UCM Jennies outside hitter Kersti Nix (20) 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

No. 16 Jennies Volleyball Set to Face No. 6 St. Cloud State in NCAA-II Central Regional First Round Thursday

Match 32: No. 6 St. Cloud State Huskies (22-8, 13-5 NSIC) vs No. 16 Central Missouri Jennies (24-7, 18-2 MIAA)
Thursday, Nov. 30 | 5:00 p.m. | St. Paul, Minn. (Gangelhoff Center)
Live Stats | Live Video | Huskies Roster
Scene Setter
  • No. 16 Central Missouri volleyball (24-7, 18-2) begins the 2023 NCAA D-II Central Regional Volleyball Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 30, as they take on No. 6 St. Cloud State Huskies (22-8, 13-5) with first serve scheduled for 5:00 p.m. from the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.  
  • UCM captured their fourth MIAA Tournament title with a sweep of No. 3 seed Nebraska-Kearney 3-0 (25-16, 27-25, 25-11) on Saturday, Nov. 18, from the St. Joseph Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph, Mo after clinching their 26th MIAA regular season championship against the Lopers with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-21, 25-18) on Saturday, Nov. 11, inside the Multipurpose Building for Senior Day.
  • The Jens are ranked 16th in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) poll released on Monday, Nov. 20, moving up three spots from the previous weeks' poll. This is the 444th 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.  
  • Three UCM players received AVCA All-Central Region honors including 1st Team selection Olvia Olson, while outside hitter Kersti Nix and freshman Elinor Engel earned Honorable Mention nods.
  • Redshirt seniors Kersti Nix and Olivia Olson were named to the 2023 Second Team D2CCA Central All-Region Team on Wednesday, Nov. 29.
 
How to Watch
  • Thursday's match will be available on a pay-per-view basis through the NCAA with coverage beginning at 5:00 p.m. from the Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, Minn.       
 
Last Time Out
  • Top seed Central Missouri Jennies (24-7, 18-2) swept the three seed Nebraska Kearney Lopers (28-5, 16-4) by a final score of 3-0 (25-16, 27-25, 25-11) on Saturday, Nov. 18, in the 2023 MIAA Volleyball Tournament Championship match from the St. Joseph Civic Arena in downtown St. Joseph, Mo.  
  • In the opening set of the match the Jens led 14-11 before going on a 7-1 run starting with a redshirt senior Sydney Lierz (17 digs and eight kills overall) kill from MIAA Player of the Year Olivia Olson (match-high 41 assists, 11 digs, and three kills overall) as the Jens cruised to a 25-16 victory.
  • The Lopers responded in the second set leading 25-24, but UCM answered with a 3-0 run beginning with a kill from right side hitter Emma Siron (nine kills and three digs overall), followed by a kill from freshman Elinor Engel (11 kills on 16 swings for a .500 hitting percentage) and ended with a service ace from Rachel Ziesman (match-high 15 kills, three blocks, and two digs overall).
  • The Jens began the third set on a 5-1 run and never relinquished the lead as they capture their fourth MIAA Tournament title with a 25-11 victory as UCM outhit the Lopers .351 to .164 on the night highlighted by double digit digs from libero Grace Winkelmann (team-high 18 digs and four assists overall) and junior Arley Anderson (17 digs, a career-high four assists overall).
  • Outside hitter Kersti Nix had seven kills on 24 swings (.292 attack percentage) adding four digs, while redshirt senior Jackie Storm collected four digs in the winning effort.
  • After the conclusion of the contest, three Central Missouri players were selected to the 2023 MIAA Volleyball Championship All-Tournament team including Olivia Olson, Sydney Lierz, and Rachel Ziesman respectively.
 
Series History
  • No. 6 St. Cloud State: Thursday's match will be the eighth all-time meeting between the Jens and the Huskies with UCM holding a 6-1 advantage including 1-0 in post season play. The lone playoff matchup was in the 1981 AIAW Region VI Tournament where the Jens came away with a 2-0 (15-10, 15-6) victory in Maryville, Mo.
 
UCM in the Polls
  • The Jens are ranked 16th in the latest AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches' Association) poll released on Monday, Nov. 20, moving up three spots from the previous weeks' poll. This is the 444th 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. 13 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 18 Central Oklahoma.
 
Jens in the Postseason
  • This is the 37th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and the first under 2023 MIAA Coach of the Year Caitlin Peterson as the Jens have a 40-40 overall record including eight NCAA Regional Championships.
 
By the Numbers
  • Central Missouri is averaging 16.7 digs, 13.9 kills (third most in the MIAA), 12.7 assists (third best in the conference), 2.5 blocks (best in the MIAA) and 1.4 service aces per set through 31 matches this season.  
  • MIAA Player and Setter of the Year Olivia Olson leads the Jens with 18 double-doubles on the year collecting a MIAA-leading 1,288 assists averaging 10.92 assists per set (ranks second in the MIAA) while having the second-most digs (309) and is third in blocks with 94.
  • Three-time First Team All-MIAA selection Kersti Nix leads UCM with 409 kills (second in the MIAA) on the season averaging 3.47 kills per set (second most in the conference) while averaging 3.8 points per set (ranks fifth 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 the MIAA with 113 blocks on the year (averaging 1.02 blocks per set, fifth best in the conference), while she is second on the team in kills (284) averaging 2.56 kills per set (second most for UCM) with a .303 hitting percentage (leads the team and is second in the MIAA) and was the fourth player to record a double-double performance this season.
  • First Team All-MIAA selection Rachel Ziesman has collected 110 blocks on the year (second most on the team and in the conference) averaging 1.18 blocks per set (ranked second on the team and second in the MIAA) while ranking third in points (273.5) and kills (204) averaging 2.19 kills per set. 
  • Second Team All-MIAA selection Emma Siron is fourth on the team in kills (196), kills per set (2.23) and hitting percentage (.277) recording double-digit kills in nine matches this season. Siron is fifth on the Jens with 14 service aces and has the sixth most blocks (56).
  • Second Team All-MIAA selection Sydney Lierz is second on the Jens in assists (48) and service aces (25) while third in digs (300) and digs per set (2.63). Lierz is one of six players to record a double-double 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 is second on the team in hitting percentage at .301 (third in the MIAA). Southern is fifth on the team in kills with 151 (averaging 2.4 kills per set) and sixth in points with 200 (3.17 points per set).
  • Honorable Mention All-MIAA selection Grace Winkelmann leads the Jens with 462 digs (fifth most in the MIAA) on the year averaging 3.92 digs per set and has collected double-digit digs in 29 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