EDMOND – Central Oklahoma begins a three-match Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association homestand Thursday with a 6 p.m. contest against Missouri Southern.
The Bronchos are back at Hamilton Field House at 5 p.m. Friday to face Central Missouri, then take a week off before hosting Newman on Friday, Oct. 2.
UCO is 10-5 for the season and 0-2 in the MIAA after dropping its first two league matches on the road last weekend.
"It's a big week for us," head coach Edgar Miraku said. "We lost a couple of tough matches last week and need to protect our home court. It will be good to be home, but we will have to play well this week against two quality teams."
The Bronchos dropped a hard-fought five-set decision to Northwest Missouri and then fell to No. 8-ranked Missouri Western in opening conference play last weekend.
Sophomore Georgia Ahlert tops a quartet of youngsters who have 100-plus kills in leading UCO's offensive attack.
Ahlert is hitting .314 with 152 kills, having had 10-plus kills in 11 of 15 matches. She's added 21 total blocks and 10 service aces.
Sophomore Myla Unterweger is close behind with 147 kills, while freshman Kate Wells has 111 kills and sophomore Caroline Clayton 102. Wells also paces the team in total blocks with 60, a 1.20 per-set average that ranks fourth in the MIAA.
Senior Kaitlyn Parrott and sophomore Morgan Manning lead UCO's back row defensive efforts.
Parrott has collected 20-plus digs in seven matches and has 285 on the season for a 5.28 per-set average that tops the conference. Manning has collected 144 digs along with a team-best 17 service aces.
Versatile senior Riley Roberts has done a little bit of everything for the Bronchos. She directs the offensive attack from her setter spot and has 474 assists, ranking fourth in the league with 8.94 per set.
Roberts also has 149 digs, 49 kills, 22 total blocks and 11 aces. She has eclipsed the 1,000 mark in career assists (1,036) and is nearing that milestone in digs (992).
Missouri Southern is 6-7 on the season and 1-1 in league play.
The Lions are paced by Addysen Alvis (174 kills, 140 digs, 20 aces) and Grace Gardner (115 kills, 96 digs).
UCO owns a 31-10 lead in the series and has won the last four meetings between the two.
Central Missouri is 9-5 overall after having played several ranked teams in non-conference play and opened its MIAA schedule with two wins last weekend.
Maya Fergerson (145 kills, 22 blocks), Shaye Koski (116 kills, 11 blocks) and Kaelyn McDonald (108 kills, 52 blocks) lead the Jennies.
UCM has a 23-8 series advantage over the Bronchos. The teams split two regular season meetings last year, each winning on the road.
