ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Western volleyball team is set to open the 2024 season tomorrow and Saturday at the 2024 Oredigger Volleyball Classic in Golden, Colorado.
 
All of the Griffon volleyball matches will be broadcast on the RMAC Network, and live stats will be provided for each contest. Visit the tournament website for more information on the Oredigger Classic.
 
OREDIGGER VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC
*All times listed in the central time zone*
 
The Griffons will open the season against No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul at 2 p.m. before meeting host Colorado Mines at 7 p.m. MWSU will battle CSP for the second time in program history and looks to avenge their 2017 regional semifinal loss to the eventual national champions. Western and Colorado Mines will also meet for the second time in program history. The Orediggers claimed the inaugural match 3-1 in 2008.
 
Action from Colorado will resume Saturday at 11 a.m. against Concord and concludes at 4 p.m. against No. 13 Regis. The Griffons will face Concord for the first time in program history and look to level the series against Rangers after dropping a four-setter in 2018.
 
LOOKING BACK AT 2023
In Jessica Fey's second season at the helm, the Griffons collected an impressive 21-10 (13-7 MIAA) record, their first 20-win season since 2017.
 
Missouri Western surpassed all expectations in the 2023 season after being predicted to finish seventh. MWSU ended the regular season fourth in the conference standings. They reached the conference semifinal match by defeating Washburn before falling to No. 18 Central Missouri.
 
The Griffons ranked near the top of the conference in multiple categories and led the entire country in digs per set with an average of 19.58. Their strong service game was evident with 174 service aces (1.55 AVG/S), which ranked third in the MIAA. Additionally, they averaged the fifth-most points (16.71 AVG/S), assists (11.97 AVG/S), kills (13.07 AVG/S) and blocks (2.08 AVG/S).

Western had five players earn All-MIAA honors: Holly Heldt (First Team), Anna Weberg (First Team), Nessa Johnson (Second Team), Danielle Moje (Second Team) and Taylor Russell (Second Team).
 
NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
Following their season-opening trip to the Oredigger Volleyball Classic, Missouri Western will then travel east to Allendale, Michigan, for the Hampton Inn and Suites Downtown Classic on September 13-14 in Allendale and Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Action will begin against Saginaw Valley State, followed by matches against No. 24 Grand Valley State, Davenport and Tiffin.
 
The Griffons will then travel to Bethany, Oklahoma, for the SNU/UCO Invite on September 20-21 to square off with a trio of central region teams from the Great American Conference. They will open the weekend invitational against Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Baptist before concluding the weekend against Southern Nazarene.
 
Non-conference action will end on October 22 with a mid-season road match against William Jewell.
 
MIAA OUTLOOK
Missouri Western volleyball was picked to finish fifth in the 2024 MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll with 81 points, just behind Washburn, who tallied 90 points and a first-place vote.
 
Fifteenth-ranked Central Missouri was selected to repeat as conference champions with 113 points and five first-place votes, followed by No. 23 Central Oklahoma and No. 9 Nebraska Kearney.
 
This season's conference schedule includes 16 matches, nine of which will be played at MWSU Fieldhouse beginning on September 27 and 28 against Emporia State and Washburn.
 
After a three-match road trip in early October, Missouri Western will return home on October 11 for their first conference meeting with Arkansas Fort Smith before facing No. 23 Central Oklahoma on October 12.
 
Five of their next six matches will be on the road in the latter half of October, except a highly anticipated match against rival Northwest Missouri State on October 26. The Bearcats are currently receiving votes in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
 
The regular season will conclude with a four-match home stand, starting with a weekend clash against No. 15 Central Missouri and Missouri Southern on November 8-9. The final matches of the regular season will take place on November 14-15 against No. 9 Nebraska Kearney and Fort Hays State.
 
The 2024 MIAA Volleyball Championship is scheduled for November 21-23 at the Civic Arena.
 
MEET THE OUTSIDE HITTERS
On the outside, the Griffons return sophomore Holly Heldt and senior Hailey Crane to the lineup, with freshman Anna Strohmeier (Council Bluffs, Iowa / Lewis Central HS) and Noelle Sutcliffe (Norwalk, Iowa / Norwalk HS) also joining the mix.
 
Heldt was named MIAA Freshman of the Year and received All-MIAA First Team recognition last season. The Hermann, Missouri native achieved 16 double-doubles and ranked fifth in the MIAA with 359 kills. In addition, she added 42 service aces, 39 blocks and 388 digs.
 
Crane enters her final season with 316 career kills, 75 service aces and 45 assists. She appeared in 87 sets last season for the Griffons, tallying 17 aces, 10 kills and seven assists.
 
MEET THE OPPOSITE HITTERS
Senior Shelby Dannegger and sophomores Taylor Russell and Emily Loy (also an OS) all return from last season.
 
Russell was tabbed All-MIAA Second Team last season after hitting .290 with 330 kills. She also recorded 70.0 blocks, 47 digs and six assists in 31 starts for the Griffons.
 
Dannegger enters her final season. During her time at Missouri Wester, she has tallied 35 kills, 13 blocks and two assists. Loy appeared in seven matches last season, totaling five kills and digs.
 
MEET THE MIDDLE HITTERS
Five Griff's will occupy the middle hitter position, including senior Lily Kurz and junior Emma Salker (Also an OPP).
 
Kurz ended last season with 110 blocks, 160 kills, 71 digs and 23 aces. The Longmont, Colorado native enters her final season at MWSU with 313 kills, 199 blocks and 128 digs in 60 career matches.
 
Stalker also brings a wealth of experience to the middle blocker position after starting in all 31 matches last season. She finished last season with 259 kills, 126 digs and 63.0 blocks.
 
Freshman Natalia Farrugia (Mukwonago, Wis. / Mukwonago HS), Mackenzie Peters (Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater Area HS) and Brooklyn Gormley (Topeka, Kan. / Seaman HS) will also vie for playing time this season in the middle rotation.
 
MEET THE SETTERS
Senior Nessa Johnson will be the featured setter heading into the 2024 campaign. Sophomores Hayley Barsky and Ady Horn, along with freshman Caylee Rowley (Waverly, Neb. / Waverly HS), will also specialize in setting the up  Griffon attack this season.
 
Johnson, an All-MIAA Second Team selection last season, finished with 1133 assists, 350 digs, 36 aces and 32.0 blocks. The Gilbert, Iowa native has had a storied career with over 2200 assists, 700 digs and 100 kills over the course of three seasons.
 
MEET THE LIBEROS
This season, junior Lia Graham and sophomores Anna Weberg and Jadyn Padilla will serve as the liberos/defensive specialists.
 
Weberg was one of the top liberos in the MIAA last season, as she was named to the All-MIAA First Team. The Omaha, Nebraska native finished second in the MIAA with 599 digs while adding 108 assists, 17 aces and five kills to her freshman resume'.
 
Graham finished last season with 272 digs and 10 assists in 31 matches. Padilla provided 65 digs and four assists in 15 matches.