Bronchos Travel To Newman Tuesday

Central Oklahoma wraps up a three-match Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association road swing Tuesday when the Bronchos travel to Wichita, Kan. to meet Newman at 6 p.m.

UCO is 13-6 overall and fifth in the league standings at 5-4, while the Jets -- playing their first year in the MIAA -- are 0-18 and 0-9. The Bronchos claimed a three-set sweep in Edmond on Sept. 21 in the first meeting of the season between the two and has an 8-1 series lead.

Central has split its first two matches of its road trip, scoring a stunning sweep over No. 10-ranked Northwest Missouri last Friday before falling in four sets the next night to No. 13 Central Missouri.

"This team has grown a lot this season and we continue to get better," said head coach Edgar Miraku, who has a 195-61 record in his eighth year at the helm. "I thought we played really hard from start to finish in both matches this weekend and need to continue to do that every time we step on the court."

The youthful Bronchos were led by Bailey Combs over the weekend as the freshman hit a sizzling .442 in the two matches with 25 kills and just two errors in 52 attacks. She had 15 kills in the upset of NWMSU.

Combs tops the team and ranks 10th in the conference in hitting percentage at .301 and has 130 kills on the season. She's one of four players with 100-plus kills.

Sophomore Amanda Desch has a team-high 164 kills, freshman Courtney Lane has knocked down 131 and sophomore Lauren Jenkins has added 112. Desch also leads UCO in assists (375) while ranking second in digs (210) and blocks (32).

Senior Dominique Lipari continued her stellar defense last weekend with 51 digs in the two matches. She ranks second nationally in digs per set (6.74) and is fifth in total digs (445).

Newman is paced by Trinity Conley (211 kills, 120 digs), Eve Pearson (128 kills) and Imani Jones (80 kills, 38 blocks).

The Bronchos return home Friday to host Missouri Western at 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Amanda Desch: S; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#10 Lauren Jenkins: OH/RS; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#1 Dominique Lipari: DS/L; 5' 1"; Senior

#2 Bailey Combs: RS/OH; 5' 10"; Freshman

#11 Courtney Lane: OH/RS; 6' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#15 Amanda Desch
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: S

#10 Lauren Jenkins
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: OH/RS

#1 Dominique Lipari
: 5' 1"; Senior
: DS/L

#2 Bailey Combs
: 5' 10"; Freshman
: RS/OH

#11 Courtney Lane
: 6' 0"; Freshman
: OH/RS