No. 18 Jennies Volleyball Treks to Alaska to Begin 2021 Season

Alaska Anchorage Seawolf Invitational
Match 1: No. 18 Central Missouri (0-0) vs. Alaska Fairbanks (2-2)
Thursday, Sept. 2 | 7 p.m. CT | Anchorage, Alaska

Match 2: No. 18 Central Missouri vs. Texas A&M International
Friday, Sept. 3 | 5:30 p.m. CT | Anchorage, Alaska

Match 3: No. 18 Central Missouri vs. Indianapolis
Saturday, Sept. 4 | 3 p.m. CT | Anchorage, Alaska

Match 4: No. 18 Central Missouri at Alaska Anchorage
Saturday, Sept. 4 | 10:30 p.m. CT | Anchorage, Alaska

Match Notes (PDF)

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This Week
• No. 18 Jennies volleyball starts its 2021 season with four matches in Anchorage, Alaska, in the Alaska Anchorage Seawolf Invitational Sept. 2-4 at the Alaska Airlines Center.
• UCM is scheduled to face Alaska-Fairbanks for its season-opener Thursday, Sept. 2, at 7 p.m. CT before taking on Texas A&M-International Friday, Sept. 3, at 5:30 p.m., and closing out the event with two matches Saturday, Sept. 4, against Indianapolis (3 p.m. CT) and the host Alaska Anchorage (10:30 p.m. CT).
 
How to Watch
• Free, live video will be available for all matches at GoSeawolves.com...Live statistics will also be available for all contests, also at GoSeawolves.com.

Back At It
• The Jennies return to official action on the volleyball court for the first time since the 2019 season when they head to Anchorage for the Seawolf Invitational. UCM played an abbreviated 17-match spring schedule, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a 12-5 record, including an 8-0 MIAA record.
 
Last Time Out
• UCM fell to second-seeded Minnesota Duluth in the 2019 NCAA Central Region Tournament in Kearney, Neb.
 
Experience Throughout the Lineup
• Central Missouri welcomes back five of its starters from the 2019 team that posted an overall record of 23-10 and finished third in the MIAA at 15-5.
• The Jennies return six All-MIAA honorees from 2019 in 2021, including middle blockers Audrey Fisher (first team) and Hannah Engelken (honorable mention), outside hitters Sydney Lierz (first team), Aubree Bell (honorable mention) and Hannah VanBuskirk (honorable mention), and setter Ally Offerdahl (first team). Lierz was also the 2019 MIAA Freshman of the Year, while Engelken was the 2018 Freshman of the Year.
 
Welcome to Warrensburg!
• UCM welcomes four newcomers to the team in 2021 in freshmen Grace Winkelmann (Rhineland, Mo.), Tiffany Little (Parker, Colo.), Arley Anderson (Kansas City, Mo.) and Justine Bichelmeyer (Shawnee, Kan.). Winkelmann is the younger sister of former Jennies basketball and volleyball standout Shelby Winkelmann (2012-15).
 
UCM in the Polls
• The Jennies enter the 2021 season ranked 18th in the AVCA Preseason Poll. UCM is one of four MIAA programs ranked, as Nebraska-Kearney is number four, Washburn is eighth and Northwest Missouri is 17th. MIAA member Central Oklahoma received eight votes in the preseason poll, respectively.
• In the MIAA preseason poll, the Jens were picked to finish fourth behind Nebraska-Kearney, Washburn and Northwest Missouri. They finished with 75 points.
 
Individual Milestones
• Ally Offerdahl enters the season in the UCM career top-10 in assists with 3,774. Offerdahl needs four more to get into ninth place and 84 more to reach 4,000.
• Audrey Fisher needs 30 more blocks to get to 300.
• Sydney Lierz is 15 kills shy of 300 and 11 digs shy of 200.
• Hannah VanBuskirk is one block away from getting to 100 for her career
 
.300 or Better
• Under Coach Piontek, Central Missouri 120-0 when they hit at least .300. While it hasn't happened often under Piontek, UCM is just 3-13 when surrendering a .300 attack percentage to their opponent. The Jennies hit better than .300 in 10 matches in 2019.
 
MIAA Leaders
• In MIAA only games, the Jennies had the best attack percentage in the league at .249. They were third in kills and assists.
• Audrey Fisher led the conference in hitting percentage at .363 in 2019. She was also fourth in the league in service aces with 35 aces, four shy of the conference lead.
• Hannah Engelken also ranked in the top-10 in two conference categories in 2019. She was third in the league in blocks per set with 0.97 and paced the MIAA with 121 total blocks. Her .269 attack percentage is also in the top-20 at 12th.
• Sydney Lierz ranks 14th with 2.63 kills per set overall and seventh in MIAA games with 3.22.
• In MIAA games, Ally Offerdahl's 11.00 assists per set were third in the conference. She was also in the MIAA top-20 in digs per set with 3.15.
 
Up Next
• The Jennies trek to Denver, Colo., to compete in the Colorado Premier Challenge Sept. 10-11. Central Missouri will open with a match vs. Texas A&M-Commerce Friday, Sept. 10, at noon CT before taking on host Metro State in the nightcap at 7 p.m. CT. UCM's Saturday opponents are to be determined based on Friday's results.