UMKC Set To Face Oral Roberts, Centenary In Summit League Action
10/8/2009 12:30:00 PM | Volleyball
This Week - The UMKC volleyball team (5-12, 1-6) will resume Summit League action this week when they travel to Tulsa, Okla., to face Oral Roberts (8-7, 4-3) and Shreveport, La., to take on Centenary (3-14, 0-7). The 'Roos will look to build on their strong play from last weekend, when they take on the Golden Eagles on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Ladies on Sunday at 3 p.m. for an afternoon tilt.
Last Matches - The UMKC volleyball split its matches last weekend against South Dakota State and North Dakota State. The Kangaroos picked up their first Summit League win of the year by beating the Jackrabbits in a five set thriller, while falling 3-1 to the Summit League leading Bison. Against South Dakota State, the 'Roos dropped the first two sets, but battled back to win the match in five sets. In the match, Jamie Hagerman and Kelsey Knoche put up the team's first and second highest kill totals of the season, notching 19 and 17, respectively. UMKC had five players finish with double digit digs in the match against North Dakota State, before falling in four sets.
Aces Up - Sophomore Kelsey Knoche tied the school mark for aces in a five-set match when the Lee's Summit, Mo., native recorded her career-high of eight aces in the Oct. 1 match against South Dakota State. The eight aces also rank as the season high for the team, as well as the season high in The Summit League. Knoche's previous career high was three, set earlier this year at Indiana State, while the previous high in The Summit League was six by Oral Roberts' Joana Gruber against Illinois State.
Defensively Ranked - The 'Roos have showed their defensive prowess this season, sitting on the national leaderboard in both digs and blocks. The squad ranks 18th among all NCAA Division I teams with 17.09 digs per set, while ranking 61st in blocks at 2.31 per set. The 17.09 digs per set and 2.31 blocks per set rank second and tied for first, respectively in The Summit League, as the team sits behind IUPUI's 17.28 digs per set and are tied IPFW in blocks per set. Overall, UMKC has amassed a Summit League leading 1,111 digs, while tying for The Summit League lead in blocks with 150.
Individually, sophomore Nicole Kerkman's 4.12 digs per set place her 118th in the NCAA, while sophomore Christiana McQuin and Brittany Fossier rank 247 and 250, respectively, in the NCAA as each are averaging .89 blocks per set.
Team League Leaders - UMKC ranks high in several Summit League statistical categories. The 'Roos are tied for the league lead with IPFW in overall blocks with 150, while beating out the Mastodons, 76-71, for the league lead in blocks in conference matches only. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos are leading the league in overall digs with 1,111, but are second to IUPUI's 17.28 digs per set with a 17.09 average. The Blue and Gold also rank in the top half of The Summit League in aces and opponent hitting percentage, sitting fifth and fourth in the categories, respectively.
Individual League Leaders - Sophomore Nicole Kerkman is third in The Summit League with 268 total digs, 12 behind the leader, while her 4.12 digs per set put her fifth in league play. Teammate Kelsey Knoche, meanwhile, is fifth in The Summit League in overall kills with 194 and ninth with a 3.04 kills per set average. Knoche and Erin Wellwood rank fourth and ninth in aces, averaging .33 and .28 aces per set, respectively. In league matches, senior Jamie Hagerman and sophomores Brittany Fossier and Christiana McQuin rank second, third, and fourth in blocks, averaging 1.13, 1.06, and 1.03 blocks per game, respectively.
Summit League Match Leaders - The UMKC volleyball team sits at or near the top of several Summit League match leader categories, including aces, blocks, and digs. In its Aug. 29 match at Indiana State, the team got 13 aces in three sets to tie Southern Utah for the high water mark in the league this season. The Thunderbirds, however, needed five sets to set the mark, while the 'Roos tied it in only three sets. The team's 16 blocks against Sacred Heart is also tied for the league's match high with South Dakota State and Western Illinois, while the team also sits fifth, sixth, and tied for seventh on the list with 15 blocks against South Dakota State, 14 blocks at Southern Utah, and 13 blocks at Western Illinois, respectively. Meanwhile, the team's 110 digs against Western Illinois are the fourth most in The Summit League and this season.
Block Party - Jamie Hagerman and Christiana McQuin's career-highs of nine blocks set the team's season-high and tied them for the third highest total in The Summit League this season. Hagerman set her mark against IPFW on Sept. 12, registering three solo blocks and six block assists, while McQuin's mark came against South Dakota State on Oct. 1. Hagerman's previous career high was six, which she had done four times, including this season at Sacred Heart, while McQuin's total matched her career high set last season at IUPUI. On the season, McQuin has registered a team leading 57 blocks, including 13 solos, while Hagerman has notched 41 total blocks, including 11 solos, putting her second on the team.
Avoiding The Sophomore Slump - The UMKC sophomores have dominated the stat categories in 2009. Combined, Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, and Erin Wellwood have totaled 473 of 777 kills, 407 of 617 assists, 71 of 86 aces, 141 blocks, and 752 of 1111 digs. Knoche leads the way in kills and aces with 194 and 21, respectively, Wellwood in assists with 352, McQuin in blocks with 57, and Kerkman in digs with 268.
A Balanced Attack - The Kangaroos have six different players with 70 or more kills so far this season. As a team, the Kangaroos have totaled 777 kills, led by Kelsey Knoche's 194, Jamie Hagerman's 125, and Christiana McQuin's 121. Also topping the 70 kill mark are Elizabeth Beck's 84, Ella Meier's 72, and Brittany Fossier's 71. The six players have combined for nearly 86 percent of the team's totals.
Setting-Up The Offense - Erin Wellwood has reached double digit assists in 16 of the team's 17 matches for the Kangaroos this season, reaching her career high of 33 at Western Illinois. The sophomore has eclipsed the 20 assist mark nine times, including eight of her last 11 matches. For the season, the setter is averaging 5.42 assists per set, totaling 352 overall. Wellwood has led the team in assists in 15 of the 'Roos 17 matches.
Holly Schmidt is the other half of the team's setting tandem. On the season, the junior has accumulated 234 assists, with a 3.84 average. Schmidt has reached double figure assists in 12 matches this season, while setting her career high of 28 in the Oct. 1 match against South Dakota State.
Three Set Attackers - In the Kangaroos' Sept. 5 match against Holy Cross, the team set The Summit League season high for kills in a three-set match with 52, while also posting the sixth highest hitting percentage in all matches with a mark of .355 (52-14-107). In the match, the 'Roos got double-digit kill totals from Kelsey Knoche, Elizabeth Beck, and Christiana McQuin, as the trio finished with 16, 10, and 10 kills, respectively.
All-Tournament Recognition - Sophomore outside hitter and Lee's Summit native Kelsey Knoche earned all-tournament recognition for her performance in the Best Western Sycamore Classic and the Sacred Heart Invitational, while freshman Ella Meier joined her as an all-tournament selection at the Sacred Heart Invitational.
Knoche finished the two tournaments with a combined 85 kills, 86 digs, 16 blocks, eight aces, and five double-doubles. Meier, meanwhile, garnered her Sacred Heart Invitational All-Tournament selection by producing 29 kills, seven assists, 32 digs, and 10 blocks, while hitting at a .324 clip.
Putting Up a Fight - The UMKC volleyball team lost to No. 23 Kansas State, 3-1, in front of 1,790 fans at the Ahearn Field House on Tuesday Sept. 1, falling by scores of 25-13, 16-25, 25-14 and 25-16. It is just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1993 that the 'Roos have take a set from the Wildcats. It is also the second straight year that UMKC has taken a set from a Big 12 school, as it won a set at Kansas last season.
In The Record Books - Sophomore Christiana McQuin currently sits seventh in the Kangaroo record books with a .250 hitting percentage. McQuin sits in her position after posting a .263 hitting percentage during the 2008 season and hitting .228 thus far in 2009. McQuin's .263 mark was good for sixth in The Summit League in 2008, and helped the Wellington, Kan., native to be named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team, one of only four UMKC volleyball players to earn the recognition.
AVCA Academic Honor - The Kangaroos received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the third straight year in 2008. In order to receive the honor, the team must carry a 3.30 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. UMKC has received the honor a total of seven times.
The Opponents - The UMKC volleyball team will visit a pair of Summit League opponents this week, traveling to Oral Roberts on Friday and Centenary on Sunday. The Golden Eagles enter the match with an 8-7 overall record and 4-3 mark in Summit League action, including victories in two of their three league matches at home and 3-3 mark in all home matches. Oral Roberts comes into the match on a two-match win streak after beating IUPUI and Western Illinois last weekend. Senior Juliane Vieira and junior Cassidy Holmes lead the Golden Eagles, as the pair swept The Summit League Player of the Week honors on Sept. 28, with Vieira taking home offensive honors and Holmes defensive honors. Vieira, the reigning Summit League Setter of the Year, has recorded 598 assists and 147 digs, while Holmes leads the team with 196 digs. Sophomore Serena Cate and freshman Joana Gruber lead the team in kills, as the duo has registered 167 and 122 kills, respectively. Sisters Olivia and Lauren Ophus have notched 136 and 124 digs, respectively, while Cate has added 146.
The Ladies, meanwhile, enter play this weekend with a 3-14 overall record and 0-7 mark in Summit League play. The squad is currently on a four match losing streak, heading into its Friday match with Southern Utah. For the season, the team has been led by Jennifer Kunze and Brianna Kern, as the sophomore duo has registered a combined 238 kills, 21 aces, 241 digs, and 17 blocks. Sophomore Jaclyn Lopez leads the team in assists and aces, totaling 396 and 25, respectively, while freshman Christina Fellows has added 91 assists on the year. Junior Bethany Kern, Brianna's older sister, leads the team in digs with 224, while the younger Kern and Lopez each have tallied over 100 digs this season. Freshman Blair Claypool leads them team with 33 blocks, while Fellows has notched 22. The Centenary roster features six sophomores and four freshmen, while junior Kern, is the only upperclassman.
Series Records - Friday's match-up with Oral Roberts will be the 39th meeting between the two schools. UMKC has faced Oral Roberts more than any other team, with the Golden Eagles dominating the series 36-2, winning the last 34 matches. Last season, the Kangaroos fell, 3-0, at the Swinney Recreation Center, while falling, 3-1, in Tulsa, Okla. The Golden Eagles are currently tied for fourth in The Summit League standings, after finishing second in the regular season and in the tournament last year.
Sunday's match will be the 13th meeting with Centenary, with the 'Roos taking 11 of the 12 previous matches in the series. Last season, UMKC won both matches from the Ladies, defeating them 3-1 at the Swinney Recreation Center, as well as in Shreveport, La. Centenary is currently last in The Summit League standings, after finishing at the bottom the past two seasons. Centenary has lost its last 27 league matches and 41 of its last 42, picking up its last win in the 2007 season against the 'Roos.
Last Matches - The UMKC volleyball split its matches last weekend against South Dakota State and North Dakota State. The Kangaroos picked up their first Summit League win of the year by beating the Jackrabbits in a five set thriller, while falling 3-1 to the Summit League leading Bison. Against South Dakota State, the 'Roos dropped the first two sets, but battled back to win the match in five sets. In the match, Jamie Hagerman and Kelsey Knoche put up the team's first and second highest kill totals of the season, notching 19 and 17, respectively. UMKC had five players finish with double digit digs in the match against North Dakota State, before falling in four sets.
Aces Up - Sophomore Kelsey Knoche tied the school mark for aces in a five-set match when the Lee's Summit, Mo., native recorded her career-high of eight aces in the Oct. 1 match against South Dakota State. The eight aces also rank as the season high for the team, as well as the season high in The Summit League. Knoche's previous career high was three, set earlier this year at Indiana State, while the previous high in The Summit League was six by Oral Roberts' Joana Gruber against Illinois State.
Defensively Ranked - The 'Roos have showed their defensive prowess this season, sitting on the national leaderboard in both digs and blocks. The squad ranks 18th among all NCAA Division I teams with 17.09 digs per set, while ranking 61st in blocks at 2.31 per set. The 17.09 digs per set and 2.31 blocks per set rank second and tied for first, respectively in The Summit League, as the team sits behind IUPUI's 17.28 digs per set and are tied IPFW in blocks per set. Overall, UMKC has amassed a Summit League leading 1,111 digs, while tying for The Summit League lead in blocks with 150.
Individually, sophomore Nicole Kerkman's 4.12 digs per set place her 118th in the NCAA, while sophomore Christiana McQuin and Brittany Fossier rank 247 and 250, respectively, in the NCAA as each are averaging .89 blocks per set.
Team League Leaders - UMKC ranks high in several Summit League statistical categories. The 'Roos are tied for the league lead with IPFW in overall blocks with 150, while beating out the Mastodons, 76-71, for the league lead in blocks in conference matches only. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos are leading the league in overall digs with 1,111, but are second to IUPUI's 17.28 digs per set with a 17.09 average. The Blue and Gold also rank in the top half of The Summit League in aces and opponent hitting percentage, sitting fifth and fourth in the categories, respectively.
Individual League Leaders - Sophomore Nicole Kerkman is third in The Summit League with 268 total digs, 12 behind the leader, while her 4.12 digs per set put her fifth in league play. Teammate Kelsey Knoche, meanwhile, is fifth in The Summit League in overall kills with 194 and ninth with a 3.04 kills per set average. Knoche and Erin Wellwood rank fourth and ninth in aces, averaging .33 and .28 aces per set, respectively. In league matches, senior Jamie Hagerman and sophomores Brittany Fossier and Christiana McQuin rank second, third, and fourth in blocks, averaging 1.13, 1.06, and 1.03 blocks per game, respectively.
Summit League Match Leaders - The UMKC volleyball team sits at or near the top of several Summit League match leader categories, including aces, blocks, and digs. In its Aug. 29 match at Indiana State, the team got 13 aces in three sets to tie Southern Utah for the high water mark in the league this season. The Thunderbirds, however, needed five sets to set the mark, while the 'Roos tied it in only three sets. The team's 16 blocks against Sacred Heart is also tied for the league's match high with South Dakota State and Western Illinois, while the team also sits fifth, sixth, and tied for seventh on the list with 15 blocks against South Dakota State, 14 blocks at Southern Utah, and 13 blocks at Western Illinois, respectively. Meanwhile, the team's 110 digs against Western Illinois are the fourth most in The Summit League and this season.
Block Party - Jamie Hagerman and Christiana McQuin's career-highs of nine blocks set the team's season-high and tied them for the third highest total in The Summit League this season. Hagerman set her mark against IPFW on Sept. 12, registering three solo blocks and six block assists, while McQuin's mark came against South Dakota State on Oct. 1. Hagerman's previous career high was six, which she had done four times, including this season at Sacred Heart, while McQuin's total matched her career high set last season at IUPUI. On the season, McQuin has registered a team leading 57 blocks, including 13 solos, while Hagerman has notched 41 total blocks, including 11 solos, putting her second on the team.
Avoiding The Sophomore Slump - The UMKC sophomores have dominated the stat categories in 2009. Combined, Elizabeth Beck, Brittany Fossier, Nicole Kerkman, Kelsey Knoche, Christiana McQuin, and Erin Wellwood have totaled 473 of 777 kills, 407 of 617 assists, 71 of 86 aces, 141 blocks, and 752 of 1111 digs. Knoche leads the way in kills and aces with 194 and 21, respectively, Wellwood in assists with 352, McQuin in blocks with 57, and Kerkman in digs with 268.
A Balanced Attack - The Kangaroos have six different players with 70 or more kills so far this season. As a team, the Kangaroos have totaled 777 kills, led by Kelsey Knoche's 194, Jamie Hagerman's 125, and Christiana McQuin's 121. Also topping the 70 kill mark are Elizabeth Beck's 84, Ella Meier's 72, and Brittany Fossier's 71. The six players have combined for nearly 86 percent of the team's totals.
Setting-Up The Offense - Erin Wellwood has reached double digit assists in 16 of the team's 17 matches for the Kangaroos this season, reaching her career high of 33 at Western Illinois. The sophomore has eclipsed the 20 assist mark nine times, including eight of her last 11 matches. For the season, the setter is averaging 5.42 assists per set, totaling 352 overall. Wellwood has led the team in assists in 15 of the 'Roos 17 matches.
Holly Schmidt is the other half of the team's setting tandem. On the season, the junior has accumulated 234 assists, with a 3.84 average. Schmidt has reached double figure assists in 12 matches this season, while setting her career high of 28 in the Oct. 1 match against South Dakota State.
Three Set Attackers - In the Kangaroos' Sept. 5 match against Holy Cross, the team set The Summit League season high for kills in a three-set match with 52, while also posting the sixth highest hitting percentage in all matches with a mark of .355 (52-14-107). In the match, the 'Roos got double-digit kill totals from Kelsey Knoche, Elizabeth Beck, and Christiana McQuin, as the trio finished with 16, 10, and 10 kills, respectively.
All-Tournament Recognition - Sophomore outside hitter and Lee's Summit native Kelsey Knoche earned all-tournament recognition for her performance in the Best Western Sycamore Classic and the Sacred Heart Invitational, while freshman Ella Meier joined her as an all-tournament selection at the Sacred Heart Invitational.
Knoche finished the two tournaments with a combined 85 kills, 86 digs, 16 blocks, eight aces, and five double-doubles. Meier, meanwhile, garnered her Sacred Heart Invitational All-Tournament selection by producing 29 kills, seven assists, 32 digs, and 10 blocks, while hitting at a .324 clip.
Putting Up a Fight - The UMKC volleyball team lost to No. 23 Kansas State, 3-1, in front of 1,790 fans at the Ahearn Field House on Tuesday Sept. 1, falling by scores of 25-13, 16-25, 25-14 and 25-16. It is just the fourth time in school history and the first time since 1993 that the 'Roos have take a set from the Wildcats. It is also the second straight year that UMKC has taken a set from a Big 12 school, as it won a set at Kansas last season.
In The Record Books - Sophomore Christiana McQuin currently sits seventh in the Kangaroo record books with a .250 hitting percentage. McQuin sits in her position after posting a .263 hitting percentage during the 2008 season and hitting .228 thus far in 2009. McQuin's .263 mark was good for sixth in The Summit League in 2008, and helped the Wellington, Kan., native to be named to the Summit League All-Freshmen team, one of only four UMKC volleyball players to earn the recognition.
AVCA Academic Honor - The Kangaroos received the AVCA Academic Team Award for the third straight year in 2008. In order to receive the honor, the team must carry a 3.30 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. UMKC has received the honor a total of seven times.
The Opponents - The UMKC volleyball team will visit a pair of Summit League opponents this week, traveling to Oral Roberts on Friday and Centenary on Sunday. The Golden Eagles enter the match with an 8-7 overall record and 4-3 mark in Summit League action, including victories in two of their three league matches at home and 3-3 mark in all home matches. Oral Roberts comes into the match on a two-match win streak after beating IUPUI and Western Illinois last weekend. Senior Juliane Vieira and junior Cassidy Holmes lead the Golden Eagles, as the pair swept The Summit League Player of the Week honors on Sept. 28, with Vieira taking home offensive honors and Holmes defensive honors. Vieira, the reigning Summit League Setter of the Year, has recorded 598 assists and 147 digs, while Holmes leads the team with 196 digs. Sophomore Serena Cate and freshman Joana Gruber lead the team in kills, as the duo has registered 167 and 122 kills, respectively. Sisters Olivia and Lauren Ophus have notched 136 and 124 digs, respectively, while Cate has added 146.
The Ladies, meanwhile, enter play this weekend with a 3-14 overall record and 0-7 mark in Summit League play. The squad is currently on a four match losing streak, heading into its Friday match with Southern Utah. For the season, the team has been led by Jennifer Kunze and Brianna Kern, as the sophomore duo has registered a combined 238 kills, 21 aces, 241 digs, and 17 blocks. Sophomore Jaclyn Lopez leads the team in assists and aces, totaling 396 and 25, respectively, while freshman Christina Fellows has added 91 assists on the year. Junior Bethany Kern, Brianna's older sister, leads the team in digs with 224, while the younger Kern and Lopez each have tallied over 100 digs this season. Freshman Blair Claypool leads them team with 33 blocks, while Fellows has notched 22. The Centenary roster features six sophomores and four freshmen, while junior Kern, is the only upperclassman.
Series Records - Friday's match-up with Oral Roberts will be the 39th meeting between the two schools. UMKC has faced Oral Roberts more than any other team, with the Golden Eagles dominating the series 36-2, winning the last 34 matches. Last season, the Kangaroos fell, 3-0, at the Swinney Recreation Center, while falling, 3-1, in Tulsa, Okla. The Golden Eagles are currently tied for fourth in The Summit League standings, after finishing second in the regular season and in the tournament last year.
Sunday's match will be the 13th meeting with Centenary, with the 'Roos taking 11 of the 12 previous matches in the series. Last season, UMKC won both matches from the Ladies, defeating them 3-1 at the Swinney Recreation Center, as well as in Shreveport, La. Centenary is currently last in The Summit League standings, after finishing at the bottom the past two seasons. Centenary has lost its last 27 league matches and 41 of its last 42, picking up its last win in the 2007 season against the 'Roos.
Players Mentioned
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