MATCH 13: vs CENTRAL MISSOURI
MEYER SPORTS CENTER • BOLIVAR, MO
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 • 7:00 PM
MATCH 14: at NEBRASKA-OMAHA
SAPP FIELDHOUSE • OMAHA, NE
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 • 5:00 PM

Alex Smith

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- After opening the 2009 season with three consecutive tournaments, the SBU Bearcats (5-7) finally head back to Bolivar for their home and conference opener, against 11th-ranked Central Missouri. SBU is coming off a road trip to the Dallas Baptist Lady Patriot Tournament, where they finished with a 2-2 record. Freshman Alex Smith set new team highs for the season for kills for three-set and four-set matches during the tournament, with 11 against Arkansas-Monticello, and 12 against Southern Arkansas. Middle blocker Ashley Jurgensmeyer and setter Brianna Wallace continue leading the Bearcat attack, with Jurgensmeyer in the top ten in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.314, 8th), and Wallace in assists (8.15/set, 9th)
 
THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach Kelly Richardson is in her third season guiding the Bearcats. She's improved SBU's win total from eight her first year to 13 a year ago, and is on pace to raise the bar even higher this season.

Head coach Phil Piontek is in his first season at Central Missouri, and has led the Jennies to an early 10-3 record. Piontek was an assistant at Central Missouri for the previous 23 seasons, in which UCM compiled a 729-174 record.

Rose Shires has been Nebraska-Omaha's head volleyball coach for 20 years, and is the school's all-time winningest coach. Under Shires, the Lady Mavs won the national championship in 1996, and currently have been to the NCAA Tournament five straight times. Central Missouri leads the all-time series with SBU, 43-1, while UNO leads their series with the Bearcats, 3-0.
    
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Jennies are coming off a 3-1 finish at the Peggy Martin Challenge, in Warrensburg, defeating St. Mary's, Edinboro, and Missouri-St. Louis, while falling to conference foe Pittsburg State. Freshman Bradye Peniston and sophomore Paula Harris lead the MIAA in blocks, averaging 1.26 and 1.19 per set, respectively. Rachel Fister is the anchor of the defense, ranking second in the conference in digs, with 4.85 per set.

Nebraska-Omaha, currently ranked 20th in the nation, just finished up their home tournament as well, rolling through the UNO Volleyball Classic with a perfect 4-0 record. The Lady Mavs lost just one set through the entire tournament, in a 3-1 win over Drury. Ellen Thommes leads the MIAA in hitting percentage, with a .456 average. Thommes is also 6th in points (3.93/set), and 7th in blocks (1.03/set).