WC Missouri News

Central Missouri Jennies volleyball is set to open its 2025 season at the Illinois-Springfield Tournament with two matches on Friday, September 5. The team will face the Roosevelt Lakers at 12:30 p.m. and Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars at 6:00 p.m., both at The Recreation and Athletic Center in Springfield, Illinois. On Saturday, September 6, the Jennies will play Quincy Hawks at noon to close out the tournament.

The Jennies were ranked fifth in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll released on August 22. Last season, Central Missouri made its 27th appearance in the conference tournament and had three players earn Second Team All-MIAA honors, including middle blocker Rachel Ziesman and Maya Fergerson from Blue Springs, Missouri.

For academic achievement, Central Missouri earned the INTENT AVCA Team Academic Honor Roll Award for the 22nd year in a row as announced on July 21.

In staff updates, "Jennies volleyball announced the hiring of former libero/defensive specialist Rylie Barnum as the newest Assistant Coach on Monday, March 3."

This season's roster features 14 returning players along with seven newcomers—two transfers and four freshmen. Setter Shelbi Wilson joins after two seasons at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, while redshirt junior Kaelyn McDonald comes from Arkansas-Fort Smith. First-year collegiate athletes include defensive specialist/libero Ragin Corwin (Blue Springs, Mo.), middle blocker Bria Dawson (Overland Park, Kan.), outside hitter Aspen Nelsen (Indianola, Iowa), and outside hitter Sammy Klotz (Hoyt, Kan.).

Friday’s match against Roosevelt marks their first-ever meeting on the volleyball court. The evening match versus Illinois-Springfield will be only their second encounter; Central Missouri previously swept UIS during the 2015 Peggy Martin Challenge finale. Senior Maddie Jones led offensively in that game with a match-high of 12 kills on 17 attempts and Kourtney Thompson contributed a match-best 30 assists.

Saturday’s contest against Quincy will be their twelfth all-time meeting; Central Missouri has won all previous eleven matches.

Last season marked Central Missouri's thirty-seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and its first under head coach Caitlin Peterson—named MIAA Coach of the Year in 2023—with an overall NCAA postseason record of forty-one wins and forty-one losses including eight regional championships.

The team’s next scheduled games are on Friday, September 12 against No. 14 Grand Valley State and Hillsdale during the Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic in Allendale, Michigan.