WALTHAM, Mass. – The receiving votes Central Missouri Jennies (1-0, 0-0 MIAA) defeated No. 6 Barry Buccaneers (0-1, 0-0 SSC), by a final score of 3-1 (15-25, 25-12, 26-24, 25-19) Thursday, August 27, in the opening match of the Sandy Hoffman Memorial Tournament, inside the Dana Center, on the campus of Bentley University, in Waltham, Mass.
After dropping the opening set of the match, the Jens responded with a 3-0 run to start the second, highlighted by a kill from middle blocker
Kaelyn McDonald (13 kills on 26 swings for a .500 hitting percentage, team-high three blocks, and a career-best three assists overall) and a service ace from freshman
Evynn Olsen (six digs and two aces overall).
With the score tied at six, Central Missouri opened a 6-1 run thanks to a kill from outside hitter
Shaye Koski (13 kills and one block overall), en route to a 25-12 victory, tying the match at one set apiece.
After head coach
Caitlin Peterson called a timeout trailing 24-23 in the third, the Jens took the lead with back-to-back kills from sophomore
Bria Dawson (career-high 15 kills on 26 swings for a .500 hitting percentage), before claiming the set with a 26-24 victory with an attack error on Barry.
Central Missouri finished off the match with a 25-19 victory in the fourth, thanks to out-hitting the Buccaneers by a margin of .375 to .167 in the frame, adding a 68 percent rate in side-out attempts for good measure.
Four Jens ended the match with double-digit kills, including junior
Grace Wagers (10 kills and two blocks overall), while Blue Springs, Mo. native
Maya Fergerson added eight kills and five digs.
Libero
Ragin Corwin collected a career and match-high 14 digs and a career-best seven assists, plus freshman
Chloe Rauner had a team-high 27 assists, nine digs, and five kills in the winning effort.
Andover, Kan. native
Bella Holcomb added 24 assists and nine digs in the first victory over a top-10 opponent since taking down the top-ranked Central Oklahoma Bronchos inside Hamilton Field House in Edmond on Oct. 4 of last season.
The Jens continue play at the Sandy Hoffman Memorial Tournament with a pair of matches Friday, August 28, as they take on No. 18 Lynn Fighting Knights (0-0, 0-0 SSC) at 9:00 a.m. (CST), followed by a match with the host school No. 22 Bentley Falcons (0-0, 0-0 NE10) at 2:30 p.m. (CST) from the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.
