WC Missouri News

Central Missouri Jennies volleyball will finish its regular season in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) with two matches this week. The team, currently holding an 18-7 overall record and a 9-5 mark in conference play, will face the Newman Jets on Friday, Nov. 14 at Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita, Kansas. On Saturday, Nov. 15, the Jennies will host Pittsburg State Gorillas at the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg.

Saturday’s home match will also serve as Club Day and Senior Day for Central Missouri. After the match against Pittsburg State, there will be a ceremony recognizing four senior players: Kersti Nix, Kayla Baer, Rachel Ziesman, and Grace Winkelmann. Youth volleyball players from elementary and middle schools are invited to attend free of charge.

The Jennies come into these games after going 2-1 last week. They secured a win over Drury Panthers in four sets on the road but lost to No. 20 Missouri Western before sweeping Northwest Missouri at home for their eleventh sweep of the season.

In recent rankings, Central Missouri is ninth in the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Central Region poll released earlier this week. Six teams from the MIAA are included in this week's poll: Nebraska-Kearney leads at number one; Missouri Western is third; Washburn fifth; Emporia State seventh; Central Oklahoma eighth; and Central Missouri ninth.

Redshirt senior Grace Winkelmann has accumulated 1,865 career digs for Central Missouri, which ranks her sixth all-time in program history behind Kylie Holen’s record of 1,996 digs.

The team announced three new signings from the Class of 2026: Mia Lieberman (Caseyville, Illinois), Chloe Rauner (Omaha, Nebraska), and Nora Wiley (Quincy, Illinois).

Both upcoming matches can be viewed via pay-per-view through the MIAA Network with coverage starting at 6:00 p.m. Friday and 2:00 p.m. Saturday.

This season’s roster includes fourteen returning players along with six newcomers—two transfers and four freshmen entering their first collegiate season.

Historically against Newman University, Central Missouri holds a perfect record of 16-0 including a previous straight-set victory earlier this year on October 11th. Against Pittsburg State University, Saturday marks their eighty-second meeting with Central Missouri leading the series at 73-7-1.

Statistically through twenty-five matches this season:

- The team averages 17.7 digs per set.

- Libero Grace Winkelmann leads defensively with an average of 5.29 digs per set.

- Senior Rachel Ziesman has recorded eighty-nine blocks.

- Kayla Baer leads with nine hundred ninety assists.

- Emma Siron tops points scored with three hundred nine-and-a-half points.

- Kaelyn McDonald is second on total blocks with eighty-two.

- Shaye Koski follows closely behind Siron in kills with two hundred forty-five.

Last year under head coach Caitlin Peterson's first season at the helm, Central Missouri made its thirty-seventh NCAA Tournament appearance since program inception and holds eight regional championships overall.

After concluding these final regular-season matches against Newman and Pittsburg State this weekend, Central Missouri awaits its seeding for the upcoming MIAA Volleyball Championships beginning Thursday, November 20 at St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph.