Kangaroos Visit Lopes, Roadrunners In Opening WAC Weekend
10/1/2014 9:24:00 AM | Volleyball
The Opponents
Grand Canyon enters the match with an 11-5 record overall and a 1-2 mark in WAC play with a win over Chicago State and losses to New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American last weekend. Shannon Dugan (220 kills) and Natalie Tardy (181 kills) lead the offensive attack with Michelle Steagall (365 assists) and Leigh Stonebrook (198) set up the offense. Defensively, Mackenzie Phelps is tops in digs at 294, while Hannah Hicks has a team-best 51 blocks.
Bakersfield enters the weekend with a 5-10 overall mark and a record of 1-1 in the WAC after defeating Texas-Pan American and falling to New Mexico State last week. Danika Youngblood leads the Runners offense with 186 kills, while Kelsee Sawyer (177), Molly O'Hagan (167) and Sydney Haynes (101) have each topped the 100 kill mark. Luiza Martins sets up the offense with 630 assists and defensively, Mariah is tops in digs at 290 and O'Hagan (51) and Haynes (51) lead in blocks.
The Series'
Grand Canyon (2-0)
9/26/13 (A) W, 3-2
10/26/13 (H) W, 3-0
Bakersfield (2-0)
10/5/13 (A) W, 3-2
10/31/13 (H) W, 3-2
Last Season vs. Opponents
Four 'Roos recorded double-doubles and set career-highs as the Kansas City volleyball team won its first ever WAC volleyball match 3-2 over Grand Canyon at the GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sep. 26. Sydney Crimmins led the UMKC offense with a career-high 23 kills and 16 digs, while Jessica Hendin notched 15 kills and a career-high 20 digs in the win. On Oct. 26, meanwhile, UMKC swept Grand Canyon on at the Swinney Recreation Center. Crimmins led the 'Roos in the effort, finishing with team-highs of 13 kills and 12 digs for a double-double, while adding four blocks, an ace and an assist.
Against Bakersfield, Chloe Jarema notched a career-high 19 kills with a .318 hitting percentage, to go along with eight digs and five blocks to lead the Kansas City volleyball team to a 3-2 victory over Bakersfield on Oct. 6 in Bakersfield, Calif. In the second match, Jessica Hendin finished with a career-high 22 kills, including the match ender to help UMKC hold off Bakersfield 3-2 on Oct. 31 at the Swinney Recreation Center. In the win, Hendin added 12 digs and five blocks, including two solo, with Crimmins finishing with 13 kills, a career-high 20 digs and six blocks.
Last Time Out
Last weekend the 'Roos picked up their second tournament title of the season, winning the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic by defeating Florida Atlantic, FGCU and Alabama State. For the event, Skyler Muff was named MVP, while Emma Hagedorn joined her on the all-tournament team.
Hot Start
The 11-3 start by the 'Roos is the best start in school history, while the seven straight wins trail only the nine straight victories by the 1992 squad.
Miller Garners Second Straight POW
Taryn Miller was named the WAC Player of the Week after averaging 7.41 digs, 0.82 assists and 0.35 service aces per set over four matches last week. Miller opened the week with 22 digs and two assists in a four-set loss to No. 24 Kansas. Over the weekend, she was named MVP of the CEFCU Classic after averaging an astounding 8.00 digs, 0.92 assists and 0.46 service aces per set and leading the 'Roos to the tournament title with a perfect 3-0 record. Miller finished with 30 digs in three straight matches for the first time in her career, posting 35 against North Dakota State, 31 at Bradley and a career-high 38 vs. Miami (Ohio). The 38 digs was a Renaissance Coliseum record. Miller now sits in third place on the UMKC career digs list with 1,326, 10 digs shy of second place.
Hendin Named WAC Player Of The Week
Jessica Hendin was named the WAC Player of the Week after averaging 3.82 kills, 3.82 digs and 0.55 service aces per set over three matches last week en route to all-tournament team honors at the Jackrabbit Invitational, her second all-tournament selection in as many weeks. Hendin opened the week with a double-double of 15 kills and 17 digs in a four-set loss to Valparaiso. She then tied her career-high with three aces against South Dakota State and was just shy of a double-double, finishing with nine kills and 11 digs. Hendin closed out the week with a season-high 18 kills to go along with 14 digs in a win against Stephen F. Austin for her third double-double of the season.
WAC Leaders
In the early going of 2014, the 'Roos sit atop the WAC in hitting percentage (.208), assists (12.56), kills (13.51) and digs (18.23), while Taryn Miller is tops in digs at 5.98.
Tournament MVP's
After the four preseason tournaments, the 'Roos have garnered a pair of MVP honors with Taryn Miller winning the accolade at the CEFCU Classic and Skyler Muff garnering the honors at the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic. Six other 'Roos have also received all-tournament honors, including Emma Hagedorn and Jessica Hendin at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Omaha Classic All-Tournament Team, Hendin and Melissa Hartsel at the Jackrabbit Invitational, Kaylyn Brandt and Sydney Crimmins in the CEFCU Classic and Emma Hagedorn at the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic. In all, seven different 'Roos have been recognized nine times.
NCAA Leaders
After three weeks of play the 'Roos have put themselves near the top several NCAA rankings, as the squad ranks in the top of the country in digs per set (3rd - 18.23), digs (15th - 1,039) and attacks per set (5th - 39.39).
Individually, Taryn Miller ranks sixth in digs (341) and third in digs per set (5.98), while Jessica Hendin is 36th in aces (23) and Emma Hagedorn (66) is 50th in blocks.
In her career, meanwhile, Miller is sixth among active players in the NCAA at 5.06 digs per set and 35th in total digs at 1,403.
Taking Down Familiar Foes
The 'Roos have squared-off with three former Summit League foes this season, coming out victorious in all three. On Aug. 30, UMKC beat Omaha 3-2, before taking down South Dakota State 3-0 on Sep. 5. On Sep. 12, meanwhile, the Kangaroos beat North Dakota State for the first time ever, 3-2.
Tourney Champs
The 'Roos went a perfect 3-0 at the CEFCU Classic, beating North Dakota State, host Bradley and Miami (OH) to claim the tournament title, their first since the 2011 Radford Tournament. On Sep. 20, meanwhile, the 'Roos won their second tournament of the year at the FGCU Hilton Garden Inn/Homewood Suites Classic, marking the first time ever that they have won two tournaments in the same season.
Killin' It
Through two weeks the 'Roos have notched four of the top-nine kill totals in the WAC this season, including the top-two with 67 against both Drake and Stephen F. Austin. In the back row, meanwhile, UMKC has notched the four of the top-10 dig totals including the top-two, while also recording the top-two assist totals, the top ace total and the first and third most blocks.
Individually, Taryn Miller has amassed five of the top eight dig totals, including the top two at 38 and 35, while Emma Hagedorn's 10 blocks vs. NDSU is tied for the most.
In The Books
Last season, Emma Hagedorn and Taryn Miller each continued to etch their names in the UMKC record books. Hagedorn set the record for block assists in a season (128) and blocks in a match (14), while Miller recorded the fifth most digs (537). In their careers, Miller ranks second all-time at 1,418 digs and second in digs per set at 5.05 and Hagedorn ranks fourth in block assists at 260 and fifth in hitting percentage at .254, while Nicole Wemhoff is sixth in assists at 1,524.
All-Conference Returners
Last season, Sydney Crimmins and Taryn Miller were each named to the Second Team All-WAC, while freshman Kaylyn Brandt was named to the WAC All-Freshman Team in a vote by the conference's head coaches.
WAC Preseason Poll
The WAC volleyball coaches have selected Missouri-Kansas City to finish fourth in the preseason poll, as the Kangaroos garnered 27 points, while New Mexico State was chosen to win the WAC regular-season crown in 2014. New Mexico State received six of the first-place votes with Seattle U earning the other two. The Aggies earned 48 total points, followed by Seattle U with 43. Utah Valley was picked to finish third with 35 points, while just behind UMKC was Bakersfield in fifth with 26 and Grand Canyon in sixth with 22 points. Texas-Pan American and Chicago State rounded out the poll with 16 and seven points, respectively.
Preseason All-WAC Selections
The WAC coaches voted on the preseason award winners and Utah Valley junior middle blocker Lauren Bakker was the pick for WAC Preseason Player of the Year, with the 'Roos Sydney Crimmins and Emma Hagedorn named to the Preseason All-WAC Team.
Crimmins Reps WAC At SAAC
UMKC volleyball's Sydney Crimmins has been elected to represent the WAC as the conference's national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative where she will serve as a liaison between the NCAA and the WAC and its SAAC reps. She will serve as a SAAC rep on an NCAA committee and will actively engage the WAC membership about issues concerning student-athletes on a national level.
Last Season
In their first season in the WAC, the 'Roos finished with a winning record for just the third time ever and recorded back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in school history after going 15-14 overall and 9-7 in the WAC. Sydney Crimmins was named to all-tournament teams in each of the 'Roos preseason tournaments and capped it off by being named Second Team All-WAC, alongside teammate Taryn Miller.
New Kids On The Block
The 'Roos will welcome in a pair of true freshman this year in middle hitter Emma Dyer and defensive specialist Adasia Bromberger. Redshirt freshman Meagan Kerns, meanwhile, will make her debut in the Blue & Gold after sitting out last season with a knee injury.
Upperclassmen Return
This season, the Kangaroo lineup will have a heavy dose of upperclassmen with a total of nine on the roster, including seven juniors and two seniors. In all, a total of seven upperclassmen and nine total returners started 12 or more matches in 2013.
Academic 'Roos
Last season, Kaylyn Brandt, Sydney Crimmins, Taryn Miller, Skyler Muff, Morgan Voorhes and Nicole Wemhoff each garnered a spot on the Academic All-WAC Team for amassing a 3.2 or higher cumulative GPA.