Women's Volleyball | 11/7/2024 2:45:00 PM
Matches 23-24
Emporia State Hornets (15-7, 7-5 MIAA)
vs. Fort Hays State Tigers (12-9, 4-9 MIAA)
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 • 6:00 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • White Auditorium
Series History: ESU leads 55-32 • Last Meeting: ESU 3, FHSU 2 (10/12/24)
vs #5 Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (24-1, 11-1 MIAA)
Saturday, Nov. 9 • 6:30 p.m. • Emporia, Kan. • White Auditorium
Series History: UNK leads 49-10 • Last Meeting: UNK 3, ESU 0 (10/11/24)
LAST TWO AT HOMEÂ
Emporia State hosts Fort Hays State and #5 Nebraska-Kearney this weekend in their final two matches of the season at White Auditorium.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hornets hosted Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western last week, with both matches going to five sets. Emporia State outlasted Northwest Missouri in five sets on Friday night behind a career-high 21 kills from Camilla Ossola and 16 more from Weronika Wrzesinska. Against the Griffons, Emporia State came up just short in the fifth set against the #23 Griffons as the Hornets hit just .072 in the match.
ABOUT THE COACHES
Ken Murczek is in his second season at Emporia State and has a 28-23 record. In his first season at the helm, the Hornets improved their overall win total by nine games and conference win total by six games as they made a trip to the MIAA Tournament. He is 3-0 against the Tigers in his ESU career and looking for his first win against the Lopers.
Jessica Wood-Atkins is in her 7th season at Northwest Missouri and has a 62-104 record with the Tigers.
Rick Squiers is in his 26th season at Nebraska-Kearney and has a 782-110 record with the Lopers.
ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State is 15-7 this season and 7-5 in the MIAA as they are currently in fifth place in the conference standings. The Hornets are in sixth place in the KPI standings, the format which will decide the MIAA Tournament seeding. As a team, the Hornets are fifth in the MIAA in hitting percentage, third in assists, fourth in opponent kills and third in service aces. Weronika Wrzesinska and Rayishon Jackman are in the top three in the MIAA in both kills with 303 and 294, and in kills per set with averages of 3.56 and 3.46. Camilla Ossola has been strong in attack as well, averaging 2.89 kills per set while a team-high .268 hitting percentage. In the middle, McKenya Sorrells and Mia Frisbie have anchored the defense, as they both have double-digit solo blocks this season. Brailee Bogle has 836 assists on the season, averaging 9.84 per set and has been joined by Sydney Fiatte over the last five matches as they have combined to average over ten assists per set in that time frame.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
Fort Hays State is 12-9 this season, with a 4-9 record in the MIAA. The Tigers are currently right behind Pittsburg State and sitting in eighth place in the updated KPI rankings, in position for the MIAA Tournament. Fort Hays State is led by Gracie Rains and Grace Schmedding in attack, who are averaging 3.55 and 2.65 kills per set this season. Rains' average ranks second in the MIAA, between both Wrzesinska and Jackman. At setter, Caiya Stucky has 742 assists and is averaging nearly nine per set. In the middle, Taytum Lovesee and Ashlyn Reeves have combined for 36 solo blocks, and both have 64 or more block assists this season.
ABOUT THE LOPERS
Nebraska-Kearney is 24-1 on the season with an 11-1 MIAA record, as their lone loss came on the road against #11 Central Oklahoma. The Lopers are leading the MIAA in opponent hitting percentage, assists and kills while ranking in the top three in multiple other categories. The attack is well rounded and features five players averaging more than two kills per set. Mia Berg and Asha Regier have been a focal point for the Lopers, as they are averaging 3.40 and 3.24 kills per set this season. Berg is also the team leader in blocks with 13 solo and 61 assists. Peyton Neff coordinates the offense with 965 assists on the season, while averaging 12.70 per set.
CENTRAL REGION RECOGNITION
In the first iteration of the Central Region rankings, Emporia State made the list as one of the ten teams under consideration. In the region, the NSIC has five ranked teams and two more receiving votes while the MIAA has two teams in the top 11, while also having two more receiving votes.Â
