WARRENSBURG, Mo. – The (Receiving Votes) Central Missouri Jennies (5-2, 0-0 MIAA) defeated the Ouachita Baptist Tigers (9-2, 1-0 GAC) by a final score of 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19) Friday, Sept. 19, in the opening day of the Comfort Inn Invitational inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg.
With the score knotted at 22 in the opening set, senior
Rachel Ziesman (12 kills and a match-high 10 blocks) gave the Jens the lead for good with a pair of kills en route to a 25-23 victory. Libero
Grace Winkelmann collected her 1,500
th career dig in the opening frame as the Rhineland, Mo. native finished the match with a team-best 31 digs and three assists.
After dropping set two by a score of 25-19, the Tigers cut Central Missouri's lead in half with a 25-23 victory in the third. With the score even at seven in the fourth, the Jens began a 10-3 run with an outside hitter
Shaye Koski (match-high 18 kills, seven digs, and three blocks overall) kill before taking the set 25-19 and winning their fifth match of the season.
UCM had four players finish the match with double-figure kills, including a career-high 15 from Lee's Summit, Mo. native
Kaelyn McDonald (five blocks and two digs overall), plus junior
Maya Fergerson added 11 kills on 21 swings (.333 attack percentage) and a career-best five blocks for good measure.
Setter
Kayla Baer recorded her third consecutive double-double performance with a match-high 43 assists, 12 digs, and a career-best five blocks as the Jens outhit Ouachita Baptist by a margin of .175 to .079 in the match.
Defensively, four Jens had double-figure digs, including 14 from redshirt sophomore
Emma Siron (four kills) and 11 from Aurora, Colo. native
Brenna Kelly, while defensive specialist
Ragin Corwin added seven digs in the winning effort.
Central Missouri returns to the court Saturday, Sept. 20, taking on the Missouri S&T Miners (2-8, 0-0 GLVC) at noon, plus a matchup with the McKendree Bearcats (1-8, 0-0 GLVC) at 5:00 p.m. in the final day of the Comfort Inn Invitational inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg.
