense is at the top of the league in three major categories. UCM leads the MIAA with 13.34 assists per set as well as kills with 14.40 and are ranked in the top-15 in the NCAA in both. They are second in the league with a .237 attack percentage.
Ally Offerdahl has been the one racking up the assists. Her 11.22 assists per set is second in the MIAA and is 20th in the NCAA.
Kasey Hohlen leads the MIAA and is 18th in the NCAA with a .379 attack percentage. She is also fourth in kills per set with 3.53. Freshman
Audrey Fisher's .322 attack percentage is fifth in the MIAA.
Defensively,
Kylie Hohlen leads the league and ninth in Division II with 6.22 digs per set.
Audrey Fisher is not only fifth in the league in hitting percentage, she is also second in the conference with 0.38 service aces per set and 36 total aces.
Around the MIAA
There are only four conference matches left in the regular season. Four teams have at least 10 wins and Nebraska-Kearney tops the conference at 13-1. Central Oklahoma and Missouri Western enter this weekend at 12-2 in league play while Central Missouri is 10-4. Only one other team, Northwest Missouri is above .500 at 8-6. Eight teams make up the MIAA Tournament. The above five teams along with Washburn, Lindenwood and Emporia State would make the playoffs should the season end today. Missouri Southern is two games back in ninth place.
Individual Milestones
•
Ally Offerdahl reached 1,000 assists this season last weekend.
•
Abby Skrastins needs just two digs to reach 200.
•
Molly Lawrence needs 15 more kills for 400 in her career.
•
Katie Carlson is 47 digs away from hitting 700.
•
Aubree Bell can have 200 kills and 200 digs with 22 more digs.
Kylie Hohlen was the last Jennie to do that in 2015.
• With 14 blocks,
Kasey Hohlen will reach 200.
•
Kylie Hohlen needs just one more kill for 500 and 12 digs for 1400.
Stifling Defense
Four Jennies are now averaging at least two digs per set this season.
Kylie Hohlen's 6.22 leads the team. Senior
Katie Carlson has 265 digs and 2.82 digs per set and both Offerdahl's with Carly and Ally both averaging more than 2.30 digs per set.
Aubree Bell is just shy with 1.98 digs per set.
.300 or Better
If you didn't see the match, a good way to see if UCM won is to look at the hitting percentage. Under Coach Piontek, Central Missouri 104-0 when they hit at least .300. While it hasn't happened often under Piontek, UCM is also just 3-10 when surrendering a .300 attack percentage to their opponent. The Jennies hit .311 in their match with UCO.
Double-Dipping
Only two Jennies this season have recorded a double-double.
Ally Offerdahl has 10 assist-dig double-doubles while
Aubree Bell has six kill-dig double-doubles. No Jennies has recorded a triple-double since Sarah Dallas in 1997. Offerdahl seems to have the best chance. She's been in double-figure assists every game this season and has seven double-digit dig matches. Her career-high in kills is eight.
200 Club
Four Jennies have hit 200 kills already this season and three are playing in their first year with the team.
Kasey Hohlen, the only upper classman with 200 kills leads the team with 332.
Audrey Fisher is behind her with 282, followed by
Aubree Bell with 257 and
Hannah VanBuskirk is at exactly 200. All three freshman are seeing action on the floor for the first time in 2017.
Scouting the Opposition
Washburn Ichabods (17-10, 7-7 MIAA)
• Washburn is 17-10 this season and have won seven of their last nine matches. They've won two straight and are 7-7 in the MIAA.
• The Ichabods have not fared well on the road this season with just a 1-4 record. Their only win on the road has come at Fort Hays State in September.
• Washburn has three with more than 200 kills so far this season. Genna Berg leads the team with 283 kills and Erica Montgomery is right behind her with 281. Makayla Maxwell is also over 200 kills with 228. Berg is near 3.0 kills per set, averaging 2.92. Allison Maxwell has 180 kill and is hitting a team-best .292. Makayla Maxwell isn't far behind her with a .282 attack percentage.
• Allison Sadler has taken over at the setter position. She took over in the middle of the season and leads the team with 850 assists and 9.44 assists per set. She's recorded at least 40 assists in three of her last six matches.
• With 1.04 service aces per set, the Ichabods rank ninth in the league. They are however fourth in allowing just 89 aces. Jade Hodge leads the team with 19 service aces while Faith Rottinghaus is behind at 18. Six Ichabods have more than 10 aces this season. Sadler has 15.
• Washburn is the top blocking team in the MIAA and they are 22nd in the NCAA at 2.32 blocks per set. Makayla Maxwell has 118 blocks this season. Her 1.18 blocks per set are second in the MIAA and 33rd in the NCAA. She is one of four Ichabods with more than 40 blocks this season. Allison Maxwell has 84 and is also in the MIAA top-10. Berg has 46 blocks and Montgomery is right at 40.
• Rottinghaus is the team's top defensive player. She averages 4.69 digs per set, good for seventh in the MIAA. Hodge just recently went over 200 digs and is second on the team with 203.
Emporia State Hornets (14-13, 6-8 MIAA)
• Emporia State ended a four-match losing streak with a win last Sunday against Fort Hays State to move over .500 on the season at 14-13.
• The Hornets are 6-8 in the MIAA after starting out 5-4. They are also 3-4 on the road with three straight road losses.
• Yuchen Du is the Hornets offensive leader from the middle of the court. She is hitting .237 for the season and her 306 kills are the sixth most in the MIAA. She's averaging 3.09 kills per set and when she isn't knocking the ball over the net, she's helping to set up points with 5.83 assists per set. She has 16 double-doubles this season and six triple-doubles which are the third most in the NCAA.
• Du and Emma Dixon have been the primary setters this season for Emporia State. Dixon has 516 assists and 5.80 assists per set. Dixon is less of an offensive threat but does have 14 service aces this season and six in the last five matches. She also has seven assist-dig double-doubles.
• The Hornets are not too strong on the serve with just a .933 service percentage. They've landed just 108 aces while surrendering 126. They have also committed 147 service errors while opponents have just 129.
• There are often plenty of blocks in an Emporia State game as ESU is averaging 2.07 blocks per set and also allowing 2.53 blocks to opponents, the highest in the MIAA. Tatum Graves leads the team with 91 total blocks and has 17 solo blocks. Du has 64 blocks and seven Hornets have at least 20 blocks.
• In terms of digs, five Hornets average at least two digs per set. Allie Maloney is tops on the team and is ninth in the MIAA with 4.45 digs per set. Julia Joseph is second with 2.34 digs per set and Dixon and Du are digging out 2.28 and 2.24 attacks per set. Maloney is also the team's top serve receiver with 402 on 425 attempts.
