Oct. 23, 2000
17th-Ranked Volleyball Bulldogs Return Home to Face Northwest Missouri
The Match: Truman State University Bulldogs (Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletics Association/NCAA Division II) vs. Northwest Missouri State University
Bearcats (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/NCAA Division
II)
Date: Wed., Oct. 25
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Kirksville, Mo.
Arena (Capacity): Pershing Arena (3,000)
Broadcasts: KIRK 99.9 FM, Moberly, Mo. KIRK will broadcast Wednesday's Northwest Missouri match and also will have the Nov. 4 meeting with Missouri Western. Chad Speakar delivers the play-by-play, while Kevin White handles the color commentary.
Teamline: Live broadcast over the phone for those outside the KRES listening area by calling 1-800-846-4700. Bulldog Access Code: 6350. Charges must be billed to a credit card.
On the Web: Information on Bulldog Athletics, including daily scores, can be found at www2.truman.edu/athletics.
TRUMAN'S RECORD: 25-2, 12-0 MIAA
NORTHWEST MISSOURI'S RECORD: 15-10, 5-8 MIAA
Truman: The 17th-ranked Bulldogs are having one of their finest seasons in history and, with four MIAA contests remaining, the team currently leads the MIAA with an unblemished 12-0 record. Not only is Truman moving closer to its first-ever league title, the team is also nearing its first postseason appearance since 1994. The 'Dogs are 15-1 in South Central Region play and were ranked second in the region in the last poll (Oct. 11). The top six teams from the region will advance into the NCAA Division II regional round.
The Bulldogs still have six matches remaining in the regular season, including a pair this weekend against both Alabama-Huntsville and North Alabama. Also looming is the regular season finale at Central Missouri, a match that could determine the 2000 conference champion.
Truman has won four straight matches and 12 straight games. In the MIAA, Truman is riding a 23-match winning streak, having not lost a conference match since Sept. 18, 1999.
Four players are currently averaging more than 2.50 kills per game for the Bulldogs, who lead the conference and rank 18th in NCAA Division II in kills. Junior Eliza Hoerner (Augusta, Mo./Washington-Univ. of Colorado-Colorado Springs) leads the way, averaging 3.65 kills per game while hitting a team-best .324. Junior Cassy Felkerson (Salem, Mo.) averages 3.00 kills, is hitting .315 and leads the squad in blocking at 1.00 per game.
Truman vs. Missouri Southern & Pittsburg State (Oct. 20 & 21): The Bulldogs swept both Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State (Kan.) over the weekend, running their winning streak to four matches and 12 consecutive games.
On Friday, the 'Dogs earned a 15-9, 15-11, 15-11 win over Missouri Southern as senior Janelle Zehr (Deer Creek, Ill./Mackinaw) recorded a team season-high for kills (16) in a three-game match. She finished with a .343 hitting percentage as Truman swept the season series from the Lions. Junior Brenda Ippensen (Quincy, Ill.) had a team season-high 21 digs to go with seven kills, while her sister, Carrie Ippensen (Quincy, Ill.) ended with 12 digs for her first career double-figure digs match. Felkerson also finished with seven kills and sophomore Monica Marlowe (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) charted 37 assists.
On Saturday, Truman posted a 15-8, 15-9, 15-2 win over Pittsburg State, led by 16 kills from Hoerner, who hit .432 with 10 digs. Felkerson and Zehr had nine and seven finishes, respectively. Freshman Jenna Buckner (Quincy, Ill.) recorded three service aces, part of a nine-ace attack that marked Truman's most since Sept. 30, when it charted 11 versus PSU.
Northwest Missouri: The Bearcats have won three of their last four matches, the latest of which came on Saturday in a 3-1 decision over Southwest Baptist. On Friday, Central Missouri handed NWMSU a 3-1 loss. The Bearcats have conference wins over Emporia State (Kan.), Pittsburg State, Southwest Baptist and Missouri Southern. Their league losses have come at the hands of Central Missouri, Missouri Southern, Missouri Western, Washburn (Kan.), Emporia State, Pittsburg State and Truman.
Senior Abby Sunderman leads the MIAA with her .351 hitting percentage and also ranks second in the conference in kills at 3.80 per game. Sophomore setter Megan Danek is first in the conference and 18th in the nation in assists (12.68 p/g) and also leads the MIAA in service aces (0.50 p/g). Senior Jill Quast is second in the league and seventh in the nation in digs (4.63 p/g). She also ranks fourth the conference in kills (3.50 p/g).
In MIAA team statistics, the Bearcats are the league leader in hitting percentage with a mark of .265. They're also second in assists (13.99), digs (18.41) and blocks (2.79). The team was 13th in NCAA DII in blocking.
Series Record With NWMSU: Truman leads 35-24-1 ... The Bulldogs have won 21 of the last 22 meetings with the Bearcats, including a 3-2 battle earlier this season at Maryville. The only NWMSU win in the last 22 matches was a 3-1 decision last season at Pershing Arena, one of just two conference losses for Truman in 1999.
Coach Becky Eggering: Becky Eggering is in her fourth year at the helm of the Bulldogs and has an 91-39 career record for a winning percentage of .700 -- the best among all volleyball coaches in school history. She also ranks second in school history for career wins.
Bulldogs in MIAA Statistics (Oct. 23 Report): The Bulldogs currently lead the MIAA in kills, averaging 15.73 per game and also rank second in hitting (.252) and service aces (1.90 p/g). Truman is third in the conference in assists (13.84 p/g), fourth in digs (18.05 p/g) and eighth in blocks (2.21 p/g).
Individually, Hoerner ranks among the top 10 in three categories. She's second in the league with her .324 hitting percentage, third in kills (3.65 p/g) and eighth in service aces (0.35 p/g).
Truman has two of the top three hitters in the conference, as Felkerson's .315 percentage ranks her third. Felkerson is also 10th in blocking, at 1.00 per game.
Marlowe ranks fourth in the league in assists (11.02 p/g) and Buckner is seventh in service aces (0.36).
Bulldogs in NCAA Statistics: Truman ranks 18th in the latest NCAA Division II statistics report in kills and is tied for ninth in winning percentage.
Marlowe Named MIAA Setter of the Week: For the fourth time this season, Marlowe was named MIAA Setter of the Week after she averaged 11.67 assists and 2.89 digs in three wins last week.
Marlowe had 39 assists with 15 digs and a .571 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of Central Missouri State. With her quarterbacking the offense, Truman hit .409 in the clinching third game and .281 for the match, as the Bulldogs took over sole possession of first place in the MIAA. She had 37 assists vs. Missouri Southern on Friday and 29 at Pittsburg State (Kan.) on Saturday.
This marks the eighth time in Marlowe's career at Truman that she has been named MIAA Setter of the Week. She won the honor four times last year as a freshman.
2000 Bulldog MIAA Athletes of the Week: Marlowe (Sept. 5, Sept. 19, Oct. 10, Oct. 24), Felkerson (Sept. 12, Oct. 10), Hoerner (Sept. 19), Glenn (Sept. 26).
BULLDOGS AMONG SINGLE-SEASON LEADERS: Marlowe's current assist average of 11.02 per game is fourth on the single-season list. Felkerson would be seventh on the single-season hitting percentage list, with her .315 mark. She's also seventh on the single-season blocks average list, at 1.00 per game. Hoerner is up to sixth in hitting percentage, eighth in kills average and ninth in matches with 20 or more kills (5) and blocks per game.
ZEHR CLOSING IN ON THIRD PLACE: Zehr needs just 73 kills to take over third place on the career kills list. She now has 1,601 career finishes, while Jennifer Sigman (1994-97) had 1,674 for the current third-place mark. Zehr also climbed back into a tie for first in career kills average (3.67).
REGIONAL POLL: In the second South Central Regional poll of the season, the Bulldogs slipped a spot into second after being ranked in a No. 1 tie in the first poll. North Alabama took over the top spot in the poll. Central Missouri, Montevallo (Ala.) and Arkansas Tech were tied for third, followed by Missouri Western in sixth. Emporia State (Kan.) was seventh, Northwest Missouri eighth, Valdosta State (Ala.) ninth and Henderson State (Ark.) 10th. The next poll is due out on Wednesday (Oct. 25).
National Poll: The Bulldogs moved up a spot to 17th in this week's AVCA Division II Top 25 poll.