WC Missouri News

Central Missouri Jennies volleyball will host the Comfort Inn Invitational at the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg on Friday, Sept. 19, and Saturday, Sept. 20. The event will feature matches against Ouachita Baptist Tigers, Missouri S&T Miners, and McKendree Bearcats.

The Jennies will open play against Ouachita Baptist on Friday at 5:00 p.m., followed by matches with Missouri S&T at noon and McKendree at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.

The tournament also includes teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Great American Conference (GAC), as well as No. 9 Washburn Ichabods of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

Central Missouri enters the invitational with a record of 4-2 after going 2-1 last weekend, which included a sweep of No. 13 Grand Valley State at the Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic in Allendale, Michigan.

All matches will be available for viewing through pay-per-view on the MIAA Network, with coverage starting at noon on Friday and at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday from the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg.

This season, Central Missouri returns 14 players from last year’s roster and has added seven newcomers—two transfers and four freshmen. Setter Shelbi Wilson joins after two seasons with Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, while redshirt junior Kaelyn McDonald transferred from Arkansas-Fort Smith. New freshmen include Ragin Corwin (defensive specialist/libero), Bria Dawson (middle blocker), Aspen Nelsen (outside hitter), and Sammy Klotz (outside hitter).

Friday’s match marks the fourth meeting between Central Missouri and Ouachita Baptist; Central Missouri has won all previous encounters, most recently sweeping OBU during the 2007 HSU-OBU Classic in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Saturday’s contest against Missouri S&T is their tenth all-time meeting; Central Missouri leads the series 8-1 but lost their most recent matchup to S&T during the final match of the 2023 Courtyard by Marriott Tampa Volleyball Classic.

Against McKendree Bearcats, this will be only their second meeting; Central Missouri swept their previous encounter during the Peggy Martin Challenge in September 2013.

Statistically this season through six matches, Central Missouri averages nearly 15 digs per set along with over twelve kills per set. Middle blocker Kaelyn McDonald leads defensively with an average of almost one block per set across five or more kills in five different matches so far this season.

Redshirt sophomore Emma Siron leads offensively with team-highs in points (77), kills (61), and service aces (12). Libero Grace Winkelmann leads defensively in digs—averaging nearly five per set—and brings a career total of almost fifteen hundred digs into Friday’s play.

Senior Kayla Baer has provided consistency as setter with an average of ten assists per set through six games this season while adding double-double performances against Hillsdale and Findlay earlier this month.

Senior Rachel Ziesman ranks second for points scored on the team while also contributing significantly to blocks and kills throughout all sets played so far this year.

Central Missouri is currently receiving votes in the latest AVCA Poll following its win over No.13 Grand Valley State earlier this month—a recognition shared by four other MIAA teams including No.2 Central Oklahoma and No.9 Washburn Ichabods.

Last year marked Central Missouri's thirty-seventh NCAA Tournament appearance—the first under head coach Caitlin Peterson—with eight NCAA Regional Championships achieved historically by the program.

Looking ahead, Central Missouri opens conference play against No.5 Nebraska Kearney on Friday, Sept.26 inside Health & Sports Center in Kearney, Nebraska.