UCM Jennies setter Olivia Olson (8) during an MIAA college volleyball match against the University of Nebraska Kearney (UNK) Lopers at the UCM Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg, Missouri on November 11, 2023.
Andrew Mather Photography

Women's Volleyball

Top Seeded Jennies Volleyball Takes on Eight Seed ESU in 2023 MIAA Tournament Opener Thursday Night

Match 29: No. 8 Emporia State Hornets (13-15, 7-13) vs No. 1 Central Missouri Jennies (21-7, 18-2)
Thursday, Nov. 16 | 5:00 p.m. | St. Joseph, Mo. (St. Joseph Civic Arena)
Live Stats | Live Video | Hornets Roster | Tickets
 

Scene Setter
  • No. 1 Central Missouri volleyball (21-7, 18-2) begins the 2023 MIAA Volleyball Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 16, as they take on No. 8 Emporia State Hornets (13-15, 7-13) with first serve scheduled for 5:00 p.m. from the St. Joseph Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph, Mo.  
  • Eight Jennies earned All-MIAA honors including redshirt senior Olivia Olson (MIAA Player & Setter of the Year), middle blocker Elinor Engel, redshirt senior Kersti Nix, and middle blocker Rachel Ziesman earned First Team All-MIAA honors, while redshirt senior Sydney Lierz and outside hitter Emma Siron were named to the Second Team, plus, libero Grace Winkelmann and redshirt senior Grace Southern were Honorable Mention All-MIAA selections.
  • Second year head coach Caitlin Peterson was named the MIAA Coach of Year after leading the Jens to their 26th MIAA regular season title. Peterson has an overall record of 40-18, including a 32-8 record in conference play after leading the Jens to a 21-7 record during the regular season going 18-2 in MIAA play in 2023.
  • Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Ziesman was named the MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week for her play on the court in wins against Fort Hays State and No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney. The Shawnee, Kan. native had 15 blocks over both matches including a (then) career-best seven against the Tigers and followed up with a career-high eight against the Lopers.    
  • The Jens are ranked 18th in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) poll released on Monday, Nov. 13, moving up three spots from last week. This is the 442nd week that Central Missouri has been ranked in the top-25 in the AVCA poll, the most by any program in all of Division II.  
 
How to Watch
  • Thursday's match will be available on a pay-per-view basis through the MIAA Network with coverage beginning at 5:00 p.m. from the St. Joseph Civic Arena.      
 
Last Time Out
  • No. 21 Central Missouri Jennies (21-7, 18-2) clinch their MIAA-leading 26th regular season title outright sweeping No. 10 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (26-4, 16-4) by a final score of 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-18) on Saturday, Nov. 11, on center court in front of a record breaking 1,435 spectators inside the Multipurpose Building in Warrensburg. 
  • With the score knotted at four in the opening set, the Jens went on an 8-1 run beginning with a kill from freshman Emma Siron (team-high 10 kills, a career-high five blocks, and two digs overall) and ending with one of three service aces from the Sedalia, Mo. native helping UCM take a 1-0 advantage.
  • In the second, Central Missouri jumped out to an early 7-2 lead ending the run on block assists from Siron and middle blocker Elinor Engel (10 kills on 23 swings, for a .304 hitting percentage adding three blocks overall) as the Jennies doubled their lead.
  • In the third set leading 22-17, UCM clinched the outright MIAA regular season championship on a 4-1 run beginning with a kill from reigning MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week Kersti Nix (10 kills on 26 attempts, for a .308 attack percentage) from redshirt senior setter Olivia Olson who recorded a team-best 16th double-double performance (35 assists, 10 digs, five blocks, and four kills overall) and ending on block assists from redshirt seniors Sydney Lierz (11 digs overall) and Grace Southern.
  • The Jens outhit UNK by a margin of .276 to .152 on the afternoon thanks to middle blocker Rachel Ziesman's match and career-high eight blocks (including seven block assists) adding six kills, while defensive specialist Arley Anderson had a team-high 14 digs. Libero Grace Winkelmann collected 10 digs and two assists, plus, redshirt senior Jackie Storm had four digs in the winning effort.
 
Series History
  • Emporia State: Heading into Thursday's match in St. Joseph, the Jens hold a 64-7 record all-time against ESU including 3-0 in postseason play. Earlier this season in Warrensburg, UCM claimed a 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-15) win led by freshman Gillian Bachali's career-high 16 kills adding a career-best four digs, while setter Olivia Olson compiled a match-high 47 assists and a career-best seven service aces. Inside White Auditorium, Central Missouri came away with a 3-2 (25-18, 19-25, 26-24, 20-25, 15-12) victory highlighted by a double-double performance from redshirt senior Sydney Lierz (15 kills and 13 digs), a match-high 22 kills on 42 swings (.357 hitting percentage) from outside hitter Kersti Nix, and a match-high 55 assists by redshirt senior Olivia Olson.
 
UCM in the Polls
  • The Jens are ranked 18th in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches' Association) poll released on Monday, Nov. 13, moving up three spots from last week. This is the 442nd week that Central Missouri has been ranked in the top-25 in the AVCA poll, the most by any program in all of Division II.
  • UCM is one of three teams from the MIAA conference ranked alongside No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 15 Central Oklahoma.
 
Jens by the Numbers
  • Top seeded Central Missouri is averaging 16.5 digs, 13.8 kills (third-most in the MIAA), 12.6 assists (third-best in the conference), 2.6 blocks (best in the MIAA) and 1.4 service aces per set through the regular season.  
  • MIAA Player and Setter of the Year Olivia Olson leads the Jens with 16 double-doubles on the year collecting a MIAA-leading 1,163 assists averaging 10.8 assists per set (ranks second in the MIAA) while having the second-most digs (282) and is third in blocks with 87.
  • Three-time First Team All-MIAA selection Kersti Nix leads UCM with 386 kills (second in the MIAA) on the season averaging 3.57 kills per set (second-most in the conference) while averaging 3.9 points per set (ranks second in the MIAA) and has the second-most double-doubles on the team with four.
  • First Team All-MIAA selection Elinor Engel leads the Jens and is second in the MIAA with 106 blocks on the year (averaging 1.05 blocks per set, third-best in the conference), while she is second on the team in kills (253) averaging 2.5 kills per set (second-most for UCM) with a .297 hitting percentage (ranks second on the team and is fourth-best in the MIAA) and is the fourth player to record a double-double performance this season.
  • Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection Grace Southern's 75 blocks is fourth-most on the team averaging 1.2 per set (best in the conference) and has the team lead in hitting percentage at .301 (second in the MIAA). Southern is fourth on the team in kills with 151 (averaging 2.4 kills per set) and points with 199.5 (3.22 points per set).
  • Reigning MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week and First Team All-MIAA selection Rachel Ziesman has collected 96 blocks on the year (second-most on the team, fifth-best in the conference) averaging 1.16 blocks per set (ranked second on the team and second in the MIAA) while ranking third in points (229.5) and kills (170) averaging 2.05 kills per set. 
  • Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection Grace Winklemann leads the Jens with 422 digs (sixth-most in the MIAA) on the year averaging 3.91 digs per set and has collected double-digit digs in 26 consecutive matches including seven with 20 or more.

 
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Players Mentioned

Sydney Lierz

#14 Sydney Lierz

OH
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Kersti Nix

#20 Kersti Nix

OH
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Jackie Storm

#2 Jackie Storm

DS/L
5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
Grace Winkelmann

#1 Grace Winkelmann

DS/L
5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
Arley Anderson

#4 Arley Anderson

DS/L
5' 7"
Junior
Olivia Olson

#8 Olivia Olson

S
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Grace Southern

#19 Grace Southern

MB
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
Rachel Ziesman

#11 Rachel Ziesman

MB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Emma Siron

#12 Emma Siron

OH/OPP/S
5' 9"
Freshman
Elinor Engel

#6 Elinor Engel

MB
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sydney Lierz

#14 Sydney Lierz

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
OH
Kersti Nix

#20 Kersti Nix

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
OH
Jackie Storm

#2 Jackie Storm

5' 8"
Redshirt Senior
DS/L
Grace Winkelmann

#1 Grace Winkelmann

5' 9"
Redshirt Sophomore
DS/L
Arley Anderson

#4 Arley Anderson

5' 7"
Junior
DS/L
Olivia Olson

#8 Olivia Olson

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
S
Grace Southern

#19 Grace Southern

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
MB
Rachel Ziesman

#11 Rachel Ziesman

6' 0"
Sophomore
MB
Emma Siron

#12 Emma Siron

5' 9"
Freshman
OH/OPP/S
Elinor Engel

#6 Elinor Engel

6' 0"
Freshman
MB