MATCH 23: SBU BEARCATS (8-14, 3-7 MIAA)
vs #7 CENTRAL MISSOURI JENNIES (20-3, 10-1 MIAA)
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19 • 7:00 PM
MEYER SPORTS CENTER • BOLIVAR, MO

M24: at NEBRASKA-OMAHA MAVERICKS (12-10, 2-8 MIAA)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23 • 5:00 PM
SAPP FIELDHOUSE • OMAHA, NE


GAME NOTES

LIVE STATS: UCM | UNO

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- With the first win over Pittsburg State in a decade, the SBU Bearcats look to carry the momentum into the home stretch of the MIAA schedule. The Bearcats will look to pull off the upset when they host #7 Central Missouri, then travel north to face the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks, who will be looking for a little revenge after their straight set loss to the 'Cats earlier this season.

Junior Ashley Jurgensmeyer broke SBU's all-time kills record last week, against Pittsburg State, Jurgensmeyer tied and broke the record in the fourth game of a thrilling, come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the Gorillas. Jurgensmeyer now has 1,048 career kills, which bests the previous mark (1,040), set by Sara Hunter back in 2001. Jurgensmeyer wasn't finished with just her outstanding offensive output; the Osceola, Mo. native also recorded a career-high 14 total blocks against the Gorillas.

Setter Brianna Wallace has a chance by season's end to also set a new career record. Wallace currently has 760 assists on the season (9.16/game), and 3,616 over her career, just 290 behind Chelsea Kenney's school record of 3,906 assists.

Senior libero Marcy Greenwade had a career week as well. Greenwade set a new career high with 32 digs against Missouri Southern, then matched that total again the very next night, against Pittsburg State. Greenwade has 907 digs over her four-year career at SBU, and is within range to be just the eighth Bearcat to reach the 1,000-dig mark in her career. Alyx Glover (2.40), Wallace (2.07), and Britni Reed (2.12) have been a strong support in the defense, all averaging more than two digs a set.

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach Kelly Richardson enters her fourth season, and looks to further improve a program that has won more games over the past two seasons than from 2002-2007 combined. Over her first three years, Richardson has seen six players earn All-MIAA honors, and has recorded a career mark of 41-79.

Phil Piontek is currently in his 25th season on the Jennies bench, and his second as head coach. In his first season at the helm of the Central Missouri program, Piontek led UCM to their first MIAA title since 1999, and hosted the NCAA South Central Regional.

Starting her 21st season with the Mavericks, Rose Shires as earned a career record of 419-239 (.637) while in Omaha, making her the school's all-time winningest coach. During Shires' tenure, the Mavericks won the 1996 national championship.

Central Missouri has dominated the series against the Bearcats, holding a 45-1 record against SBU. Nebraska-Omaha also holds an edge, although the series with the 'Cats is much more recent. SBU earned their first win against UNO earlier this year, and has a 1-4 mark against the Mavs.

SCOUTING THE JENNIES AND MAVERICKS
Central Missouri carries an 11-game winning streak into Bolivar, with their last loss coming at the hands of #2 Washburn; Over that time, the Jennies dropped just three sets. UCM  boasts the fourth-best hitting percentage in all of Division II, at .301, and averaged 14.25 kills per set, eighth-best in the nation. With such a high offensive output, Central Missouri doesn't have one main weapon; no player has more than three kills a game The Jennies are also among the top 10 nationally in assists, averaging 12.96 a set. Defensively, Rachel Fister leads the team with 5.17 digs per set, tops in the MIAA, and 27th-best in the country.

At 12-10, the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks are at risk of missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. The Mavs have dropped four in a row heading into this week's matches against Missouri Southern, Pittsburg State, and SBU.

Kayla Uhing and Natalie Ebke lead the Maverick attack, averaging 3.26 and 2.83 kills per set, respectively. Emily Myers is Omaha's primary setter, with 9.87 assists per game, and ranks in the top 50 in the nation. Angie Reicks leads the team with 359 digs on the year, fifth-best in the MIAA, while Brittany Hanssen (51 total blocks) and Abby Sorensen (46 total blocks) anchor the front line defense.