TAMPA, Fla. – The Central Missouri Jennies (1-2, 0-0) split a doubleheader sweeping No. 24 Gannon Golden Knights (1-1, 0-0) by a final score of 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18) before falling to Missouri S&T (1-2, 0-0) by a score of 3-2 (25-17, 28-26, 19-25, 23-25, 12-15) on Saturday, Sept. 2, in the final day of the Tampa Volleyball Classic from Bob Martinez Athletics Center in Tampa, Fla.
The Jens return to the court on Friday, Sept. 8, for a pair of matches against West Florida (11:00 a.m.) and Cal-State LA (7:00 p.m.) in the opening day of the Colorado Premier Challenge from Regis Field House in Denver, Colo.
Central Missouri 3, No. 24 Gannon 0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-18)
After trailing early in the first set, the Jens responded with a 5-0 run beginning with a
Grace Southern kill and ending with a Southern service ace leading UCM with a team-high 11 kills and five blocks. The Jennies later claimed the set thanks to an
Elinor Engel (eight kills, three digs and two blocks overall) kill from setter Oliva Olson (team-high 29 assists, five digs and four kills on 11 attempts overall).
In set two the Golden Knights jumped out to an early lead, but Central Missouri fought back taking the lead at 16-15 with a service ace from junior
Arley Anderson (had a team-high 12 digs) during an 8-1 Jens run. With the score tied at 22, UCM benefited from a pair of errors from GU highlighted by block assists from outside hitter
Kersti Nix (nine kills on 22 attempts overall) and Southern giving the Jennies a 24-22 advantage en route to victory.
Central Missouri outhit the Golden Knights in the final set .279 to .091 and .254 to .153 overall, completing the sweep of No. 24 Gannon. Redshirt senior
Sydney Lierz ended the match with nine digs, six kills and one block while middle blocker
Rachel Ziesman recorded four blocks, three digs and three kills respectively.
Missouri S&T 3, Central Missouri 2 (25-17, 28-26, 19-25, 23-25, 12-15)
After the Jens took the first two sets of the match, Missouri S&T responded by taking sets three and four to force a fifth. The Miners grabbed a 9-3 lead in the deciding set as Central Missouri rallied with a 7-1 run, but Missouri S&T held on for the victory.
The Jens had two players earn double-doubles including redshirt senior
Olivia Olson (career-high 50 assists, career-high 18 digs, six blocks and five kills) and middle blocker
Grace Southern (12 kills on 30 attempts and a career-high 11 blocks).
Outside hitter
Kersti Nix paced UCM offensively with 17 kills while
Sydney Lierz added nine kills, eight digs and three blocks respectively. Libero
Grace Winkelmann had a team-high 18 digs while junior
Arley Anderson added 15 digs, a career-high four assists and three service aces.
