ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - No. 2 seed Missouri Western volleyball (22-6) will begin its MIAA tournament run locally this Thursday against No. 7 Central Missouri (11-14) from the Civic Arena at noon. MWSU collected a 3-0 win (25-18, 25-20, 25-23) in the regular season against UCM.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Ticket prices for each session of the tournament are $15. Fans also have the option to purchase an all-tournament pass for $30, which grants one individual access to every day of the event. Children under 4 years old can enter for free (no ticket required). For more information, click here.
 
TUNE IN
The match will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The MIAA Network showcased over 1,500 live broadcasts for its 14 member schools last season and is the home to all MIAA tournament events. For more information, visit https://themiaanetwork.com/miaa/. Live stats will be available for the match at  https://themiaa.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary.
 
FINAL MIAA STANDINGS – Second of 12

School	Conf	CPct.	Overall	Pct.	Streak
Nebraska Kearney	15-1	.938	28-1	.966	W8
Missouri Western	12-4	.750	22-6	.786	W1
Central Oklahoma	14-2	.875	27-2	.931	W7
Washburn	11-5	.688	20-6	.769	W1
Northwest Missouri	9-7	.562	15-11	.577	W1
Emporia State	9-7	.562	17-9	.654	L1
Central Missouri	7-9	.438	11-14	.440	W2
Fort Hays State	4-12	.250	12-13	.480	L4
Arkansas-Fort Smith	6-10	.375	14-14	.500	L2
Pittsburg State	5-11	.312	10-16	.385	L6
Missouri Southern	4-12	.250	6-22	.214	W2
Newman	0-16	.000	3-27	.100	L14

 
ABOUT THE JENNIES
Central Missouri has experienced a mixed 2024 season after winning last year's MIAA Tournament Championship. They finished with a 6-9 record in conference play despite being favored to defend their title. UCM concluded the regular season with a sweep of the Newman Jets and secured a thrilling five-set victory at home against Pittsburg State last Saturday.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST UCM
Missouri Western volleyball broke its 13-match winless streak against Central Missouri, a record dating back to 2017, with an impressive sweep at the MWSU Fieldhouse on November 8. Taylor Russell contributed significantly by scoring 11 points, which included 10 kills and two blocks. Nessa Johnson also had a standout performance, achieving her 16th double-double of the season with 32 assists and 10 digs. Meanwhile, Holly Heldt anchored the defense for the Griffs, recording 15 digs and four blocks.
 
LOOKING AHEAD IN THE TOURNAMENT
The winner of Missouri Western and Central Missouri will return to action on Friday at 5:00 p.m. to face the winner of Emporia State and No. 9 Central. The championship match will commence on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. For more information and updates, visit https://themiaa.com/tournaments/?id=98.