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Mizzou and Missouri State will clash in Kansas in NCAA volleyball opener

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Wayne Kreklow leads Mizzou back to the NCAA tournament (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Wayne Kreklow leads Mizzou back to the NCAA tournament (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Mizzou and Missouri State volleyball will travel to Lawrence, Kan., where they will face each other in the first round of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. (CT). The winner will face the winner of No. 9 Kansas and Furman on Friday, Dec. 4. The four teams are a part of the San Diego Regional.

The Tigers went 26-5 (14-4 SEC) and finished second in the Southeastern Conference.  This is the 12th NCAA appearance in 16 seasons for Mizzou under the direction of coaches Wayne and Susan Kreklow.

Missouri State last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 (photo/MSU Athletics)

Missouri State last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2011 (photo/MSU Athletics)

For Missouri State, it will be their 11th NCAA appearance in program history.  The Bears finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference at 13-5 and lost to Wichita State in the title match of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.

The Bears own a 42-7-1 advantage in the all-time series with Missouri, but have not played the Tigers since the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

That year, the 10th ranked Tigers swept the Bears and advanced all the way to the regional finals losing to Tennessee.

2015 Bracket

High school volleyball championship results

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Championship and Consolation Schedule
9 a.m. C2 3rd pl. Bishop LeBlond def. Arcadia Valley- 25-21, 25-15

10:30 a.m. C1 3rd pl. Bernie def. Winona- 25-21, 25-22

12 Noon C4 3rd pl. Ozark def. St. Joseph’s Academy- 25-23, 25-23

1:30 p.m. C3 3rd pl. Pleasant Hill def. St. Pius X (Kansas City)- 25-22, 25-13

3 p.m. C2 Champ. Lutheran St. Charles def. Strafford- 25-16, 25-20

4:30 p.m. C1 Champ. Santa Fe def. New Haven- 28-26, 25-12

6 p.m. C4 Champ. Lafayette (Wildwood) def. St. Teresa’s Academy-
16-25, 25-19, 25-11

7:30 p.m. C3 Champ. Villa Duchesne def. St. Pius X (Festus)- 25-17, 25-10

 

High school volleyball Final Four round robin from 10/30/15

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Class 1 Schedule
10 a.m. Court #1 Bernie def. Winona, 26-24, 22-25
10 a.m. Court #2 Santa Fe def. New Haven, 25-23, 25-18
12 p.m. Court #1 New Haven def. Winona, 25-22, 25-15
12 p.m. Court #2 Santa Fe def. Bernie, 25-11, 25-19
2 p.m. Court #1 New Haven def. Bernie, 25-16, 25-23
2 p.m. Court #2 Santa Fe ties Winona- 25-23 (W), 25-8 (SF)

Class 2 Schedule
9 a.m. Court #1 Lutheran St. Charles def. Arcadia Valley- 25-10, 25-15
9 a.m. Court #2 Strafford def Bishop LeBlond- 25-15, 25-19
11 a.m. Court #1 Strafford def. Lutheran St. Charles- 25-15, 25-19
11 a.m. Court #2 Bishop LeBlond def. Arcadia Valley- 25-23, 25-19
1 p.m. Court #1 Strafford def. Arcadia Valley- 25-11, 25-20
1 p.m. Court #2 Bishop LeBlond ties Lutheran St. Charles- 25-19 (LSC), 25-23 (BL)
3 p.m. Playoff match: Lutheran St. Charles def. Bishop LeBlond- 25-22

Class 3 Schedule
4 p.m. Court #1 St. Pius X (Festus) def. Villa Duchesne- 25-20, 25-20
4 p.m. Court #2 Pleasant Hill vs. St. Pius X (Kansas City)- 25-19, 28-26
6 p.m. Court #1 Villa Duchesne def. Pleasant Hill, 25-22, 26-16
6 p.m. Court #2 St. Pius X (Festus) def. St. Pius X (Kansas City), 25-12, 25-18
8 p.m. Court #1 St. Pius X (Festus) ties Pleasant Hill- 27-25 (PH), 25-22 (SPX)
8 p.m. Court #2 Villa Duchesne def. St. Pius X (Kansas City)- 25-16, 25-14

Class 4 Schedule
3 p.m. Court #1 Lafayette (Wildwood) ties St. Joseph’s Academy- 26-24 (SJA), 26-24 (L)
3 p.m. Court #2 St. Teresa’s Academy ties Ozark- 25-19 (O), 25-23 (STA)
5 p.m. Court #1 Ozark def. St. Joseph’s Academy- 25-18, 25-23
5 p.m. Court #2 Lafayette (Wildwood) ties St. Teresa’s Academy- 25-22 (STA), 25-19 (L)
7 p.m. Court #1 Lafayette (Wildwood) def. Ozark, 25-21, 25-20
7 p.m. Court #2 St. Teresa’s Academy ties St. Joseph’s Academy- 25-15 (SJA), 25-17 (STA)
8:30 p.m. Playoff Match: St. Teresa’s Academy def. Ozark, 25-21

Championship schedule

9 a.m. C2 3rd pl. Bishop LeBlond vs. Arcadia Valley
10:30 a.m. C1 3rd pl. Bernie vs. Winona
12 Noon C4 3rd pl. Ozark vs. St. Joseph’s Academy
1:30 p.m. C3 3rd pl. Pleasant Hill vs. St. Pius X (Kansas City)
3 p.m. C2 Champ. Strafford vs. Lutheran St. Charles  
4:30 p.m. C1 Champ. Santa Fe vs. New Haven 
6 p.m. C4 Champ. Lafayette (Wildwood) vs. St. Teresa’s Academy 
7:30 p.m. C3 Champ. St. Pius X (Festus) vs. Villa Duchesne 

Volleyball district scores from 10/20/15

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Class 1
10/20/2015 1 Gideon Cooter 2-0 25 – 13, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 1 Clarkton Holcomb 2-0 25 – 16, 27 – 25
10/20/2015 2 Bernie Advance 2-0 25 – 21, 25 – 23
10/20/2015 3 St. Vincent Leopold 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 9
10/20/2015 4 Bismarck Kingston 2-0 25 – 7, 25 – 13
10/20/2015 4 Bismarck Crystal City 2-0 25 – 6, 25 – 12
10/20/2015 4 Crystal City Crossroads College Preparatory 2-1 23-25, 25-14, 25-10
10/20/2015 5 Lesterville Viburnum 2 17 – 25, 25 – 18, 25 – 16
10/20/2015 5 Eminence Lesterville 2-0 25 – 18, 25 – 22
10/20/2015 5 Eminence Bunker 2-0 25 – 11, 25 – 9
10/20/2015 6 Fordland Thayer 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 8
10/20/2015 6 Winona Chadwick 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 8
10/20/2015 6 Winona Fordland 2-0 28-26, 25-19
10/20/2015 7 School of the Ozarks Wheaton 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 16
10/20/2015 7 Purdy School of the Ozarks 2-1 18-25, 25-20, 25-12
10/20/2015 7 Purdy Hurley 2-0 25-17, 25-13
10/20/2015 8 Miller Lockwood 2-1 25 – 14, 21 – 25, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 8 Miller Billings 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 8 Billings New Covenant Academy 2-0 25-14, 25-16
10/20/2015 9 Calvary Lutheran Bunceton 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 10
10/20/2015 9 New Haven Calvary Lutheran 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 9 New Haven Chamois 2-0 25 – 10, 25 – 0
10/20/2015 10 Stover Northwest (Hughesville) 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 10 Stover Sacred Heart 2-1 25 – 20, 19 – 25, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 10 Sacred Heart Green Ridge 2-0 25-23, 25-22
10/20/2015 12 Rich Hill Appleton City 2-0 25-14, 25-14
10/20/2015 12 Osceola Rich Hill 2-0 25 – 10, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 12 Osceola Hume 2-0 25 – 11, 25 – 8
10/20/2015 15 Northland Christian North Platte 2-0 25-16, 25-16
10/20/2015 15 Lutheran (Kansas City) West Platte 2-0 25 – 13, 25 – 17
Class 2
10/20/2015 1 Malden Senath-Hornersville 2-0 25 – 13, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 1 Central (New Madrid County) Portageville 2-1 25-17, 21-25, 25-22
10/20/2015 1 Central (New Madrid County) Malden 2-0 25-18, 25-18
10/20/2015 2 Bloomfield Saxony Lutheran 2 11 – 25, 25 – 23, 25 – 23
10/20/2015 4 Brentwood Maplewood-Richmond Hts. 2-0 25-17, 25-15
10/20/2015 4 Principia Hancock 2-0 25 – 15, 26 – 24
10/20/2015 5 Trinity Catholic Cardinal Ritter 2-0 25 – 4, 25 – 1
10/20/2015 5 Cardinal Ritter Transportation and Law 2-0 25 – 18, 25 – 8
10/20/2015 5 Lutheran North Metro 2-0 25 – 19, 25 – 17
10/20/2015 5 Trinity Catholic Lutheran North 2-0 25 – 14, 25 – 6
10/20/2015 6 Lutheran St. Charles Hermann 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 23
10/20/2015 6 Lutheran St. Charles Montgomery County 2-0 25 – 7, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 6 Hermann Whitfield 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 7 Fatima Father Tolton Regional Catholic 2-1 23 – 25, 25 – 10, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 7 Father Tolton Regional Catholic Eugene 2-0 25 – 17, 25 – 17
10/20/2015 7 Fatima Russellville 2-0 25 – 9, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 8 Cuba Steelville 2-1 25-10, 23-25, 25-23
10/20/2015 8 Cuba Linn 2-0 26-24, 25-10
10/20/2015 8 Steelville Belle 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 11
10/20/2015 9 Cabool Willow Springs 2 19 – 25, 27 – 25, 25 – 13
10/20/2015 9 Liberty (Mountain View) Houston 2-0 25 – 11, 25 – 11
10/20/2015 9 Liberty (Mountain View) Cabool 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 10 Strafford Fair Grove 2-1 16-25, 26-24, 25-16
10/20/2015 10 Fair Grove Skyline 2-0 25 – 11, 25 – 12
10/20/2015 10 Strafford Ash Grove 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 11 Crane Southwest (Washburn) 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 17
10/20/2015 11 Crane Clever 2-0 25 – 18, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 11 Clever Marionville 2-1 25-13, 18-25, 25-23
10/20/2015 12 Pierce City College Heights Christian 2-0 25-20, 25-21
10/20/2015 12 El Dorado Springs Pierce City 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 12 El Dorado Springs Lamar 2-1 12-25, 25-22, 25-17
10/20/2015 15 Summit Christian Academy University Academy Charter 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 12
10/20/2015 15 Barstow Lawson 2-0 25-13, 25-11
10/20/2015 15 Barstow Summit Christian Academy 2-1 25-23, 19-25, 25-20
10/20/2015 16 Bishop LeBlond Plattsburg 2-0 25 – 14, 25 – 7
10/20/2015 16 East Buchanan Mid-Buchanan 2-0 25-19, 25-16
Class 3
10/20/2015 1 Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau) Dexter 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 2 North County Ste. Genevieve 0 15 – 25, 23 – 25
10/20/2015 2 St. Pius X (Festus) Ste. Genevieve 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 22
10/20/2015 2 St. Pius X (Festus) Festus 2-0 25 – 8, 25 – 13
10/20/2015 5 Clayton John F. Kennedy 1 16 – 25, 25 – 17, 16 – 25
10/20/2015 5 John Burroughs University City 2-0 25 – 9, 25 – 7
10/20/2015 8 St. Francis Borgia Sullivan 2-0 25 – 10, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 8 Owensville Union 2 25 – 23, 16 – 25, 26 – 24
10/20/2015 8 St. Francis Borgia Owensville 2-0 25 – 12, 25 – 9
10/20/2015 9 Logan-Rogersville Buffalo 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 11
10/20/2015 9 Mt. Vernon Logan-Rogersville 0 21 – 25, 19 – 25
10/20/2015 9 Mt. Vernon Springfield Catholic 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 13
10/20/2015 10 Aurora East Newton 2 25 – 18, 14 – 25, 25 – 16
10/20/2015 10 East Newton Hollister 2-0 25-23, 25-20
10/20/2015 10 Aurora Seneca 2-0 25 – 22, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 11 Nevada Warsaw 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 11 Warrensburg Clinton 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 11 O’Hara Harrisonville 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 12 Blair Oaks Eldon 2-0 25 – 23, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 12 Helias Catholic California 2-0 25 – 12, 25 – 8
10/20/2015 12 Helias Catholic Blair Oaks 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 13 Fulton Southern Boone 2 25 – 23, 9 – 25, 26 – 24
10/20/2015 13 Boonville Marshall 2-0 25 – 18, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 13 Boonville Fulton 2 24 – 26, 25 – 18, 25 – 18
10/20/2015 14 St. Pius X (Kansas City) Odessa 2-0 25 – 20, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 14 Oak Grove Excelsior Springs 2-0 25 – 13, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 15 Center Cristo Rey 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 15 Pembroke Hill Lincoln College Prep 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 16 Smithville Benton 2-0 25 – 12, 25 – 17
10/20/2015 16 Savannah Maryville 0 0 – 0, 0 – 0
Class 4
10/20/2015 1 Jackson Poplar Bluff 2-0 25-20, 25-15
10/20/2015 1 Hillsboro Farmington 2-1 22-25, 25-20, 25-18
10/20/2015 1 Jackson Central (Cape Girardeau) 2-0 25 – 22, 25 – 9
10/20/2015 1 Hillsboro Sikeston 2-0 25 – 16, 25 – 12
10/20/2015 3 Eureka Northwest (Cedar Hill) 2-0 25 – 18, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 3 Lafayette (Wildwood) Washington 2-0 25 – 19, 28 – 26
10/20/2015 3 Lafayette (Wildwood) Eureka 2-0 25 – 14, 25 – 22
10/20/2015 4 Kirkwood Nerinx Hall 0 21 – 25, 11 – 25
10/20/2015 4 Ursuline Academy Webster Groves 2-0 25 – 20, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 6 Ft. Zumwalt East Ritenour 2-0 25 – 7, 25 – 14
10/20/2015 6 Francis Howell North Pattonville 2 22 – 25, 25 – 14, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 7 Parkway Central Westminster Christian Academy 2-0 25 – 12, 25 – 18, 0 – 0
10/20/2015 7 Parkway West Visitation Academy 2-0 25 – 12, 25 – 15
10/20/2015 7 Marquette Ladue Horton Watkins 2-0 25 – 20, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 8 Francis Howell Francis Howell Central 2-0 25 – 10, 25 – 18
10/20/2015 8 Timberland Ft. Zumwalt West 2-1 25-20, 17-25, 25-21
10/20/2015 9 Smith-Cotton Battle 2-1 21 – 25, 25 – 15, 25 – 20
10/20/2015 9 Battle Jefferson City 2-0 25-18, 25-22
10/20/2015 9 Smith-Cotton Troy Buchanan 2-0 25 – 20, 26 – 24
10/20/2015 10 Willard Camdenton 2-0 25 – 20, 25 – 18
10/20/2015 10 Waynesville Lebanon 2-1 27-25, 15-25, 25-10
10/20/2015 10 Willard Waynesville 2-0 25 – 15, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 12 Carthage McDonald County 2-0 25 – 19, 25 – 12
10/20/2015 12 Republic Carthage 2-0 25-13, 25-23
10/20/2015 12 Republic Carl Junction 2-0 25-21, 25-19
10/20/2015 13 Notre Dame de Sion Lee’s Summit West 2-0 26 – 24, 25 – 17
10/20/2015 13 Raymore-Peculiar Lee’s Summit 2-1 23-25, 27-25, 25-20
10/20/2015 14 Blue Springs Lee’s Summit North 2-1 25 – 13, 25 – 27, 25 – 10
10/20/2015 14 Blue Springs South Truman 2-0 25 – 14, 25 – 21
10/20/2015 15 St. Teresa’s Academy Liberty 2-0 25 – 22, 25 – 19
10/20/2015 15 Park Hill South North Kansas City 2-0 25 – 19, 26 – 24

Billikens volleyball sweeps Mizzou 3-0, handing Tigers their first loss of the season

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SLU volleyball swept Mizzou for the Tigers first defeat of the season (photo/SLUBillikens.com)

SLU volleyball swept Mizzou for the Tigers first defeat of the season (photo/SLUBillikens.com)

Saint Louis swept visiting Missouri 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-19) at Chaifetz Pavilion, handing the Tigers their first loss of the season.

Missouri entered the match sixth in the NCAA with a .312 team attack percentage. Saint Louis held the Tigers to a .136 attack percentage. Seven errors in the opening set by the Tigers led to a 1-0 advantage by Saint Louis.  The Billikens used an 8-5 run to take a 2-0 overall lead in the second.  Efficient hitting led the way for SLU in the third.

Junior Carly Kan had a team-leading 12 kills for Mizzou, while sophomore Courtney Eckenrode paced the team with 21 assists. SLU was led by  junior outside hitter Danielle Rygelski who recorded her 1,000th career kill. Rygelski is the 13th Billiken to amass 1,000 kills in her career.  Rygelski was the top hitter, with 17 kills and a mere two errors on 27 attacks for a .556 attack percentage.

The Billikens open conference play with a pair of road contests. Saint Louis takes on La Salle on Sept. 25 and Duquesne on Sept. 27.

The Tigers begin SEC play Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Hearnes Center against No. 5 Florida. Mizzou’s conference opener.

Mizzou and Missouri State volleyball starts 3-0. Southeast hosted Saint Louis and UMKC finish. D-I volleyball recap

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Mizzou wins their first tournament of the season (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Mizzou wins their first tournament of the season (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

–Mizzou Volleyball closed out its 2015 Tiger Invitational Saturday evening inside the Hearnes Center with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-17) sweep of North Texas.

Junior Carly Kan, redshirt sophomore Kira Larson, and freshman Alyssa Munlyn were each named to the All-Tournament Team for their standout weekends.  Kan was named MVP of this weekend’s tournament, as she earned 50 kills on .430 hitting with 31 digs in three matches.

Tiger Invitational All-Tournament Team

Carly Kan – Junior – Missouri – Outside Hitter *Named MVP*
Alyssa Munlyn – Freshman – Missouri – Middle Blocker
Kira Larson – Redshirt Sophomore – Missouri – Right Side / Middle Blocker
Jenni Fassbender – Senior – North Dakota State – Outside Hitter
Brianna Rasmusson – Sophomore – North Dakota State – Setter / Outside Hitter
Carnae Dillard – Senior – North Texas – Outside Hitter
Lourdes Rosario – Redshirt Freshman – Winthrop – Outside Hitter / Opposite

–The Missouri State volleyball team earned a 3-2 win over Western Michigan and a sweep of host Milwaukee Saturday to finish the Pepsi Panther Invitational with their first 3-0 start since the 2010 season.

Senior Kinsey Batten was named tournament MVP, while sophomores Lily Johnson and Lynsey Wright joined her on the all-tournament team.

Missouri State hosts the annual Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Hammons Student Center Sept. 4-5. The Bears open with Miami (Fla.) on Friday, and play Oral Roberts and Marquette on Saturday.

Southeast Missouri State volleyball (photo/GoSoutheast.com)

Southeast Missouri State volleyball (photo/GoSoutheast.com)

–The UMKC volleyball team (2-1) closed out its opening weekend of play at the Redhawks Invitational with a 3-0 win over host Southeast Missouri State (0-3).

Tournament Results
1st – Arkansas State (3-0)
2nd – Missouri-Kansas City (2-1)
3rd – Saint Louis (1-2)
4th – Southeast Missouri (0-3)

All-Tournament Team
Drew Jones (MVP) – Arkansas State
Markie Schaedig – Arkansas State
Darby Graff – Arkansas State
Sydney Crimmins – Missouri-Kansas City
Taryn Miller – Missouri-Kansas City
Meredith Boe – Saint Louis
Nzingha Clarke – Southeast Missouri

 

Missouri-Kansas City used a late first set rally to fuel a 3-0 (26-24, 25-15, 25-14) win over Southeast Missouri Saturday, the final day of the Drury Hotels Redhawks Invitational.

Southeast had a 23-18 lead in the opening set, but couldn’t close it out. Missouri-Kansas City erased the deficit with an 8-1 run to edge the Redhawks, 26-24.

That boost was all the Roos needed.

Missouri-Kansas City took control with a 10-5 lead early in the second set and went on to win 25-15. The Roos, who were ahead by one (11-10) in the final set, mounted a six-point surge to polish off their sweep with a 25-14 victory.

Clarke led Southeast with 12 kills and a .632 attack percentage. She played strong from the get-go, recording five kills and a .714 hitting percentage in the first set alone. Clarke finished the tournament, hitting .267 with an average of 1.10 blocks per set. She was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts.

Afterwards, Redhawks coach Julie Yankus commented on the tournament. “We were happy to host for the first weekend and our staff did a great job of running the tournament. We had some great home crowds to play in front of and we appreciate all of the support. It was a very competitive weekend and we deinitely got better by playing some highly competitive teams.”

Southeast heads to the Gardner-Webb Tournament on Sept. 4-5.

Tournament Results
1st – Arkansas State (3-0)
2nd – Missouri-Kansas City (2-1)
3rd – Saint Louis (1-2)
4th – Southeast Missouri (0-3)

All-Tournament Team
Drew Jones (MVP) – Arkansas State
Markie Schaedig – Arkansas State
Darby Graff – Arkansas State
Sydney Crimmins – Missouri-Kansas City
Taryn Miller – Missouri-Kansas City
Meredith Boe – Saint Louis
Nzingha Clarke – Southeast Missouri

She Kan do it! Mizzou volleyball”s Carly Kan named to the 2015 Preseason All-SEC Team

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Carly Kan (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Carly Kan (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Mizzou volleyball junior outside hitter Carly Kan has been named to the 2015 Preseason Volleyball All-SEC Team, marking the second straight preseason recognition for the Honolulu, Hawaii, native.  Kan earned consecutive AVCA Honorable Mention All-American honors following last season.

Kan was one of the nation’s top outside hitters again in 2014, leading the SEC with 19 double-doubles. That number matched the Mizzou volleyball program record for double-doubles in a season during the 25-point set era.  Overall, Kan tallied 418 kills, 394 digs, and 457.5 points in her sophomore campaign for the Tigers.

Mizzou volleyball opened preseason camp this past Monday, as they prepare for its annual Black & Gold scrimmage on Thursday, Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers’ 2015 season opener is set for Friday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. against North Dakota State, as a part of the Tiger Invitational in Columbia, Mo.

Picking up where they left off, Central Missouri volleyball picked again as favorites to win MIAA conference

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Haley Thompson, from Nixa, will be one of the leaders for the Jennies (photo/Central Missouri Athletics)

Haley Thompson, from Nixa, will be one of the leaders for the Jennies (photo/Central Missouri Athletics)

Central Missouri volleyball is picked to finish, right where they left off, atop the MIAA. In the conference preseason coaches poll, announced Thursday morning, the Jennies received 119 points and nine of a possible 11 first-place votes as they were selected to finish in first place in the upcoming MIAA regular season.

UCM concluded 2014 tied for first place, their 24th MIAA championship and fifth in the last six seasons. They earned their 32nd straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and ranked 20th in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll.

The Jennies bring back all three All-Americans from last year in seniors Annie Reilly and Carly Sojka and junior Haley Thompson. The squad will also return 11 letter-winners from 2014, including five of six starters plus the starting libero.

Central Missouri’s season begins right here in Warrensburg, Sept. 3-5, for the Peggy Martin Challenge. The Jens will face five teams in three days, starting with Western State Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. UCM will get their first taste of conference play Sept. 25 as they travel to Edmond, Okla. to face Central Oklahoma.

[Read more…]

Missouri quick hits: Former 49ers star back in the weight room at Mizzou. Arizona hires first female coach

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Justin Smith left the West Coast and is back in Mid-Missouri (photo/NFL)

Justin Smith left the West Coast and is back in Mid-Missouri (photo/NFL)

Here you go.  Stories you might find interesting.

Former Pro-Bowler with the 49ers, Bengals and Jefferson City Jays star, Justin Smith is back in mid-Missouri and he’s been helping out in the weight room at Mizzou’s training facility.  Looks like he may be helping out the Tigers this fall.  What he’ll be doing and for how long is still TBD.

Four-star running back recruit Chase Abbington finished his last JUCO class and is enrolled at Mizzou and will be able to join the team for fall camp.  The highest ranked recruit for the Tigers in 2013, will have three years of eligibility and will join 1,000-yard rusher Russell Hansbrough.

Volleyball news.  Former Mizzou standout Molly Kreklow led Team USA to a World Grand Prix Championship and a perfect 5-0 record over the week-long event in Omaha, including the title with a 3-0 win over China. Kreklow was named the Grand Prix’s Most Outstanding Setter.

At the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kansas, a team from Cape Girardeau avoided elimination winning their first game of the tournament, 13-5 over a team from Wichita.  This came after the Capahas opened the tournament on Sunday with a 21-run loss to Liberal, Kansas.  Cape plays today at 1 p.m. against Newton Kansas in another elimination game.

The Missouri Valley Conference’s football coaches made their preseason picks and North Dakota State, the four-time defending FCS National Champion, was the overwhelming favorite to win the league. Missouri State, with new head coach Dave Steckel, was picked ninth.  That’s where the Bears finished last season with record of 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the league. Only South Dakota, winless in the league in 2014, was picked to finish below Missouri State.  Stec has seen the whole lack of respect thing play out before as the defensive coordinator at Mizzou.

“I remember the leagues I came from, the media got it right once in 32 years,” Steckel said. “I’m not worried about where we start. It’s where we finish.”

The only difference with this poll in the MVC…coaches voted.

Arizona Cardinals head coach, Bruce Arians will hire the first female coach in the NFL to work during training camp, part of the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship, that was developed and named after the former St. Louis owner.  Jen Welter will work with the team’s inside linebackers throughout training camp and the preseason. She previously worked for Devin Wyman, the head coach of the Indoor Football League’s Texas Revolution, who recommended Welter to Arians.

Jen tweet