WC Missouri News

Central Missouri Jennies volleyball is set to compete in the Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic with matches scheduled for September 12 and 13. The team, holding a 2-1 record, will face No. 13 Grand Valley State Lakers at noon CST on Friday at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Michigan. Later that day, they will play against the Hillsdale Chargers at 3:00 p.m. CST at the same venue. On Saturday morning, Central Missouri will meet (RV) Findlay Oilers at the Davenport Student Center in Grand Rapids.

The Jennies opened their season last weekend with victories over Roosevelt and Illinois-Springfield during the UIS Volleyball Tournament in Springfield, Illinois. They were selected fifth in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Volleyball Coaches' Poll released on August 22.

For fans interested in watching, Friday's match against Grand Valley State can be accessed via pay-per-view through the FLO Volleyball Network starting at noon CST. The match versus Hillsdale Chargers will be streamed live on the Grand Valley State Lakers YouTube channel beginning at 3:00 p.m. CST. Saturday’s game against Findlay Oilers is also available on a pay-per-view basis through FLO Volleyball Network from 10:00 a.m. CST.

Central Missouri brings back 14 players from last year’s roster and adds seven newcomers, including two transfers and four freshmen. Setter Shelbi Wilson joined after two seasons with Hutchinson CC (Kan.), while redshirt junior Kaelyn McDonald transferred from Arkansas-Fort Smith of the MIAA conference. New freshmen include defensive specialist/libero Ragin Corwin, middle blocker Bria Dawson, outside hitter Aspen Nelsen, and outside hitter Sammy Klotz.

The upcoming contest marks the fifth all-time meeting between Central Missouri and Grand Valley State; Central Missouri has won all previous encounters, most recently sweeping them during the 2010 Tampa Classic. This week’s matchup with Hillsdale will be only their second meeting; Central Missouri previously won in five sets on September 7 in Lakeland, Florida. Against Findlay Oilers, it will also be their second meeting; Central Missouri swept their first contest during an invitational event in Pensacola.

Statistically this season through three matches, Central Missouri averages 12.8 digs, 12 kills, 10.1 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.1 service aces per set.

Redshirt junior Kaelyn McDonald leads defensively at the net with seven total blocks (0.88 per set), along with contributing offensively across three matches.

Redshirt sophomore Emma Siron leads offensively with a team-high of 36 points and averages of nearly three kills per set since returning from injury.

Libero Grace Winkelmann anchors defense in the back row with an average of almost five digs per set and brings over fourteen hundred career digs into this weekend’s tournament.

Last season marked Central Missouri’s thirty-seventh NCAA Tournament appearance overall—their first under head coach Caitlin Peterson—during which they have achieved eight NCAA Regional Championships.

Following this weekend’s games in Michigan, Central Missouri is scheduled to play Ouachita Baptist Tigers on September 19 as part of the Comfort Inn Invitational hosted inside Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg.