WARRENSBURG, Mo. – No. 20 Central Missouri (2-1) racked up 598 yards of total offense in a 51-14 win over the Missouri Western football team (1-2) on Saturday.

After UCM jumped out to a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter, Missouri Western chopped away and got within two scores after Dom Marino hit Derek Gray Jr. for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 9:08 left in the third. The Mules slammed the door with 24 unanswered points to hand the Griffons their second loss of the season.

UCM led 21-0 after one quarter of play and made it 24-0 with a field goal early in the second quarter. Marino put MWSU on the board two minutes later with a 33-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play, 74-yard Griffon drive. Central Missouri led 27-7 in the third quarter when the Mules fumbled a punt return on their own seven yard line. Marino hit Gray three plays later to get the Griffons within 13. It was all Central Missouri from that point on. The Mules scored on plays of 55, 64 and 40 yards in the game, passing for 435 yards and four touchdowns in the game.

Missouri Western totaled 205 yards of offense with 98 on the ground and 107 threw the air.

The Griffons return home for two-straight games on Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium. It will be Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, Sept. 22 when the Griffons host Northeastern State for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western volleyball team (8-5, 1-1 MIAA) picked up a four-set victory over Lindenwood (8-4, 0-2), Saturday afternoon in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Missouri Western jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Lindenwood took the third set, 25-18. The Griffons took set four, 25-21, to take the match 3-1 and earn their first MIAA win of the season. Down 11-8 early in the fourth set, the Griffons chipped away at the Lindenwood lead, taking 17-16 lead and never really looking back.

The Griffons had 13 blocks as a team. Stephanie Doak led the team again with 15 kills. Shellby Taylor added 13 kills and Ali Tauchen had 12. Audrey Keim led the team with 21 digs. Lauren Murphy had 43 assists. Taylor, Tauchen and Rachel Losch had four total blocks in the game.

Up next for the Griffons are four straight games on the road beginning Tuesday, Sept. 18 at Northwest Missouri (10-3).

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western volleyball fell just a few points short of upsetting No. 9 ranked Central Missouri in their home opener on Friday. MWSU lost 15-13 in the fifth set, coming up just short of the upset.

The Griffons began their first set in the newly-renovated MWSU Fieldhouse with a 25-21 win. Central Missouri was held to its lowest hitting percentage of the match at .111. The Jennies turned around and won the second match 25-17 as the Griffons struggled offensively, hitting their worst percentage of the match in that set.

The third set was all Griffons as they dominated by a score of 25-9. Leading Missouri Western in that set and throughout the night was Shellby Taylor. Taylor put together one of her best statistical performances of the season as she tallied 15 kills and three blocks.

The Jennies took the fourth and fifth sets to escape out of St. Joseph with the win.

Stephanie Doak was the team leader with 18 kills for the Griffons. Ali Tauchen made big plays in key moments throughout the night. She finished the match with 14 kills and three digs. Lauren Murphy led all players with 49 assists and Audrey Keim led all players with 31 digs.

Again, Friday night’s match was Griffon fans’ first chance to see the new-look MWSU Fieldhouse. The renovated facility now features black and gold painted walls, new bleacher and chair-back seating, and a Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame wall. Friday night was also the unveiling of Missouri Western’s 2017 MIAA Championship and Regional Semifinalist banners. Missouri Western President Dr. Robert Vartabedian and Director of Athletics Josh Looney showcased the new banners for Griffon fans and players during the pregame ceremony.

The Griffons will look to rebound Saturday as they face Lindenwood at 2:00 p.m. inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced Wednesday afternoon that Missouri Western senior Shi Qing Ong has been named the MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week. Ong received the award based on her performance at the NSU Women’s Golf Classic in Tahlequah, Oklahoma earlier in the week.

Ong placed second overall in the NSU Classic, finishing +2 with an overall score of 145. Out of the 90 golfers at the event, Ong was the top finisher from the MIAA. She was named to the NSU Classic All-Tournament Team and was just two strokes shy of tying the tournament score record.

Ong won MIAA Women’s Golf Athlete of the Week eight times last academic year. Ong and the Griffons’ next tournament will be the Augustana Fall Invitational on September 29.

— MWSU Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Missouri Western senior Shi Qing Ong placed second overall in the NSU Women’s Golf Classic on Tuesday finishing +2 with an overall score of 145. The Griffons finished fifth as a team, jumping up two spots after sitting in seventh after round one.

The Griffons’ first tournament of the season was cut short due to inclement weather, so the NSU Classic was their first chance to compete in a tournament from start to finish. Ong shot a +3 in the second round after finishing the first round one under par. Her overall score of 145 earned her a second-place finish out of the 90 golfers competing at the event. Her impressive finish also earned her a spot on the NSU Classic All-Tournament Team. Ong’s final score was only two strokes short of tying the tournament record.

Chong Yong also put together an impressive final round for the Griffons. Yong shot a 76 in the first round, which sat her tied for 19th on the leaderboards. She finished round two with a score of 74, tying with Ong for the team’s best score of the day. Her play in the second round jumped her all the way into the top-10, as she finished tied for 9th place with an overall score of 150.

Nina Lee finished in the top-25, finishing tied for 23rd with a score of 155.

Griffon Women’s Golf will be away from competition until they travel to the Augustana Fall Invitational on September 29.

— MWSU Athletics —

WARRENSBURG – Missouri Western junior Patrick McCarthy put together an impressive final round at the Mule Invitational in Warrensburg on Tuesday, finishing with a 68 in the final round of the tournament. McCarthy took sixth and was the top finisher for the Griffons. MWSU placed tenth as a team in the tournament.

McCarthy came into Tuesday tied for 14th place before putting together one of the best third rounds at the tournament, going -2 on the day. McCarthy ended the event with an overall score of 209 and finished one shot under par on his first action of the season.

Newcomer Jett Simmons was the next-best finisher for the Griffons. Simmons shot a 72 in the final round and ended with an overall score of 217. Lucas Horseman shot a 220 for the Griffons

Missouri Western will travel again next week for the NSU Men’s Golf Classic on September 17.

— MWSU Athletics —

WARRENSBURG – Missouri Western Men’s Golf teed off for the first time in the 2018 season in the first two rounds of the Mule Invitational on Monday.

The Griffons shot 574 and are currently in seventh at the event, but sit just two shots out of fifth place. The Griffons are facing a large field in their first tournament of the season, with 18 total teams competing in the event.

Junior Patrick McCarthy was the top Griffon golfer in the first two rounds. McCarthy jumped up the leaderboards in the second round, going from 29th to now tied for 14th. His 69 in the second round puts him at +1 going into day two.

Lucas Horseman is the next Griffon on the leaderboards and sits at +3. Freshman Jett Simmons has also had a strong showing in his first collegiate tournament. Simmons shot +5 and also has the second-most pars at the event with 28.

The third and final round of the Mule Invitational begins at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

— MWSU Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Missouri Western women’s golf team sits in seventh place after the first day of the NSU Golf Classic in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Griffon junior Shi Qing Ong leads MWSU as is tied for second place and one shot back of first.

The Griffons finished the day with an overall score of 307 and just five shots away from the being in the top five. Missouri Western is competing against some familiar competition. There are 18 teams competing at the NSU Golf Classic, with 11 of those being MIAA institutions.

Shi Qing Ong finished the round 1-under to tie for second with four other student-athletes. Ong has the second-most birdies in the field with four. Chong Yong also put together a solid round for the Griffons, as she finished +4 and tied for 18th with three birdies.

The Griffons will tee off at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday morning for round two.

— MWSU Athletics —