Women's Volleyball | 10/23/2014 5:07:00 PM
SHOW MEEmporia State will travel across the Show Me State this weekend for matches at Central Missouri and Lindenwood. The Hornets play the #19 Jennies on Friday in Warrensburg, Mo. before heading east on I-70 to take on the Lions in St. Charles, Mo. on Saturday.
LAST TIME OUTEmporia State volleyball team wrapped up Homecoming Saturday with a sweep of Northwest Missouri at White Auditorium. It was the first sweep in White Auditorium for the Hornets in seven home matches.
The first set was the most competitive with eight ties and four lead changes. The Bearcats had a 20-18 lead but the Hornets went on a 7-2 run to take the first set 25-22.
Northwest scored the first two points of the second set only to see Emporia State answer with ten straight points to take control. The Bearcats would not get closer than six points the rest of the set as the Hornets posted a 25-16 victory.
The third set saw Emporia State fall behind early as they trailed 15-11. A 10-1 run gave the Hornets a 21-16 lead as they cruised to a 25-20 third set win.
Carly Spicer had 17 kills on .341 hitting and 11 digs to lead the Hornets. Shayla Cotman added ten kills and three block assists. Courtney Haring had six kills and a team high five block assists. Kelly Holden continued her outstanding run at libero recording 18 digs in the three sets. Kimberly Bell and Sydney Hartman combined for 41 assists with Bell dishing 23 and Hartman 18 assists.
THE COACHESBing Xu is 220-95 in his tenth year as the head coach at Emporia State. He has led the Hornets to five NCAA Tournament appearances and has won at least 18 matches in each of the last seven seasons. He is 4-12 against Central Missouri and 3-0 against Lindenwood.
Flip Piontek is 169-31 in his sixth season at Central Missouri. He is 8-2 against Emporia State.
Ron Young is 338-165 in his 13th year at Lindenwood. He is 0-3 against Emporia State.
SCOUTING THE HORNETSEmporia State is 9-9 on the season and 5-8 in the MIAA. Seven of the Hornets 18 matches this year have gone five sets with Emporia State going 3-4 in those matches. Only six of the Hornets 15 matches have been sweeps.
Carly Spicer is fourth in the MIAA in the latest conference rankings in kills and is averaging 3.71 per set. She has at least ten kills 15 of 18 matches this season and has recorded double-doubles in 11 matches in her first year playing the full rotation. She averaged 4.4 kills and 3.75 digs last weekend against Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri after being held to just five kills and nine digs against Ft. Hays State. She had a career high 25 digs to go with 17 kills and three blocks at Pittsburg State. She tied her career high with 21 kills and added 18 digs at Northwest Missouri, her second match this season with at least 20 kills and 15 digs. She has failed to reach double figures in either kills or digs in just two matches this season.
Kelly Holden is sixth in the MIAA in digs and is averaging 4.62 per set. After getting nine digs in the first match of the year, she has recorded at least ten in the last 17 matches with a career high 25 in four sets at Southwest Baptist and again against Missouri Western in five sets. She is averaging 5.33 digs per set over the last ten matches and has at least 20 digs in eight of her last ten matches.
Courtney Haring is averaging 1.03 blocks per set to rank seventh in the MIAA. She is also averaging 2.07 kills per set on a team best .282 hitting percentage.
Kimberly Bell is averaging 6.01 assists and Sydney Hartman 4.16 assists per set in the Hornets two-setter system.
SCOUTING THE JENNIESCentral Missouri is 14-7 on the year, 11-2 in the MIAA and ranked #19 in the AVCA National Poll. Carly Sojka is averaging 3.97 kills per set to rank second in the MIAA. Haley Thompson hits at a team best .324 to rank fifth in the MIAA and is eighth in the league at 1.00 blocks per set. Kourtney Thompson is fifth in the MIAA at 10.01 assists per set.
LAST TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MISSOURIEmporia State took the first set and had leads in all four sets before falling 3-1 to #16 Central Missouri on Friday night at White Auditorium.
The first set saw 11 ties and two lead changes. The Jennies led 21-19 before the Hornets closed the set on a 6-1 run capped by Courtney Haring's solo block for a 25-22 win. Emporia State jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the second set only to see Central Missouri tie the score at 7-7. There would be seven more ties with neither team taking more than a two point lead before UCM closed the set on a 5-1 run to post a 25-20 victory.
After the intermission, Emporia State raced to a 7-1 lead with Haring getting another solo block and a kill during the run. After Central Missouri tied the score at 11 Haring contributed two block assists and a kill in a 4-0 run for a 15-11 lead. A 9-1 run gave UCM a 20-16 lead and the Hornets fought off just one set point before falling 25-18. The Jennies took a 4-1 lead to start the fourth set. After the Hornets pulled into a 6-6 tie UCM scored the next three points. Emporia State would not get closer than two points the rest of the match as Central Missouri clinched the win with a 25-19 victory.
Haring led Emporia State with 14 kills on .333 hitting with six blocks for 18.5 points. Josie Williams had nine kills and 14 digs while Carly Spicer added seven kills and 12 digs. Kelly Holden hit 20 digs for the second time this year while Kimberly Bell and Sydney Hartman split 27 of Emporia State's 36 assists.
SERIES HISTORYThis will be the 52nd meeting between Emporia State and Central Missouri. The Jennies lead the all-time series 45-6. Four of the six Hornet wins have come under Bing Xu.
SCOUTING THE LIONSLindenwood is 5-16 on the year, 2-11 in the MIAA. Shannon Doyle is the leading hitter for the Lions at 2.61 kills per set. Anna Reichert is ranked eighth in the MIAA at 4.09 digs per set. Sarah Makowski averages 1.33 blocks per set to rank second in the league. Despite operating in a two setter system Sarah-Jane Pavlik is tenth in the MIAA in assists at 7.40 per set.
LAST TIME AGAINST LINDENWOODEmporia State was dominant in two sets as they defeated Lindenwood 3-1 in White Auditorium.
The Hornets won the first set 25-14 but fell in the second set 22-25. ESU took the next two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-23.
Carly Spicer lead the way for the Hornets with 15 kills while Josie Williams added 13 kills as well. Kimberly Bell recorded 20 assists and Sydney Hartman had 18 assists.
SERIES HISTORYThis will be the fourth meeting between Emporia State and Lindenwood. The Hornets have won all of the three previous meetings.
NEXT SERVEEmporia State returns to White Auditorium on October 28 to take on #8 Washburn. First serve of Tuesday's Turnpike Tussle is set for 7:00 p.m.
