Jennies Volleyball Looks to Stay Hot in the Mountains

WARRENSBURG, MO. (Sept. 6, 2017) - No. 16 Jennies Volleyball takes their 4-0 record to Denver, Colo. this weekend for the Colorado Premier Challenge.

When: Friday-Saturday Sept. 8-9

Where: Denver, Colo. - Hosted by Regis University and Metro State

Opponents: No. 17 Tarleton State - Sept. 8, 12 p.m.
                   Regis - Sept. 8, 7 p.m.
                   Opponents for Saturday will be determined by the Jennies performance on Friday.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
Central Missouri got their season under way last weekend at the South Central Classic in Durant, Okla. hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Jens went 4-0 with 3-0 sweeps in all four matches. The defeated Minnesota-Crookston from the NSIC and Southeastern Oklahoma, Southern Arkansas and Southern Nazarene from the GAC.

UCM in the Polls
The Jennies were ranked No. 21 to start the season and moved up five spots to No. 16 after last weekend. They are the second-highest ranked MIAA team in the poll. The Jens have been ranked in every AVCA poll since its inception in 1986, a span of 399 polls. 

Conference Leader Board (as of 9/5/2017)
Central Missouri's offense is at the top of the league in three major categories. UCM leads the MIAA with a .344 hitting percentage, 14.58 assists per set and 15.08 kills per set. Most of that production comes from senior Kasey Hohlen and freshman Ally Offerdahl. Hohlen leads the MIAA with 53 kills and a .613 attack percentage. Offerdahl has a league-best 152 assists and 12.67 assists per set. 

The Jens are also doing it defensively as they lead the MIAA with 17.67 digs per set. Kylie Hohlen is the leader there with 6.50 digs per set and 78 in 12 sets. Katie Carlson sits just outside of the top-10 in the MIAA with 3.17 digs per set.

UCM's 1.83 service aces per set are fourth in the MIAA. 

Colorado Premier Challenge
The Colorado Premier Challenge is annually one of the toughest early season volleyball tournaments in Division II and this year is no different. Of the 12 teams competing all of them are either ranked in the top-25 or receiving votes. Eight teams are a part of the top-25 and there are five teams in the top-10 participating. 

Last year Central Missouri went 3-1 at the Colorado Premier Challenge, including defeating Regis, who they face this year. The Jennies also went 3-1 in 2015. 

Versus Ranked Opponents
The Jennies didn't play any games against ranked opponents last weekend. That will change this weekend as they play at least one. Their first matchup is against No. 17 Tarleton State. Regis is also receiving votes in the poll. Under Coach Piontek, UCM is 56-38 all time against ranked opponents. 

MIAA Awards
Senior Kasey Hohlen earned her second career MIAA Hitter of the Week award. Hohlen landed 53 kills last week with a .613 attack percentage. She notched at least 11 kills in all four matches with a high of 15 against Minnesota-Crookston in which she also hit .700 for the match. 

Fabulous Freshmen
They aren't household names yet, but the Jennies leaned hard on a number of freshmen last weekend. Three true freshmen and one redshirt freshman started all four games. Offerdahl as the setter played the biggest role with 12.67 assists per set. Audrey Fisher helped Kasey Hohlen in the middle with 2.67 kills per set. On the outside Aubree Bell averaged 2.58 kills per set and played a hand on defense with 1.75 digs per set. Bell and Fisher also each had five service aces. Hannah VanBuskirk scored 30.5 points over the weekend as a redshirt freshman with 2.54 kills per set. 

Stifling Defense
In the Jennies 12 sets played, they have won nearly all of them going away. UCM has allowed opponents to reach 20 points in a set just three times and no team has scored 20 points twice in one match. 

Sharing the Love
Five different Jennies recorded 20 or more kills last weekend led by Kasey Hohlen's 53. The trio of freshmen Fisher, Bell and VanBuskirk picked up 32, 31 and 29 respectively and senior Molly Lawrence recorded 20 kills on 51 attempts. Lawrence was an All-MIAA Honorable Mention in 2016. 

.300 or Better
When Central Missouri hits .300 or better in a match, like they did twice last weekend, the Jennies have won everytime under Coach Piontek, going 101-0 in such matches. 

Scouting the Opposition
No. 17 Tarleton State TexAnns (4-0)
• Tarleton State opened their season at their own invitational. They went 4-0 at home and defeated two ranked teams, No. 23 Rockhurst and No. 18 Central Oklahoma. The TexAnns swept all four of their opening weekend matches. Tarleton advanced to the semi final round of their region last year. 
• Outside Hitter Hailey Roberts earned her 12th career Lone Star Offensive Player of the Week award. She scored 63 points in 12 sets with 53 kills and had five aces. She also picked up 37 digs and seven blocks. 
• Fellow outside hitter Adriana Darthuy landed 34 kills for the TexAnns and 2.83 kills per set. Both Roberts and Darthuy hit better than .200 for the weekend. Roberts had a .274 attack percentage and Darthuy .221.
• Amber Strange led the team in hitting percentage landing 29 kills on 52 attempts with just seven errors for a .423 attack percentage. Tarleton State hit .273 as a team for the weekend. 
• The TexAnn's primary setter last weekend was Jordyn Keamo. She dished out 9.75 assists per set and also landed 14 kills and picked up seven service aces. 
• Roberts and Darthuy are Tarleton's State two leaders on the defensive end in terms of digs. Roberts averaged 3.08 digs per set and Darthuy 2.92. Five TexAnns finished with more than 30 digs in 12 sets. In addition to Roberts and Darthuy, Michaela Rodriguez had 33 and Keamo and Adrianna Knutson had 32. 
• The team averaged 1.83 blocks per set in their first four matches. Hannah McManus had a team-high 11 blocks and 0.92 blocks per set. 
• Tarleton State landed 23 service aces, almost two per set. Keamo, Strange and Roberts all had over five service aces, but Keamo also finished with 10 service errors. 

RV Regis Rangers (4-0)
• Regis also started out 4-0 last weekend. They stayed in-state to play at Oredigger Classic hosted by Colorado School of Mines. The Rangers took a pair of 3-0 sweeps over Augustana and Eastern New Mexico. They had a little more trouble defeating Texas Women's 3-1 and Western New Mexico 3-2. 
• Regis qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season, but fell to Tarleton State in the opening round of regional play.
• The Rangers also had a player of the week honor in Nikki Kennedy who was the Rocky Mountain Conference Defensive Player of the Week. Kennedy recorded 17 total blocks in 15 sets including four total. She also helped out offensively with 36 kills and a .397 attack percentage. 
• Kelsey Green was the big offensive threat for the Rangers. She averaged 3.33 kills per set, totaling 50. Green also had five service aces and nine blocks.
• The Rangers landed 24 aces over the weekend led by Drew Rhamy with seven. They also committed 33 errors though and allowed nine aces themselves.
• Setter Silvia Basso dished out 152 assists and 10.13 assists per set. She finished three games with at least 35 assists and had a weekend high of 51 against Western New Mexico.
• Five Rangers picked up more than 25 digs. Caitlyn Burroway led the team with 3.53 digs per set, corralling 53 overall. Kristina Schell also tallied more than 50 digs picking up 51.
• Kennedy wasn't the only Ranger to put up some serious blocking numbers. Kristen Hornung also had 17 blocks for Regis. As a team, Regis outblocked their opponents 36-22.5 including seven solo blocks. The Rangers's 2.40 blocks per set are tops in the Rocky Mountain Conference.