Women's Volleyball 11/15/2023 8:03:00 AM

UCO Ready For MIAA Tourney

Central Oklahoma Is No. 2 Seed For 2023 MIAA Volleyball Championship

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - No. 15-ranked Central Oklahoma begins postseason play this week when the Bronchos trek to St. Joseph, Missouri for the MIAA Volleyball Championship at Civic Arena.

UCO is the No. 2 seed after finishing runner-up in the league standings at 17-3 and is 26-4 on the season. The Bronchos take on seventh-seeded Missouri Southern (15-14, 8-12) at 12 p.m. Thursday in the first of four opening-round matches at Civic Arena.

Other first-round matches have third-seeded and No. 12-rated Nebraska-Kearney (26-4, 16-4) against sixth-seeded Northwest Missouri (15-13, 10-10), league champion and No. 18 Central Missouri (21-7, 18-2) vs. eight-seeded Emporia State (13-15, 7-13) and fourth-seeded Missouri Western (20-9, 13-7) vs. No. 5 Washburn (17-10, 11-9).

Friday's semifinal matches will pit the UCO/MSSU-UNK-NWMSU winners at 5 p.m. and the UCM-ESU/MSSU/WU winners at 7:30 p.m. Saturday's finals are set for 6 p.m., with the tournament champion earning the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.

"We had a great regular season and I'm proud of our team for what we accomplished," head coach Edgar Miraku said. "Now we have to move on to the conference tournament, which will be a tremendous challenge for us.

"We're going to have to play extremely well this weekend and our girls know that. It should be a great tournament and hopefully we play like we're capable of."

The Bronchos were sixth in last week's Central Regional rankings, with the top eight teams moving on to the national tournament. The 64-team national field – with eight teams in each of eight regions – will be announced Sunday.

ABOUT THE BRONCHOS: UCO wrapped up the regular season last week with two home wins, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to rally past Missouri Western in the first before sweeping Northwest Missouri the next day.

The Bronchos, who have won 13 of their last 14 contests, are 5-2 in five-set matches and have recorded 17 sweeps this season.

UCO's runner-up finish in the MIAA is its best showing since the Bronchos captured their lone league title in 2015.

Central has qualified for the MIAA Tournament every year since joining the league in 2012 (no tournament was held in 2014 and '20). The Bronchos are 6-9 in the conference tourney and Thursday's first-round meeting with Missouri Southern will be the first MIAA Tournament meeting between the two.

Jaedynn Evans is UCO's lone senior and the returning All-American leads Division II in digs per set with 6.35. She's had 25-plus digs in 11 matches this season, with a high of 37 three times, and has been named MIAA Defensive Player of the Week six times this year.

Evans ranks 10th on the school's single-season digs list with 610 after finishing third on that chart last year with 775. She has 1,385 digs in two years with the Bronchos, needing 33 to move into the career top 10.

Three players have 300-plus kills for UCO – Addison Wimmer (333), Sydney Huck (320) and Jenna Karp (303).

Karp leads the MIAA in attack percentage (.353) and also tops the Bronchos in solo (25) and assisted (59) blocks. The junior ranks eighth in career blocks at UCO with 52.

Mallorie Koehn has added 271 kills and is also the team leader in service aces with 44, an 0.43 per-set average that ranks second in the conference.

Lindsey Houran has been named MIAA Setter of the Week five times and directs the offense with 993 assists, a 10.56 per-set average that is third-best in the league. She's had 40-plus assists in 12 matches, including seven with 50 or more, and has moved into eighth place on UCO's career list with 2,393.

ABOUT THE LIONS: UCO beat Missouri Southern in both regular season meetings, claiming a four-set home win on Sept. 30 before sweeping the Lions in Joplin on Oct. 27.

Fernanda Canedo leads the Lions with 351 kills, 354 digs and 44 blocks. Jaryn Benning has added 179 kills, 165 digs and 39 blocks, while Amelia Neels has 171 kills, 93 blocks and 41 aces.

The Bronchos own a 27-9 lead in the series.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Jaedynn Evans: DS/L; 5' 7"; Junior

#1 Lindsey Houran: S; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#14 Sydney Huck: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#7 Jenna Karp: MB; 6' 0"; Junior

#4 Mallorie Koehn: OH; 5' 11"; Junior

#3 Addison Wimmer: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#6 Jaedynn Evans
: 5' 7"; Junior
: DS/L

#1 Lindsey Houran
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: S

#14 Sydney Huck
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#7 Jenna Karp
: 6' 0"; Junior
: MB

#4 Mallorie Koehn
: 5' 11"; Junior
: OH

#3 Addison Wimmer
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH