October 4, 2002
17th-ranked Bulldogs Win MIAA Showdown Against 11th-Ranked Central Missouri
The Truman State University volleyball team dropped the first game but came back for an impressive 3-1 victory (25-30, 30-27, 30-22, 30-28) over Central Missouri on Friday night at Pershing Arena. The victory gives the Bulldogs a one-match lead over Washburn in the MIAA standings and a 2 1/2 match lead over the Jennies.
Both teams hit well on the night with Truman edging out Central Missouri by a .275 to .273 margin. Both teams had 77 kills, the Jennies won the dig battle 95-83 while the Bulldogs won the blocking war by a 12-10 margin. The win was Truman's fourth straight over the Jennies in Pershing Arena and pushed the Bulldogs MIAA winning streak to 23 matches and their home winning streak to 27 matches.
Kelly Vogel came up big for Truman on the night, recording 21 kills with a .320 hitting percentage and also recording 16 digs. Jessica Sears and Shelby Ortwerth each had double-doubles as well. Sears had 18 kills and 11 digs while Ortwerth had 12 kills and a team-high 18 digs. Rachael Shedd had 56 assists and Jennifer Hunter added 11 kills and seven blocks.
Four Jennies were in double-figures in kills led by Carrie Potthast with 21. Kaci Young had 37 assists and Jacque Barr had a team-high 31 digs.
Central Missouri jumped to an early lead in the first game and Truman could never get closer than three points. The Jennies hit .442 in the game wasting eight kills by Truman's Sears.
Game two also saw the Jennies lead early on but four straight points off Micaela Walter's serving got the Bulldogs back in it. The score was tied at 27 with Walter again serving two more straight points to give Truman match point. Monica Marlowe then came off the bench to serve and finish the Jennies off. Sears and Vogel combined for 13 kills and no errors in game.
The third game was all Truman. After a sideout gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead, Sears scored six straight points off her serve and the Jennies were never able to get back within five points. Hunter was the offensive hero with six kills and no errors in eight attempts and Shedd had 18 assists as Truman outhit Central Missouri by a .340 to .186 margin in the game.
The fourth and final game was back and forth. Truman was down 16-13 but Shedd's serving sparked a 7-0 Bulldog run. Central Missouri would tie the game at 20 before Truman would go on another run, this one a 6-1 run, to open up a 26-21 lead. Truman had match point at 29-24 but the Jennies wouldn't die, scoring four straight points before folding 30-28.
Truman will be in action on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in a non-conference battle with SIU-Edwardsville.