DENVER, Colo. – No. 17 Central Missouri Jennies (3-4, 0-0 MIAA) split a pair of matches falling to the Wheeling Cardinals (2-5, 0-0 MEC) in five sets before defeating the Seattle Pacific Falcons (0-8, 0-0 GNAC) by a final score of 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 25-18) on Saturday, Sept. 14, in the final day of the Colorado Premier Challenge from Regis Field House in Denver.
The Jens return to the court on Tuesday, Sept. 17, as they travel to Mason-Haplin Field House for a match with the Rockhurst Hawks (5-2, 0-0 GLVC) beginning at 6:00 p.m. in Kansas City, Mo.
Wheeling 3, No. 17 Central Missouri 2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-15, 20-25, 9-15)
After splitting the first two sets of the match, Central Missouri took a 2-1 lead with a 25-15 victory in the third highlighted by an 11-1 run thanks to five kills from Parker, Colo. native
Tiffany Little (career-high 15 digs and eight kills overall). The Cardinals answered with set wins in the fourth and fifth led by Karly Niesen's double-double performance.
Sophomore
Maya Fergerson led the Jens offensively with a career and match-best 21 kills while middle blocker
Rachel Ziesman had 16 kills on 28 swings for a .464 hitting percentage and sophomore
Elinor Engel added 13 kills and five blocks for good measure.
Defensively, Central Missouri was paced by libero
Grace Winkelmann's match-high 26 digs and three assists, plus, senior Arely Anderson collected 11 digs and Aurora, Colo. native
Brenna Kelly contributed five digs.
Junior
Kayla Baer had a team-high 38 assists adding eight digs and three blocks while freshman
Maddie Wojdyla ended the match with 22 assists. Middle blocker / right side
Grace Wagers contributed five kills and sophomore
Emma Wheeler collected seven digs on the afternoon.
No. 17 Central Missouri 3, Seattle Pacific 1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 25-18)
After splitting the opening two sets of the match, Central Missouri opened the third with a 5-1 run and never relinquished taking a 2-1 lead thanks to a set-high five kills from junior
Rachel Ziesman (match-high 13 kills and eight blocks overall) and four kills on just five attempts for an .800 hitting percentage from middle blocker
Elinor Engel (12 kills overall on 20 swings for a career-best .600 attack percentage).
The Jens earned the 3-1 victory in the fourth outhitting Seattle Pacific by a margin of .353 to .143 highlighted by sophomore
Maya Fergerson's (12 kills and career-best three blocks overall) seven kills on 10 attempts while middle blocker / right side
Grace Wagers had three of her four blocks overall in the set as Wesley Chapel, Fla. native
Kayla Baer (match and career-high 40 assists and career-best three kills) had a set-high 12 assists for good measure.
In the victory, three UCM players achieved double-digit digs including outside hitter
Tiffany Little (match-high 14 digs and six kills) and defensive specialist
Arley Anderson with 10 digs while redshirt junior
Grace Winkelmann's 13 digs on the night gives her 1,003 as a Jen.
