DENVER, Colo. – No. 25 Central Missouri Jennies (3-3, 0-0 MIAA) split a pair of matches, beginning with a loss to No. 2 Wayne State Wildcats (5-0, 0-0 NSIC) by a final score of 3-0 (20-25, 22-25, 14-25,), before sweeping the Regis Rangers (1-5, 0-0 RMAC) Friday, Sept. 4, in the opening day of the Colorado Premier Challenge, inside Regis Field House, in Denver, Colo.
The Jens return to the court on Saturday, Sept. 5, to play a pair of matches to close out the Colorado Premier Challenge, with times and opponents to be determined after pool play concludes.
Match 1: No. 2 Wayne State 3, No. 25 Central Missouri 0 (20-25, 22-25, 14-25)
After taking the opening two sets of the match, the second-ranked Wildcats earned their fifth victory of the season with a 25-14 win in the third.
The Jens were led offensively by senior
Maya Fergerson's 11 kills on 26 swings (.308 hitting percentage), while libero
Ragin Corwin collected a match-high 13 digs.
Middle blocker
Kaelyn McDonald (eight kills) and junior
Grace Wagers (four kills and three digs) ended the match with three total blocks each, plus setter
Chloe Rauner had 33 assists and five digs.
Senior
Kirsten Harper led the team with a pair of aces, adding seven digs, while Aurora, Colo. native
Brenna Kelly collected six digs, as the Jens held a 43-42 advantage in digs in the match.
Middle blocker
Bria Dawson (seven kills) and senior
Shaye Koski (six kills) recorded a pair of blocks for good measure.
Match 2: No. 25 Central Missouri 3, Regis 0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-16)
Central Missouri took the opening set of the match by a final score of 25-18, ending the frame on an 11-4 run, highlighted by eight kills on 14 swings from
Maya Fergerson. The senior ended play with a match-high 15 kills, three blocks, and three digs overall.
The Jens picked up where they left off in the second, opening play on a 14-5 run, recording a match-best 76 percent conversion of side-out opportunities for good measure.
Central Missouri continued their dominance in the final frame of the day, beginning the set on a 15-6 run, earning their third victory of the year as the Jens out-hit Regis by a margin of .333-to-.065 for good measure.
Senior
Shaye Koski recorded seven kills on 15 swings (.467 hitting percentage), while middle blockers
Kaelyn McDonald (match-best five total blocks) and
Grace Wagers (three total blocks) added five kills each.
Defensively in the back row, the Jens were paced by libero
Ragin Corwin's match-high 13 digs, plus sophomore
Bria Dawson ended the match with five total blocks, including a solo block, and four kills in the winning effort.
Setter
Chloe Rauner contributed a match-best 32 assists, adding six digs, three kills on five swings (.600 attack percentage), and two blocks overall, while Aurora, Colo. native
Brenna Kelly collected seven digs and
Kirsten Harper had five digs.
