Notes: Kansas City Gears Up for Missouri Challenge

Kansas City Notes

Last time out, the Roos fell in straight sets to Western Illinois (25-22, 25-20, 27-25) in their home opener at the Swinney Center. Chloe Kaminski posted her third double-double of the year with 13 digs and 12 assists against the Leathernecks.
At the Bradley Invite, Kansas City took down Jacksonville State, dropping the first set to the Gamecocks before rattling off three straight (25-21, 25-15, 25-21) to take the match in comeback fashion.
Ryanne Wattree has been an offensive standout this season, making the Radford Invitational and Bradley Invite All-Tournament Teams, posting three matches of double figure kills including a season-high 11 vs. Radford. Wattree leads the team in kills and points this season.
Ledisi Kpea has showed out on both ends, earning a spot on the Radford Invitational and Saluki Bash All-Tournament Teams. The sophomore middle blocker leads the Roos in hitting % at .226 and blocks with 25.0 in 2025. Kpea reached 11 kills on a .375 hitting % with five blocks to her name.
The Roos rank second in the Summit League in digs as a team with 508 in 10 matches, only trailing South Dakota and third in digs per set in the conference at 15.39 in 2025.
Kansas City ranks fourth in points and kills in the Summit League this season, with 448 points and 363 kills respectively.
Chloe Kaminski leads the charge for the Roos defensively as the junior libero ranks second in the Summit League in digs with 121 and fourth in digs per set at 3.67 for the year. The Oklahoma transfer has six matches of double digit digs this season, including a season-high 22 digs against Eastern Michigan.
Lyla Jones is fourth in the Summit League in assists with 212 in the 2025 campaign. The senior setter ranks fifth in assists per set at 6.42 as the Roos leader in assists for the year.

Southeast Missouri State Notes

Following the 2025 SEMO invitational last weekend, the Redhawks landed two players on the all-tournament list in outside hitters Lucy Arndt & Marin Johnson. The outside duo combined for 61 kills, led by Arndt who finished with 35. SEMO finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, beating B1G member Iowa (9/11) & former OVC-rival Murray State (9/13).
Junior Lucy Arndt is narrowing in on 1,000 kills early on this season. The outside hitter from Freeport, Ill. began the season with 883 career kills. This season, Arndt has accumulated 108 kills already bringing her career total to 991. She needs just nine kills to crack the 1,000 mark for her career.
The Redhawks took down Big 10 Conference member Iowa to begin the 2025 SEMO Invitational last weekend. This season, the Redhawks have faced off with two B1G opponents and have a 1-1 overall record against the P4. SEMO beat Iowa in five sets, 3-2, and now have a 2-0 record against the Hawkeyes in program history.
SEMO Volleyball was picked to finish first in the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll voted on by the league's head coaches and communications staff. SEMO received 15 first-place votes and 194 points overall, 33 points ahead of second place Lindenwood (161).
The Redhawks are coming off a 19-14 season in 2024 with a 15-3 OVC record. In 2024, SEMO Volleyball captured its 11th Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, the most of any OVC school, past or present, in league history. As a program, SEMO Volleyball has captured 11 OVC regular season titles and seven tournament championships.
Sophomore Alaina Lester landed on the 2025 OVC 'Players to Watch' list after a standout freshman campaign. Lester finished with 28 solo blocks, 108 block assists, and 136.0 total blocks. In single-season program history, Lester ranks ninth, third, and fifth, respectively, in those categories. "Alaina is arguably the best blocker I have ever coached. She is a sponge when it comes to any and everything blocking related" said Yankus on Lester.

Saint Louis Notes

The Billikens dropped to 5-3 after a tough weekend at the Cyclone Invitational. Tamia Maddox led the way with 20 kills. Six Billikens recorded double-digit digs, while Jetta Brenning and Lucy Rankin each posted a double-double against Omaha. Chloe Maughan was named to the Cyclone Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Saint Louis started the year off winning five of their first six matches, defeating Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana in sweeps before falling to Valparaiso 3-0. The Billikins won three straight including a victory over Western Illinois 3-1. SLU fell most recently to Omaha 3-1 amd have dropped two straight matches.
Kayla Jansen leads the Atlantic 10 with a .380 hitting percentage. Ellie Rink paces the team with 84 kills.
Saint Louis volleyball was tabbed for a sixth-place finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason poll. The Billikens return seven players, including All-Rookie selection Kayla Jansen, from last year's squad that finished with an 11-12 record, including a 6-12 mark in A-10 play, and the sixth seed in the A-10 Championship.
Saint Louis enters year three under head coach Andrea Beaty. The Billikens went 11-20 overall and 6-12 in Atlantic 10 Conference play a season ago. SLU returns 10 players in total from last year's squad and welcomes six newcomers (five freshmen and one transfer).
Kayla Jasen is the lone returner to have started all 31 matches last season, she was also a member of the A-10 All-Rookie team a season ago. Tea Kalajdzic also returns and was fourth on the team in points last season.

Missouri State Notes

The Bears join Conference USA in 2025 after a 33-season run in the Missouri Valley Conference. MoState enjoyed much success in the MVC, posting a .652 winning percentage during its tenure.
The Bears lead Saint Louis 21-3 all-time, but have lost the last two meetings with the Billikens, 3-1 in 2022 and 2024 in a home-and-home series. MoState holds a 20-2 lead over SEMO, including a 3-2 win last year. The Bears have won 11 in a row in the series dating to 2000. MSU is 23-1-1 all-time against Kansas City, with the Roos claiming their first victory in the last meeting, 3-2 in Springfield in 2023.
Missouri State has a young roster in 2025 with seven freshmen and six sophomores among the 18 members of the squad. Additionally, all seven Missouri natives on the squad are from within 75 miles of the MSU campus.
MSU has ranked in the top 32 nationally in total digs in four of the last five seasons, finishing 10th in 2020-21, 11th in 2023, 32nd in 2022, and fourth in 2024. The Bears also ranked 13th in dig average in 2024.
MoState has notched the top five ace averages since the 25-point scoring era began in the last five seasons, with at least 1.24 per set in each season under Coach McRoberts, including 1.80 so far in 2025.

Notes: Kansas City Gears Up for Missouri Challenge

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lyla Jones

Chloe Kaminski

Ledisi Kpea

Ryanne Wattree

Notes: Kansas City Gears Up for Missouri Challenge

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lyla Jones

Chloe Kaminski

Ledisi Kpea

Ryanne Wattree

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