Arley Anderson serve vs UNK during 2023 Senior Day center court
Andrew Mather

Women's Volleyball

No. 15 Jennies Volleyball Begins 2024 Campaign at BritKare Lady Buff Classic

Match 1: No. 15 Central Missouri Jennies (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs West Virginia State Yellow Jackets (0-0, 0-0 Mountain East)
Friday, Sept. 6 | 9:00 a.m. | Canyon, Texas (WTAMU Fieldhouse)
Live Stats | Live Video | Yellow Jackets Roster

Match 2: No. 15 Central Missouri Jennies (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs No. 3 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs (0-0, 0-0 Lone Star Conference)
Friday, Sept. 6 | 6:00 p.m. | Canyon, Texas (WTAMU Fieldhouse)
Live Stats | Live Video | Lady Buffs Roster

Match 3: No. 15 Central Missouri Jennies (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs Texas A&M International Dustdevils (0-0, 0-0 Lone Star Conference)
Saturday, Sept. 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Canyon, Texas (WTAMU Fieldhouse)
Live Stats | Live Video | Dustdevils Roster


2024 Central Missouri Jennies Roster | MIAA Volleyball

Scene Setter
  • No. 15 Central Missouri volleyball begins the 2024 season on Friday, Sept. 6, in the opening day of the BritKare Lady Buff Classic with a pair of matches against West Virginia State (9:00 a.m.) and No. 3 West Texas A&M (6:00 p.m.) before taking on the Texas A&M International Dustdevils on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 11:00 a.m. from the WTAMU Fieldhouse in Canyon, Texas.
  • The Jens are ranked 15th in the first AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) poll of the 2024 season. This is the 445th 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. 
  • The defending MIAA regular season and tournament champion Jens are the top seed in the conference according to the MIAA Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll that was released on Friday, Aug. 23, as UCM received 113 points overall including five first-place votes.  
 
How to Watch
  • This weekend's matches will be available on a pay-per-view basis through FloVolleyball with coverage beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7, from the WTAMU Fieldhouse in Canyon, Texas.       
 
2023 Year in Review
  • The Jennies finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 25-8 winning their 26th MIAA Regular Season title along with the program's fourth conference tournament title as head coach Caitlin Peterson was named the 2023 MIAA Coach of the Year.
  • After winning 10 matches against AVCA top-25 ranked teams making the program's 37th NCAA Tournament appearance, Central Missouri had three AVCA All-Americans in setter Olivia Olson who was a Second Team selection while redshirt senior Kersti Nix and middle blocker Elinor Engel received Honorable Mention nods.
  • In total, eight players were All-MIAA selections highlighted by 2023 Player and Setter of the Year Olivia Olson who was one of four First Team members alongside sophomore Rachel Ziesman, outside hitter Kersti Nix, and freshman Elinor Engel. Outside hitter Sydney Lierz and freshman Emma Siron were All-MIAA Second Team selections, plus, middle blocker Grace Southern and redshirt sophomore Grace Winkelmann received All-MIAA Honorable Mention accolades.
 
Series History
  • West Virginia State: Friday morning marks the first time the Jens and WVSU have played each other in volleyball.  
  • No. 3 West Texas A&M: Heading into play on Friday evening, this will be the 21st all-time meeting between UCM and the Lady Buffs dating back to the 1986 season. WTAMU won the most recent contest during the opening match of the 2022 Colorado Premier Challenge.
  • Texas A&M International: This will be the second time in program history that UCM and the Dustdevils will square off on the volleyball court with their lone meeting coming in 2021 during the Seawolf Invitational in Anchorage, Alaska. The Jens swept the match 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-15) led by Sydney Lierz' double-double (10 kills and 12 digs) performance.
 
Meet the Jens  
UCM in the Polls
  • The Jens are ranked 15th in the initial 2024 AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches' Association) poll released on Friday, Aug. 23. This is the 445th 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.
  • Central Missouri is one of three teams from the MIAA conference ranked in the AVCA Coaches' Poll alongside No. 9 Nebraska-Kearney and No. 23 Central Oklahoma.
 
Jens in the Postseason
  • Central Missouri made their 37th NCAA Tournament appearance last season and the first under 2023 MIAA Coach of the Year Caitlin Peterson as the Jens have won 41 matches including eight NCAA Regional Championships.
 
UCM By the Numbers
  • Central Missouri averaged 16.5 digs, 13.9 kills, 12.6 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 service aces per set last season.  
  • AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, AVCA All-Central Region Honorable Mention, and All-MIAA First Team selection Elinor Engel was second on the Jens with 373.5 points, 307 kills, and 119 blocks with a .295 hitting percentage and was one of four players last season to record a double-double performance.
  • First Team All-MIAA selection Rachel Ziesman collected a team-best 124 blocks while ranking third in kills (219) and points (295.5) ending the year with a .297 hitting percentage (ranked second for UCM) while being one of four players to record a double-double in 2023.  
  • Second Team All-MIAA selection Emma Siron ranked fourth on the team last season with 204 kills and 251.5 points while recording double-digit kills in nine matches. 
  • Redshirt junior Grace Winkelmann earned her second consecutive All-MIAA Honorable Mention nod in 2023 after leading the Jens with 490 digs on the year averaging 3.92 digs per set and collected double-digit digs in 29 consecutive matches including seven with 20 or more.
 
Up Next
  • Central Missouri continues play on Friday, Sept. 13, as they take on the Dallas Baptist Patriots at 11:00 a.m. (CST) in the opening match of the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver, Colo.

 
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Players Mentioned

Sydney Lierz

#14 Sydney Lierz

OH
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Olivia Olson

#8 Olivia Olson

S
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
Grace Southern

#19 Grace Southern

MB
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
Elinor Engel

#6 Elinor Engel

MB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Emma Siron

#12 Emma Siron

OH/OPP/S
5' 9"
Sophomore
Rachel Ziesman

#11 Rachel Ziesman

MB
6' 0"
Junior
Grace Winkelmann

#1 Grace Winkelmann

DS/L
5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
Lauren Blake

#2 Lauren Blake

OPP
6' 0"
Sophomore
Kayla Baer

#8 Kayla Baer

S
5' 10"
Junior
Brenna Kelly

#13 Brenna Kelly

DS/OH
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sydney Lierz

#14 Sydney Lierz

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
OH
Olivia Olson

#8 Olivia Olson

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
S
Grace Southern

#19 Grace Southern

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
MB
Elinor Engel

#6 Elinor Engel

6' 0"
Sophomore
MB
Emma Siron

#12 Emma Siron

5' 9"
Sophomore
OH/OPP/S
Rachel Ziesman

#11 Rachel Ziesman

6' 0"
Junior
MB
Grace Winkelmann

#1 Grace Winkelmann

5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
DS/L
Lauren Blake

#2 Lauren Blake

6' 0"
Sophomore
OPP
Kayla Baer

#8 Kayla Baer

5' 10"
Junior
S
Brenna Kelly

#13 Brenna Kelly

5' 7"
Freshman
DS/OH