'Roos Aim For Conference Crown And NCAA Bid At WAC Championship
11/20/2014 9:57:00 AM | Volleyball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – The Missouri-Kansas City volleyball team (24-5, 12-2) will look to gain its first ever berth in the NCAA Tournament when it enters the WAC Championship in Bakersfield, Calif., as the No. 1 seed. The 'Roos will open on Friday at 9:30 p.m. CT against the winner of No. 4 Utah Valley (14-17, 8-6) and No. 5 Seattle (12-15, 8-6) in the semifinal. The championship match, meanwhile, will take place at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 with No. 2 New Mexico State (16-10, 10-4), No. 3 Bakersfield (13-14, 9-5) and No. 6 Texas-Pan American (7-22, 3-11) vying for a spot from the opposite of the bracket. All matches will feature streaming video for free on the WAC Digital Network.
The Opponents
Utah Valley enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed with an 8-6 conference record. Macky Treanor (314 kills) and Lauren Bakker (293) lead the offense.
Seattle comes into the championship as the No. 5 seed after finishing 8-6 in WAC play. Matea Mamic (251 kills) and Martina Samadan (247) are the top-two offensive options for the Redhawks.
No. 2 seed New Mexico State enters with a 10-4 WAC mark with Bradley Nash (215 kills) and Gwen Murphy (199 kills) as the top offensive threats.
Host Bakersfield will be the No. 3 seed after finishing 9-5 in the WAC. Individually, Danika Youngblood (366), Molly O'Hagan (317) and Kelsee Sawyer (312) are the top killers.
The No. 6 seed in the tournament will be Texas-Pan American, as the Broncs finished 3-11 in the WAC. Offensively, Haley Durham is the team's top threat with 284 kills on the season.
The Series'
Utah Valley (1-3)
10/3/13 (A) L, 2-3
11/2/13 (H) L, 1-3
10/9/14 (H) W, 3-1
11/8/14 (A) L, 1-3
Seattle U (3-1)
10/19/13 (A) L, 0-3
11/16/13 (H) W, 3-1
11/11/14 (H) W, 3-1
11/6/14 (A) W, 3-1
New Mexico State (2-2)
10/12/13 (H) L, 0-3
11/7/13 (A) L, 1-3
10/16/14 (A) W, 3-2
10/15/14 (H) W, 3-1
Bakersfield (4-0)
10/5/13 (A) W, 3-2
10/31/13 (H) W, 3-2
10/4/14 (A) W, 3-1
10/30/14 (H) W, 3-1
Texas-Pan American (4-0)
10/10/13 (H) W, 3-0
11/9/13 (A) W, 3-1
10/18/14 (A) W, 3-0
11/13/14 (H) W, 3-0
First Meetings
This season, the 'Roos swept the season series against New Mexico State, Bakersfield, Seattle and Texas-Pan American, while splitting with Utah Valley.
Last Time Out
Last week, the 'Roos picked up a 3-0 victory over UTPA on Thursday before knocking-off NMSU on Saturday. With Thursday's win at the SRC, the 'Roos clinched a share of the WAC title and on Saturday won it outright and secured the No. 1 seed in the WAC Tournament.
Cleaning Up All-Conference Honors
Emma Hagedorn was named the WAC Player of the Year and Head Coach Christi Posey was named the conference's Coach of the Year after leading the 'Roos to the WAC Championship. Joining Hagedorn on the First Team were Taryn Miller and Sydney Crimmins, while Melissa Hartsel was named to the Second Team.
Four Different POW For The Kangaroos
This season, four different 'Roos garnered WAC Player of the Week honors. Jessica Hendin was the first to be recognized, garnering the honors on Sep. 8, while one week later Taryn Miller was the winner. On Oct. 13, meanwhile, Sydney Crimmins was named the POW and in the season's final week, Melissa Hartsel was the honoree.
WAC Champs!
With their 3-0 win over UTPA, the 2014 Missouri-Kansas City volleyball team clinched a share of the WAC regular season championship, their first title in school history. In the regular season finale, the 'Roos downed NMSU 3-1, to claim the title outright.
Miller Named Academic All-District
Missouri-Kansas City volleyball's Taryn Miller has been named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District 6 First Team it was announced today. This season, she was named WAC player of the Week on Sep. 15 after garnering MVP honors at the CEFCU Classic and now holds the school record for career digs in a career and three of the top-seven single season dig totals. Academically, Miller holds a 4.0 GPA in business administration and is a two-time Academic All-Conference selection, while serving as the squad's representative to SAAC.
Season Marks
Melissa Hartsel currently holds the top spot in the UMKC single season record books in both hitting percentage (.348) and block assists (130), while Taryn Miller has amassed the second most digs (642) and the third best digs per set mark (5.53). Emma Hagedorn has the second highest hitting percentage (.347) and the fourth most block assists (113), Skyler Muff has the ninth best hitting percentage (.266) and Jessica Hendin has the seventh most attacks (1,094).
Climbing The Charts
With her 36 dig performance against Bakersfield, Taryn Miller became the UMKC career record holder, passing Nicole Kerkman and now has 1,719. She also sits second in career digs per set at 5.06.
Emma Hagedorn ranks first in blocks per set at 1.12, third in block assists at 317, ninth in solo blocks (52) and third in hitting percentage at .279, while Nicole Wemhoff is fifth in assists at 1,830, Kaylyn Brandt is ninth in assists per set (5.81) and 10th in assists (1,313), Sydney Crimmins is sixth in block assists (246), Jessica Hendin is ninth in attacks (2,775), seventh in attacks per set (8.49) and 10th in kills per set (2.57) and Melissa Hartsel is second in hitting percentage at .286.
Just Keep Winning
The 24 wins by UMKC sets a new school record for most wins in a season, passing the 20 wins by the 1999 squad. The 21-3 start by the 'Roos is the best start in school history, while the 17 straight wins eclipsed the nine straight from the 1992 squad for the school record. The 9-0 conference start, meanwhile, is also the best start in school history, while the 12 conference wins are also a new school record.
WAC Leaders
In overall games, the 'Roos sit atop the WAC in hitting percentage (.228), kills (13.47) and digs (17.52), while Taryn Miller is tops in digs at 5.53 and Melissa Hartsel is tops in blocks (1.24)
In WAC matches, UMKC is first in digs (16.80) and opponent hitting percentage (.141). Individually, Emma Hagedorn (.418) is tops in hitting percentage and Melissa Hartsel is first in blocks (1.45).
RPI Rankings
The 'Roos currently sit 88th in the nation according to RPI, making them the highest ranked team in the WAC.
NCAA Leaders
Currently, 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 (12th - 17.52), digs (10th - 2.032), win percentage (18th - .828), assists (22nd - 1,449), attacks (21st - 4,332), blocks (13th - 297.5), kills (16th - 1,563) and opponent hitting percentage (19th - .154).
Individually, Taryn Miller ranks seventh in digs (642) and 10th digs per set (5.53), while Emma Hagedorn (131) and Melissa Hartsel (144) are 39th and 18th in blocks, respectively.
In her career, meanwhile, Miller is seventh among active players in the NCAA at 5.07 digs per set and 26th in total digs at 1,704.
Killin' It
The 'Roos have notched the five of the top-seven kill totals in the WAC this season, with 72 at Grand Canyon, 69 against Grand Canyon and 67 against Drake, Stephen F. Austin and Missouri. In the back row, meanwhile, UMKC has notched the top-three dig totals, while also recording four of the top-six assist totals, the top two ace total, two of the three best hitting percentages and five of the top-10 block totals.
Individually, Taryn Miller has amassed the top two dig totals, while Emma Hagedorn's .750 hitting percentage against Seattle and Melissa Hartsel's 12 blocks against NMSU are both the top marks.
Taking Down The Tigers
On 10/13, UMKC beat Missouri, 3-1, marking only their fourth victory ever over the Tigers and their first since 1994.
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.
Knocking-Off 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.
'Roos Sign One From Class of 2015
On National Signing day, the 'Roos added 6-3 middle hitter Alexia Morey out of Coronado HS in Colorado Springs, Colo. This season as a senior, Morey finished with 204 kills, hitting .288 and registering 76 blocks.
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.
