Fifth-ranked Jennies rallied to win against No. 11 Nebraska-Kearney in five sets 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-11 in Romano Gymnasium in on Thursday afternoon in Duluth, MN. The Jennies had 70 kills, eight serving aces and seven blocks in the match.
The Jennies took at 3-0 lead in the first set and held the lead until the Lopers tied the score at 12-12. The Lopers led the Jennies for the rest of the set, and the set was finished with an attack error by Haley Thompson. Taylor Goodness had six kills and hit .600 in the first set.
The Lopers were quick to catch the Jennies in the second set, catching the Jennies at 4-4. Nebraska-Kearney held the lead until the Jennies tied the score at 14-14, and were able to hold the lead for the following seven points. The Lopers regained their lead after tying the Jennies at 18-18. The second set finished with a service ace by Annie Reilly. Maddie Jones and Sojka both had three kills in the set.
The Jennies started the third set with a 3-0 lead, and held the lead for a majority of the set through 11 tie scores. Sojka scored the last five point for the Jennies, with four kills and a block assist. Sojka had seven total kills in the third set.
The Jennies took the lead at 2-1 in set four, and went on to score the following nine of 10 points consecutively. The Jennies held the Lopers to under 10 points for a majority of the set, but were able to reach 20 points before an attack by Goodness finished the set at 25-20. Goodness had eight kills, and hit .500 in the set.
The Jennies were able first to be able to string together two points in a row, taking a 7-5 lead in the set. Central Missouri scored another three points in a row to take a 13-8 lead. The final point of the match was won with a kill by Sojka.
The Jennies will face Concordia-St. Paul at 5 p.m. Friday in the semifinals of the NCAA Central Regional.
Story courtesy of Central Missouri Athletics
