Weekly Release -- Oct. 15

The UNO volleyball team (12-9, 2-7 MIAA) returns to Sapp Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 15, hosting No. 7 Central Missouri at 7 p.m.

UCM holds a 27-11 all-time advantage over the Mavs, including four straight wins since 2008. UNO's last victory over Central Missouri came in 2006, a 3-2 victory at the UCM Jennies Challenge in Warrensburg, Mo.

The Mavericks look to snap a three-game losing skid, as they fell 3-0 to Northwest Missouri State and 3-2 at Missouri Western and No. 10 Truman last week.

Mavericks Host Dig Pink Night
Friday's game also marks UNO's “Dig Pink” promotional night to raise breast cancer awareness. Dig Pink events across the country are supported by college, high school and middle school coaches and teams, and proceeds help with awards grants to medical research organizations and support for breast cancer patients and their families.

For their part, the Mavericks will sell pink t-shirts and pink volleyballs for fans in attendance, and a silent auction is scheduled for the special pink jerseys that UNO student-athletes will wear during the match. Proceeds will go to the Side-Out Foundation.

Scouting the Competition: No. 7 Central Missouri
Record: 19-3 (9-1 MIAA)
Head Coach: Flip Piontek
Career Record: 53-8
Record at UCM: Same (2nd Year)
Last Match: W, 3-0 vs. Rockhurst (10/12/10)
Central Missouri tops the MIAA standings with a 9-1 league record. Its only conference loss of the year came at the hands of Washburn, 3-1, on Sept. 24. The Jennies boast a 10-game win streak, in place since Sept. 25.

Senior Uhing is Double Trouble
Senior outside hitter Kayla Uhing tallied her 11th double-double of the season at No. 10 Truman on Oct. 9, recording 17 kills and 10 digs. The numbers followed an identical performance the night before at Missouri Western, when she also finished with 17 kills and 10 digs. Uhing had five consecutive double-doubles from Sept. 11 to Sept. 21 and matched her career high of 18 kills at Pittsburg State on Sept. 17. She has 12 double-doubles in her career.

In addition, Uhing ranks among the top hitters in the MIAA with 3.23 kills per game, good for fourth in the league.

Myers Continues Climb Up Career Assists List
Junior setter Emily Myers continues to advance up the UNO career assists chart, and with 113 set assists over three matches last week, she now has 3,126 over two-plus seasons. Myers passed former Maverick Christie Johnson, who had 3,019 assists from 2002 to 2005. She needs 324 more to tie for fifth all-time with Wendy Melcher (1980-83), who had 3,343.

Myers also ranks 48th in the NCAA Division II rankings through matches of Oct. 10, averaging 9.85 per game.

Freshmen Playing Key Role for UNO
A pair of Maverick freshmen have been major contributors for UNO recently, as Abby Sorensen leads both the team and the MIAA with 0.51 service aces per set. Her 40 total aces for the season are far ahead of the next athlete on the list -- Truman's Kylie Easlon (33). It marks the second straight year that a Maverick newcomer has led the league, as now-sophomore Natalie Ebke also finished atop the conference ace  standings in 2009.

Additionally, with offensive threat Lizzy Mach out of the lineup, freshman middle hitter Megan Hutson has stepped into a more consistent role in recent weeks. Hutson hit .362 over three matches last week, totaling 26 kills (2.0 per set), along with seven blocks (0.54 per set). At Missouri Western on Oct. 8, she notched a career-best 10 kills with no errors.