ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Griffon volleyball (15-9) pushed its winning streak to four matches with a 3-1 victory over Washburn (14-9). MWSU has now won eight of the last nine matches and is tied for second place in the MIAA standings.

KNOCKING THEM OFF
Missouri Western knocked off Washburn for the first time since Oct. 18, 2014. MWSU extends its series lead to 47-40 over WU.

SHARING THE WEALTH
For back-to-back games, the Griffons had four attackers finish with double digits kills. Stephanie Doak led the way with 17 kills and hit .311 for the match. Shellby Taylor added 13 kills and Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe recorded 10 kills. Rachel Losch had a match-high .364 hitting percentage as she ended with 12 kills.

CRUNCH TIME
Kayla Ruff has provided big defensive plays throughout her career against the Ichabods. She finished the match against Washburn with 29 digs, the third most for a four set match. Ruff set program records for digs in a three set match in 2016 and four set match in 2015 against Washburn.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Maryville, Missouri on Tuesday, Oct. 24. First serve against the rival Bearcats is scheduled for 7 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Kaitlyn Shoemaker led the Griffon women’s cross country team to a ninth place finish, with the junior finishing third at the MIAA championships Saturday in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Shoemaker’s personal record, 22:25 in the 6k event on the Pertle Springs Golf Course. Christian Arburthnot posted a season personal record with a 27:50 in the men’s 8k race. The Griffon men finished 11th as a team.

The women’s team scored 204 total points, just three behind eighth place Central Missouri. Megan Gillen finished with a 24:29; Kelsey Cox a 24:54; Claire Reedy a 25:20 and Mariah Smith with a personal record 25:40 to round out the scoring Griffons in the women’s race.

With top runner Noah Rasmussen out with an injury the men’s team scored 329 points, getting scores from Abuthnot, Alex Bautista (28:59), Jackson Rush (29:01), Ross Baumer (29:25) and Dax Driskill (31:02).

Both teams will next compete at the NCAA Division II Central Regional in Kearney, Nebraska on Nov. 4.

— MWSU Athletics —

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Missouri Western soccer team won its program-record seventh MIAA game of the 2017 season with its 10th shutout of the year Friday night at Washburn 1-0.

All it took for Missouri Western to get to 13-2 overall and 7-1 in the MIAA was a Bridget Blessie goal in the 13th minute off a Madeline Cowell corner kick. Playing without Sarah Lyle, the Griffons limited Washburn (8-6-1, 4-4) to just two shots on goal and Lexie Martin saved them both.

The Griffons out-shot Washburn 8-6 with the two more shots coming in the first half. The two teams were even at six on corner kicks and the Griffons had three more fouls than the Ichabods. Cassidy Menke had five of the team’s shots with one on goal. Blessie, Sarah Blakley and Megan Maenner had the other three shots for the team.

UP NEXT
The fourth of five-straight road games for the Griffons, who have yet to lose a road conference game, comes Sunday at Emporia State (6-7-2, 2-5-1).

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western volleyball (14-9) defeated Emporia State (13-10) in five sets at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons won their third consecutive match and have also won seven out of the last eight matches.

BEND BUT DON’T BREAK
MWSU moved to 2-0 in five set matches this season. The Griffons dominated in the winner take all fifth set by hitting .545 for the match, .345 better than the Hornets. Emporia State gave away nine points in the set with seven attack errors and two service errors.

FEARSOME FOURSOME
Missouri Western had a balance attack as four hitters ended with 13 kills or more. Shellby Taylor led the Griffons with 18 kills and hit .483 for the match. Ali Tauchen and Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe each had 14 kills in the five set victory. Rachel Losch added 13 kills and hit .524 for the match.

DEFENSE DOES IT
Defensive was the name of the game for MWSU in the win as it finished with 70 digs and 10 total blocks. Kayla Ruff led the team with 19 digs; it is her 22nd consecutive game this season of double-digit digs. Amanda Dalbey added 16 digs and Lauren Murphy ended with 10 digs. Ali Tauchen led the defense at the net with seven block assists. Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe had five block assists and seven digs.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western host Washburn on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Northwest Missouri has been picked to finish first in men’s basketball in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. They received 169 points and captured all 13 first place votes for which they were eligible (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team). The Bearcats are led by senior Justin Pitts, who received several national player of the year recognitions last season including the NABC D2 Player of the Year and the Bevo Francis Award.

Central Missouri was picked second receiving 145 points just one point ahead of Washburn who received the other first place vote. Nebraska Kearney (124 points) and Central Oklahoma (115 points) rounded out the top five.

The season gets underway next week with several MIAA teams playing exhibition games against Division I opponents including Northwest Missouri at Duke University on October 27.

All MIAA regular season conference contests and the conference tournament will be broadcast live on The MIAA Network.

The 2018 MIAA Men’s Basketball Championship is slated to get underway on February 27 with first round on-campus contests. The final eight will advance to historic Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City March 1-4 as the teams compete for the championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

2017-18 MIAA Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Northwest Missouri (13)* 169
2. Central Missouri 145
3. Washburn (1) 144
4. Nebraska Kearney 124
5. Central Oklahoma 115
6. Missouri Southern 112
7. Fort Hays State 100
8. Pittsburg State 87
9. Lindenwood 86
10. Emporia State 48
11. Lincoln 45
12. Northeastern State 41
13. Southwest Baptist 40
14. Missouri Western 18

*( ) indicates number of first place votes

— MIAA Press Release —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team was picked sixth in the MIAA Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

The Griffons received 106 total points, just four behind Fort Hays State for fifth in the poll. Central Missouri was picked first with 158 points and seven first place votes. 2016-17 MIAA regular season champions Pittsburg State was just behind the Jennies with 157 points and four first place votes. Emporia State was picked third and Central Oklahoma fourth with one first place vote.

MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Central Missouri (7) – 158 points
2. Pittsburg State (4) – 157 points
3. Emporia State (2) – 150 points
4. Central Oklahoma (1) – 138 points
5. Fort Hays State – 110 points
6. Missouri Western – 106 points
7. Lindenwood – 96 point
8. Washburn – 88 points
9. Southwest Baptist – 78 points
10. Nebraska Kearney – 62 points
11. Missouri Southern – 49 points
12. Northwest Missouri – 43 points
13. Northeastern State – 21 points
14. Lincoln – 18 points

Missouri Western finished in a tie for fourth in the final regular season standings a year ago, going 21-8 overall and 13-6 in MIAA play. The 2017-18 Griffons will feature a host of new faces. Three letter winners from last year’s team return with nine newcomers to Rob Edmisson’s sixth MWSU team.

Erin Anderson is the team’s top returning point scorer, averaging 6.5 points per game last season. Savannah Lentz averaged 6.1 points per game last year and Melia Richardson returns after averaging 5.8 points per game in 2016-17.

The season begins Friday, Nov. 10 when the team travels to Fayette, Iowa to take on Southwest Minnesota State and Upper Iowa in the MIAA/NSIC Tournament hosted by Upper Iowa. The first home game this season is Wednesday, Nov. 15 against William Jewell.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An undefeated weekend road trip to Oklahoma that produced four Missouri Western goals and none for their opponents helped the Griffon women’s soccer program sweep the MIAA’s weekly student-athlete awards.

Missouri Western broke Central Missouri’s streak of three-straight sweeps of the weekly awards and Sarah Lyle became the first goalkeeper other than UCM’s Ana Dilkes to receive the award this season.

Lyle helped Missouri Western complete its record breaking ninth shutout of the season Sunday at Northeastern State after combining with Lexie Martin for the record-tying eighth shutout of the season, Friday at Central Oklahoma. The senior keeper had four saves over the two games to improve her season record to 12-2.

Menke picked up her third MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week honor of the season by scoring her 12th and 13th goals of the year. The junior leads the MIAA and ranks 11th in the nation in goals scored. She put the Griffons up 2-0 at Central Oklahoma and scored the Griffons’ only goal at Northeastern State.

Blessie was named MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week after helping Missouri Western limit its two opponents to a total of 17 shots, five shots on goal and five corner kicks. The senior helped out the offensive effort as well, adding the first goal of the Central Oklahoma win and an assist on Menke’s goal at UCO.

The Griffons are 12-2 overall and 6-1 in MIAA play entering the next-to-last week of the regular season. Missouri Western stands alone in second place in the MIAA standings and makes trips to Washburn and Emporia State this weekend.

— MWSU Athletics —

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Missouri Western men’s golf team finished tied for sixth place with a three round total of 909 in the Washburn Invitational at the Topeka Country Club.

Kevin Kim led Missouri Western in all three rounds with a 226 and finished in the top 30 of the individual field. Patrick McCarthy shot a 228 in the two-day event. Tom Buffington carded a 230, which included a 71 in the second round the lowest single round by any Griffon for the tournament. Lucas Horseman recorded a 231 and Jacob Majeske rounded out the MWSU scorecard with a 232.

Lindenwood won the team title with an 872 in a sudden playoff over Central Oklahoma. Blake Allen of Washburn won the individual championship with a 213 on the third hole of a sudden death playoff.

Missouri Western concluded the fall season of its schedule in the Washburn Invitational. The Griffons finished sixth place or better in four of their five fall tournaments.

— MWSU Athletics —

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Missouri Western men’s golf team is in seventh place with a 598 after two rounds in the Washburn Invitational at the Topeka Country Club.

Kevin Kim led Missouri Western on the first day with a 148, which placed him inside the top-20. Patrick McCarthy finished a stroke behind Kim with a 149. Tom Buffington shot a 152 in the day’s two rounds. Lucas Horseman and Jacob Majeske both carded a 154 to round out the MWSU scorecard.

Washburn led the team standings with a 580. The Ichabod’s Blake Allen led the individual field with a 137. The final round of the event is Tuesday, Oct. 17.

— MWSU Athletics —

PITTSBURG, Kan. – Griffon football (4-3) had its three-game win streak snapped in a 26-10 loss at Pittsburg State (3-4), Saturday afternoon.

With quarterback Dom Marino not available due to an illness and Joshua Caldwell limited by an injury suffered early in the game, Missouri Western’s top-ranked scoring offense was held in check by the Gorillas. The Griffons were held to 189 total yards of offense and were nearly held without a touchdown for the first time since the season opener at Nebraska Kearney.

STRENGTHS LIMITED
After five straight-games of scoring at least 40 points, the Griffon offense was held to just one late touchdown and a second quarter field goal. The Griffons also entered with the MIAA’s top rushing offense, a unit that was limited to just 89 net yards on 37 attempts. Caldwell – the MIAA’s top rusher – ended the game with 54 rushing yards on just nine carries. The junior’s playing time was limited after a shoulder injury early in the first quarter. After five-straight games with multiple takeaways, Missouri Western led the nation with 21 forced turnovers. Saturday, the only turnover in the game came on a third quarter interception by Brandin Dandridge.

DEFENSE KEEPS IT CLOSE
After allowing Pittsburg State to score touchdowns on its first two drives of the game, the Griffon defense clamped down and kept the Griffons in the game. The Gorillas ended the game with 263 total yards of offense, but 139 of those yards came on their first two drives. Missouri Western’s defense held Pitt State to just 57 yards, combined, on its next 10 drives. Jonathan Owens finished with a career-high 16 tackles in the game. Cody Lindsay, the reigning MIAA Defensive Athlete of the Week finished with 10 total tackles, three for loss, and a sack.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western gets two-straight home games, beginning with the Hall of Fame Game presented by Rogers Pharmacy, next Saturday, Oct. 21 against Fort Hays State (7-0).

— MWSU Athletics —