ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Playing to retain their No. 4 seed in the MIAA Tournament, Griffon Volleyball hits the road for two final regular-season matches against No. 16 Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State.

WHERE TO WATCH
Fans can watch all Griffon Volleyball (19-8, 12-6 MIAA) matches for a subscription fee on the MIAA Network.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western is officially in the MIAA Tournament for an 11th consecutive championship season (excluding 2020).
• Leading MWSU with 291 kills, freshman outside hitter Holly Heldt is seventh in the league. Freshman right-side hitter Taylor Russell is 10th (271), senior middle hitter Danielle Moje is 18th (223) and sophomore middle hitter Emma Salker is 19th (219). Missouri Western has the most representation in the MIAA's top-20 kills list.
• Junior setter Nessa Johnson is third in the MIAA with 951 assists. Her 10.12 assists per set rank fourth in the conference.
• Johnson also has the sixth-most service aces in the conference with 34. Heldt is fifth with 36. 
• Missouri Western is holding opponents to a .144 hitting percentage, the best mark in the MIAA.
• Opponents have only recorded 981 assists vs. MWSU, the second least in the conference.
• The Griffons have given up the second-least number of kills in the MIAA with 1,073 against them.
• With 165 blocks given up, the Griffons are the third least-blocked team in the MIAA.
• Freshman libero Anna Weberg is second in the MIAA with 499 digs and is second with 5.31 per set. Heldt is 14th with 307 digs and 15th with 3.27 per set. Johnson is 16th at 297 digs and 17th at 3.16 per set.
• Weberg's 5.31 digs per set rank her 14th in Division II.
• Junior middle hitter Lily Kurz is fourth in the MIAA With 96 blocks and is second with 14 solo blocks.
• Missouri Western is third in Division II with 19.1 digs per set.
• The Griffons are fourth in the country with 39.8 team attacks per set.

11/10 - SCOUTING NO. 10 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA | 6 PM
The Bronchos (24-4, 15-3 MIAA) have won two in a row, last sweeping Emporia State on Nov. 4 in Emporia, Kansas. Central Oklahoma is 8-1 at home this season, only falling to Central Missouri at the Hamilton Field House in five sets back on Sept. 29. With two matches remaining, UCO is currently third in the MIAA.

Who to Watch
Starting with the defense, sophomore setter Lindsey Houran leads the MIAA with 554 digs and 6.3 per set. She's also fourth with 901 assists. Junior middle blocker Jenna Karp is first in the conference with a .342 hitting percentage and is ninth with 282 kills. Junior outside hitter Addison Wimmer's 309 kills rank fourth, and sophomore outside hitter Sydney Huck is sixth with 295 kills. Rounding out the team is junior outside hitter Mallorie Koehn with 41 service aces, the second most in the MIAA.

Head Coach
In his 12th year at UCO, Edgar Miraku is 271-94 with the Bronchos. Since taking over in 2012, he is 12-4 vs. MWSU and 5-2 when the Griffons visit Edmond, Oklahoma

Record Rivalry Rabbit Hole
The Griffons trail UCO 6-16 in a rivalry that began in 1997. The Bronchos have won the last five bouts, with MWSU last winning on Nov. 16, 2019, in St. Joseph.

Last Time Out
Missouri Western and UCO went to the wire back on Oct. 14 at the MWSU Fieldhouse, with the then-No. 21-ranked Bronchos winning 3-2. The Griffs were led by Russell's 26 kills, the second most in a single Griffon match. Johnson had a double-double with 42 digs and 21 assists, but UCO countered with 47 assists and 13 digs by Houran, as three Bronchos finished with 14 kills or more.

Friday's game begins at 6 p.m. in Edmond at the Hamilton Field House.

11/11 - SCOUTING PITTSBURG STATE | 6 PM
The Gorillas (9-18, 4-14 MIAA) are on the outside of the MIAA Tournament as of right now, currently sitting in 10th place in the conference. Pitt State has lost two straight, falling in four sets to Washburn on Nov. 4 in Topeka, Kansas. Now that Pitt is home, the Gorillas return with a 6-7 record at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court. The Gorillas play Northwest Missouri State this Friday at 6 p.m.

Who to Watch
Senior outside hitter Jane Thurston is a tough matchup for many opponents, racking up the eighth-most kills in the MIAA with 201 this season. Junior setter Jadyn Jackson is double the trouble, sitting in seventh place with 845 assists while third with 39 service aces. Junior middle hitter Carly Clennan leads the team with 70 blocks, the 15th most in the MIAA. 

Head Coach
In her eighth season, Jen Gomez is 91-132 with Pitt and 293-267 in her 18-year career. Since taking over for PSU in 2016, she is 3-7 vs. MWSU and is 2-3 when the Griffons visit Pittsburg, Kansas.

Record Rivalry Rabbit Hole
Missouri Western leads the all-time rivalry 59-25-1 since first playing in 1974. Since 1988, MWSU is 12-16 in Pittsburg. The Griffons have won seven of the last 10 overall matchups.

Last Time Out
The Griffons broke a three-match drought vs. the Gorillas with a sweeping win at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Oct. 13. Heldt led the Griffs with a match-high 10 kills, and Moje led everyone with five blocks.

Saturday's match is set for 6  p.m.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON VOLLEYBALL HISTORY
Nov. 10 | Box Score | Video Recap
Earning a crack at the MIAA Regular Season Championship the next night, the 2017 Griffons swept Fort Hays State in a short night at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe and Stephanie Doak paved the way with a match-high 12 kills, and Lauren Murphy notched a match-high 38 assists.

Nov. 11 | Box Score | Video Recap
Now winners of 10 in a row, the 2017 Griffons welcomed No. 5 Nebraska Kearney to the MWSU Fieldhouse for Senior Night and a matchup to decide the MIAA Championship. After UNK burned through set one with a 25-14 win, MWSU responded by winning two straight sets 25-22 before winning the fourth 25-18, claiming the program's first MIAA title. The Griffons were led by Erin Erb's 14 kills, and meanwhile, Lauren Murphy went off for a match-high 52 assists.