WC Missouri News

The Central Missouri Jennies volleyball team, ranked 24th nationally, will continue its Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) schedule this week with two away matches. On Thursday, Oct. 16, the Jennies will face the No. 2 Washburn Ichabods at Whiting Fieldhouse in Topeka, Kansas. The match is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. The following day, Friday, Oct. 17, they will play against the Emporia State Hornets—who are receiving votes in national polls—at White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas.

Both matches will be available for viewing on a pay-per-view basis through the MIAA Network.

Redshirt senior libero Grace Winkelmann was named MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week after contributing 67 digs, 11 assists, and 10 service aces during a week where Central Missouri posted a 3-0 record with sweeps over Missouri Southern and Newman. During Saturday’s win over Newman, Winkelmann moved into sixth place in program history with 1,705 career digs after recording a match-high 20 digs and six service aces.

Central Missouri's roster features a mix of returning players and newcomers. Fourteen athletes returned from last season while six joined the team this year—including transfers Shelbi Wilson and Kaelyn McDonald as well as four freshmen.

In their series history against Washburn, Central Missouri holds a significant lead with a record of 58-24 overall and 19-12 in Topeka. In their last meeting in Topeka during the previous season, Central Missouri swept then-No. 21 Washburn.

Against Emporia State, Central Missouri leads the all-time series 63-8 but lost to them last season at home in five sets.

Through their first seventeen matches this season, Central Missouri is averaging 17.3 digs per set along with nearly fourteen kills per set. Winkelmann leads defensively with an average of just over five digs per set and has posted double-digit dig totals in sixteen matches so far this year.

Middle blocker Kaelyn McDonald leads the team at the net with sixty-four total blocks while also contributing offensively with nearly two hundred points and maintaining a .340 hitting percentage.

Setter Kayla Baer has recorded more than six hundred assists this season and recently surpassed one thousand career assists at UCM during a win over top-ranked Central Oklahoma—a performance that earned her MIAA Setter of the Week honors.

Emma Siron leads in points scored for the Jennies and has contributed significantly on offense since returning from injury last year.

The Jennies are currently ranked No. 24 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll following three consecutive wins last week. They are one of six teams from the MIAA recognized in this week's national rankings alongside No. 2 Washburn.

Last season marked Central Missouri’s thirty-seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament—their first under head coach Caitlin Peterson—with an overall tournament record standing at forty-one wins and forty-one losses including eight regional championships.

After these upcoming games against Washburn and Emporia State, Central Missouri will resume conference play on Friday, Oct. 24 against Missouri Southern Lions in Joplin.