Final Tune Up Before MIAA Play for No. 15 Jennies Volleyball

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Sept. 14, 2017) - Central Missouri has one final weekend left before the start on conference play. They get four more matches under their belts this weekend at the Arkansas Tech Spikefest.

When: Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 14-16

Where: Russellville, Ark. - Hosted by Arkansas Tech

Opponents: Arkansas Tech - Sept. 14, 6 p.m.
                    Alabama-Huntsville - Sept. 15, 11 a.m.
                    Harding - Sept. 15, 5 p.m.
                    Christian Brothers - Sept. 16, 9 a.m.

How to Watch
Live stats will be available for all games. Fans can check the UCM schedule page or the Arkansas Tech Tournament homepage for links. The Golden Suns will also be broadcasting all games on both courts via Facebook Live. That can also be found on the Arkansas Tech Tournament homepage.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri went 2-2 at the annual Colorado Premier Challenge defeating co-hosts Regis and Metro State, but falling to No. 17 Tarleton State and No. 8 Ferris State, all by scores of 3-1.

UCM in the Polls
The Jennies were ranked No. 21 to start the season and have moved up each of the last two weeks, currently sitting at No. 15. 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 last week, hit 400 straight weeks. 

Conference Leader Board (as of 9/14/2017)
Central Missouri's offense is at the top of the league in three major categories. UCM leads the MIAA with a .261 hitting percentage, 13.64 assists per set and 14.29 kills per set. Most of that production comes from senior Kasey Hohlen and freshman Ally Offerdahl. Hohlen is second with a .398 attack percentage and sixth with 3.14 kills per set. Offerdahl has a league-best 333 assists and 11.89 assists per set, which is 11th in the NCAA. 

Defensively, Kylie Hohlen is second and 14th in Division II with 6.04 digs per set and 169 in 28 sets. 

UCM's 1.25 service aces per set are fifth in the MIAA. 

Arkansas Tech Holiday Inn Express Spikefest
Arkansas Tech hosts an annual volleyball crossover, this year consisting of 15 matches with eight teams. The Jennies get the first match of the week Thursday, against the host Golden Suns. They'll also take on regional-foe Harding along with Alabama-Huntsville and Christian Brothers from the Gulf South Conference. 

The last time the Jennies were in Russellville for the Arkansas Tech Crossover was in 2015, where they defeated a pair of 2017 opponents, Harding and Arkansas Tech along with Southern Nazarene. 

Individual Milestones
Two Jennies went over 400 digs last weekend in Katie Carlson and Carly Offerdahl. They are now closing in on 500 with Carlson just 24 away and Offerdahl needing 47 more. 

Kasey Hohlen collected her 500th career kill last week against Ferris State and Molly Lawrence went over 300 against Metro State. 

MIAA Awards
One week after senior Kasey Hohlen earned her second career MIAA Hitter of the Week award, her sister, Kylie Hohlen, was named the MIAA Specialist of the Week. Kylie Hohlen led the Colorado Premier Challenge in digs per set with 5.69, totaling 91 in four matches. She set a new career-best with 30 against No. 17 Tarleton State and successfully received 85 of 88 service attempts. 

Fabulous Freshmen
They aren't household names yet, but the Jennies have leaned hard on a number of freshmen. Three true freshmen and one redshirt freshman have started all eight games. Setter Ally Offerdahl is most involved in the team's offense passing out 11.89 assists per set. Audrey Fisher and Aubree Bell are each over 80 kills for season. They set new career-bests with 17 and 21 respectively last weekend. Redshirt freshman Hannah VanBuskirk is also averaging more than two kills per set and is fourth on the team with 11 total blocks. 

Stifling Defense
Four Jennies are averaging at least two kills per set through eight matches this season. Kylie Hohlen's 6.04 leads the team. Senior Katie Carlson has 76 digs and 2.71 digs per set and the Offerdahl's just qualify with Ally recording 2.04 and Carly 2.00 digs per set. 

Sharing the Love
Five different Jennies have already reached 40 kills this season with three between 80-90. Kasey Hohlen leads the team with 88, followed closely by Bell's 83 and Fisher's 81. VanBuskirk and Molly Lawrence are also in on the action with 64 and 45 kills respectively. 

.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 102-0 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. 

Scouting the Opposition
RV Arkansas Tech Golden Suns (10-0, 1-0 GAC)
• Arkansas Tech is yet to lose a match this season, starting out 10-0.
• They lead the GAC in a number of categories: assists/set, attack %, and kills/set
• The team ranks fourth in the NCAA with a .308 hitting percentage, led by Lexie Johnston who is 31st in the nation and tops in the GAC. 
• The Golden Suns also have the conference's top setter in Amanda Milnick who is dishing out 10.23 assists per set. 
• Hunter Eshnaur leads the team with 3.38 kills per set and has 98 overall.
•Defensively, ATU averages 14.59 digs per set, led by Madison Nagel with 4.38. 

Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (8-1)
• Alabama-Huntsville has been tremendous on defense, allowing just a .067 opponents hitting percentage which is fifth in the MIAA.
• Conversely, the Chargers are hitting .239 themselves with Abby Brooks leading the team at .362.
• Three Chargers have more than two kills per set this season. Kennedy Sellers leads the team with 2.58 while Caroline Sanford has 2.39, Anna Claire Johnson is at 2.37 and Abby Brooks has 2.20. 
• Haley Hop is second in the Gulf South with 4.96 digs per set. She has 176 in nine matches
• Sanford also leads UAH with 1.17 blocks per set. She has three solo and 18 block assists. 

Harding Bisons (10-0, 1-0 GAC)
• Harding's 461 kills are eighth in all of Division II. They have three with at least 80 kills and one more at 79. Zoe Hardin leads HU with 84. Taylor Mounts, Emma Reeves, Emily Clayton have 81, 80, and 79 respectively. 
• Rachel Heussner has been at the center of the high-powered offense. She has 10.18 assists per set and 336 total assists.
• Six different Bisons have at least 10 blocks this season. Hardin is also the team leader with 38 including 10 solo.
•Defensively, Taylor Lake is averaging 3.70 digs per set and has 111 total digs. Four others have at least 2.0 digs per set: Selena Foster (2.47), Heussner (2.45), Katherine Cowart (2.39), and Taylor Eubank (2.09).  

Christian Brothers (5-3)
• Christian Brothers are 5-3 to start 2017 with wins in their last two matches, including one over MIAA foe Pittsburg State, 3-2. 
• Emma Lenoir has been their most prolific offensive played with 3.50 kills per set. Mary Kathryn Miller is hitting .315 with 2.09 kills per set. Lenoir's 344 total attacks lead the GSC and are 19th in the NCAA. 
• The Buccaneers run a 6-2 offense with Anna Graziosi averaging 8.19 assists per set and Alexa Henderson 8.06.
• Lenoir and Kapria Manning lead the team with 15 service aces each.
• In the back row, Blythe Clausen's 4.29 digs per set are a team high.