Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. --  In a defensive battle Friday night at the Sapp Fieldhouse, 14th-ranked Central Missouri pulled out a 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23) victory over the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association volleyball action.

Nebraska-Omaha fell to 9-12 on the season and 5-5 in the MIAA with the loss, while UCM improved to 22-6 overall and 9-2 in league action.

Led by #Annie Rice#, #Angie Reicks#, and #Kayla Jansen#, who each notched 16 digs, a season-high six Mavericks recorded double-figure dig totals as UNO tallied 93 total digs in the match. The Jennies were equally impressive defensively, registering 94 digs, to go along with eight team blocks. UCM was led in the backcourt by Rachel Fister's match-high 29 digs.

Outside hitters #Kayla Uhing and Kelli Goeser# combined for 30 kills to lead UNO offensively. Uhing registered her first career double-double with a match-high 16 kills and a career-high 11 digs. Goeser had 14 kills and three digs.

Junior #Ellen Thommes# recorded seven kills, a career-high 13 digs, and a match-high five blocks as UNO had seven total team blocks, helping the Mavericks gain a slight .162 to .161 edge in hitting percentage.

Freshman setter #Emily Myers# garnered her team-leading seventh double-double of the season with 42 assists and 12 digs.

Uhing was the only Maverick to hit above .000 in the first set, totaling seven kills on .263 hitting as UNO committed 10 attack errors and hit just .040 as a team. The Jennies struggled as well in the first frame, hitting at a .023 clip. Capped by a Uhing blast off the block, the Mavs battled back from an 18-12 deficit, by going on a 9-3 run to close the margin to 22-21.  Kills by the Jennies' Paula Harris and a Uhing attack error gave UCM three set points at 24-21. Another Uhing kill and a hitting error by Harris pulled the Mavs to within one until a solo block by Harris on Thommes ended the first set, 25-23.

Goeser sparked the Mavs in the second stanza with seven kills on .333 hitting, including the game winner off the UCM block.

The Mavericks had two set points in the third at 24-23, and 25-24, but kills by Harris and Allie Huffman knotted the contest each time. Goeser had five swings for the set during a rally at 25-24 but she could not find the floor.  After a Uhing attack error gave the Jennies a 26-25 advantage, UNO stayed alive thanks to a service error by Harris. UCM had set point again at 27-26 but Thommes blasted her third kill of the set to tie the score at 27. Two-straight kills by the Jennies' Jacquelyn Williams gave UCM the third set, 29-27.

The Jennies built an eight-point lead in the fourth set at 16-8, before UNO was able to claw its way back.  Three kills by Goeser and a pair by both #Brittany Hanssen and Lizzy Mach# paced a 12-5 Maverick run that brought UNO to within one at 21-20.  After two UCM kills and a Maverick service error, the Jennies served for the match at 24-21. However, a service error by UCM's Kelsey Ortwert and a kill by Thommes forced the Jennies to call a timeout at 24-23. A shot by UCM's Brooke Butler that landed on the endline allowed the Jennies to escape with the victory.

Central Missouri was led offensively by Harris who had 13 kills and Butler, who chipped in with 12 putaways.

The Mavericks will head to Joplin, Mo. next Wednesday, Oct. 22, for a 7 p.m. MIAA match at Missouri Southern.