MARSHALL, Minn. – The Missouri Western tennis team (1-1) won at Southwest Minnesota State (0-1) 7-2 on Friday. MWSU has now won two of its last three matches going back to last season.

WHO WON
#1 Doubles – Bojana Vuksan and Sofia Aguilera, 8-5
#2 Doubles – Karolina Ström and Joanna Abreu Roman 8-2
#1 Singles – Bojana Vuksan, 6-0, 6-0
#2 Singles – Karolina Ström , 7-4, 6-3
#3 Singles – Sofia Aguilera, 6-2, 6-0
#4 Singles – Joanna Abreu Roman, 6-4, 6-0
#5 Singles – Bia Neto, 6-2, 6-2

DYNAMIC DUOS
Missouri Western has owned the #1 and #2 doubles and is off to a 4-0 start in those spots early in the season. Bojana Vuksan and Sofia Aguilera picked up their win against SMSU at #1 doubles 8-5. Karolina Ström and Joanna Abreu Roman claimed the #2 doubles match 8-2 against the Mustangs.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Bojana Vuksan played in her first collegiate events this weekend and didn’t miss a beat. Vuksan swept #1 singles 6-0, 6-0 against the Mustangs. In her first two events, Vuksan is 2-0 in both doubles and singles play.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Springfield, Missouri for the ITA Central Regional Tournament on Friday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 1.

— MWSU Athletics —

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Missouri Western volleyball team fell at Arkansas-Fort Smith, 3-1, Thursday in the first match of the Carr Racop Invitational.

DOAK DOMINATES AGAIN
Stephanie Doak tied her career-high of 21 kills in the match, which also ranks sixth all-time in Missouri Western history for a four-set match. Doak recorded 21 kills for the second consecutive game and now has at least 10 kills in seven of the team’s nine matches.

DIGGIN’ UP THE LIST
Kayla Ruff tallied 21 digs against the Lions, it is the fourth time this season Ruff has 20 or more digs. She also moved up two spots on the career digs list to seventh with 1,212 digs. Ruff is 16 digs away from cracking the career top-five.

FRESHMEN IMPACT
Freshmen Ali Tauchen and Liv Winker our new to the MWSU roster, but are making noticeable impacts thus far. Tauchen finished the match against UAFS with 17 digs, 12 kills, four blocks and an ace. She was second on the team for the match in each category as well. Winker finished with 32 assists, eight digs and two blocks against the Lions.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays a pair of matches on Friday, Sept. 15 in the Carr Racop Invitational at Fort Smith, Arkansas. MWSU’s first match is against Henderson State at 9 a.m. and second match serves at 4:30 p.m. against West Florida.

— Northwest Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Seven individuals and one team will be inducted into the Missouri Western State University Athletics Hall of Fame Oct. 20.

Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame weekend begins Friday, Oct. 20 with a reception and induction ceremony and continues Saturday, Oct. 21 with the annual Hall of Fame game against Fort Hays State. The class of 2017 will be recognized and presented with their Hall of Fame rings at halftime of the game.

The 2017 induction class includes:

1981-82 Men’s Basketball Team
The team went 25-7 under Hall of Fame coach head coach Gary Filbert who was assisted by Skip Shear and Bob Burchard. The Griffons won the CSIC with an 11-3 conference record and went on to win the NAIA District 16 championship. That season, the team went 16-1 at home as the first Griffon team to call the current MWSU Fieldhouse home. The team featured three NAIA All-District selections and Filbert was named NAIA District 16 Coach of the Year.

Chris Ball (Football: 1982-85)
Ball was an All-American defensive back for the Griffons in 1985. In his All-American season, Ball recorded 95 total tackles with two sacks, seven tackles for loss, three interceptions and five pass break ups. He recorded 12 career interceptions and was named All-CSIC three times in his Griffon career. Since graduating from Missouri Western, Ball has become a highly regarded defensive coach and has been the defensive coordinator at the University of Memphis since 2016. Ball has also had coaching stops at Arizona State, Washington State, Pittsburgh, Alabama and Missouri Western.

Clint Gilliland (Baseball: 2003-06)
Gilliland posted a career record of 25-19 with a 3.79 ERA in four seasons as a pitcher on the Griffon baseball team. He was named All-MIAA three times, including first team honors in 2005. Gilliland was also named second team CoSIDA All-District following the 2005 season. He posted nine-win seasons in 2004 and 2005 and never appeared in less than 13 games. Gilliland was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll four times and has been a Missouri State Trooper since 2007.

Nick Jenkins (Men’s Basketball: 1997-99)
Jenkins was twice named first team All-MIAA and following the 1998-99 season he was named first team All-South Region and honorable mention All-America. Jenkins averaged 15.5 points to go with 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game in his senior season. He was part of two MIAA regular season championships and one MIAA tournament championship while helping the team advance to the NCAA regional both seasons.

Gijon Robinson (Football: 2003-06)
Robinson was a three-time All-MIAA selection as a tight end for the Griffons, also earning honorable mention All-American honors in 2005. Robinson was a four-year starter, totaling 83 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named first team All-MIAA in 2005 after recording 28 catches for 428 yards. Robinson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2007 and spent six seasons in the NFL, playing in Super Bowl XLIV for the Colts.

Lindsey (Palaia) Seyller (Volleyball: 1999-2002)
One of the most decorated volleyball athletes in Missouri Western history, Lindsey (Palaia) Seyller was named MIAA Most Valuable Player in 2002. She was a first team All-MIAA selection in both 2000 and 2002 and was named first team AVCA and Daktronics All-South Central region in 2002. Lindsey led the Griffons with 379 kills in 2002 and her 3.79 kills per set average that season ranks first all-time at MWSU. Her 1,426 blocks are the most in Griffon history. She ranks fifth all-time with 1,256.5 career points.

Patsy Smith (Administrator: 1998-2014)
At the time of her retirement in 2014, Smith served as senior associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator, a role she held since 2012. She continued to serve part-time as athletic business manager until March of 2017 before returning as interim director of athletics in July of 2017. Smith began her career at Missouri Western in the fall of 1990 as a tennis student-athlete and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in accounting in 1995. In 1994, Smith became the head women’s tennis coach and led the team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament in 1998. That same year, she became the first athletics business manager at Missouri Western. She served in the roles of compliance and academics, director of finance, assistant athletics director and finally senior associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator.

Lamont Turner (Men’s Basketball: 2000-02)
Note: Turner was elected as part of the 2013 induction class, but was unable to attend ceremonies in prior years.

Turner was a leader on one of the best men’s basketball teams in Missouri Western history. He was named MIAA Most Valuable Player for the 2001-02 season after leading the MIAA in scoring with a 21.6 point per game average. He also led that Griffon team with 7.5 rebounds per game. That season the Griffons claimed the MIAA regular season championship and played in the NCAA South Central Regional. Turner is one of four Griffons all-time to score 1,000 points in a two-year career, totaling 1,138 in his two seasons.

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the second consecutive week, Missouri Western junior Shi Qing Ong was named MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Week.

Ong claimed her first individual tournament championship of the 2017-18 season this week at the Northeastern State Women’s Golf Classic. Ong had a two-round total of 1-under par, 143 to claim the title at the event. The junior helped her team to a three-way tie for first through three rounds. The Griffons tied with Henderson State for second after a three-team playoff to determine the trophy winner.

Ong was named MIAA Golfer of the Week four times last season on her way to first team All-MIAA and WGCA All-Region honors. She was the 2015-16 MIAA Freshman of the Year.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – For the first time in program history, Missouri Western soccer is nationally ranked.

The Griffons entered the United Soccer Coaches poll at No. 24 this week. To go along with that news, Cassidy Menke was named MIAA Offensive Athlete of the Week for the second straight week. In addition to the national ranking, the Griffons moved from fifth to third in the United Soccer Coaches central regional ranking.

Missouri Western is off to a program-best 4-0 start and has outscored opponents 18-3. The Griffons lead the nation in total goals and Menke is tied for the most individual goals (7) in all of Division II. Missouri Western’s 51 points are also the most in the country and its 3.75 assists and 12.75 points per game are fourth most.

Last week Menke became MWSU’s all-time leader in goals and points with three goals in a weekend road trip to South Dakota. Menke broke the career goals record Friday in a 3-0 win at Northern State then scored two more Sunday in a 4-2 win at Sioux Falls.

The Griffons host Northwest Missouri in a non-conference game Friday at 6 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Missouri Western junior Shi Qing Ong, who is the reigning MIAA Golfer of the Week, claimed her first tournament championship of the season as Ong won the Northeastern State Women’s Golf Classic at Cherokee Springs Golf Course. Ong shot an even-par 72 in the opening round and 1-under-par 71 in the second round to win the title with a 1-under-par 143.

Missouri Western tied for first as a team with a 614. Southwestern Oklahoma State would win a three team, five hole playoff between MWSU and Henderson State for the tournament championship.

Chong Yong finished tied for eighth with 152. Tiffanie Yabut dropped eight strokes from the first round to the second round and finished 16th with a 156. Jenna Kosmatka scored a 163 as Katie Irvin shot a 171 for the Griffons.

Missouri Western travels next to the MIAA Fall Preview on Monday, Sept. 25 at Mozingo Lake Golf Course in Maryville, Missouri.

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Missouri Western men’s golf finished in fifth place with an 880 at the Central Missouri Mule Invitational Tuesday at the Mules National Golf Club. The Griffons were just nine strokes back from second place.

Patrick McCarthy tied for sixth place, just three strokes from the lead, as he led MWSU with a three-round total of 214. Kevin Kim placed in the top 25 after he scored a 220 in the event. Lucas Horseman shot a 222 and Thomas Buffington carded a 224 over the three rounds. Cole Roberts rounded the scoring out with a 242 for Missouri Western.

Arkansas Tech won the team championship with an 857. Individual title honors were shared by Putter Srinoon of ATU, Nick Shapiro of Henderson State and Mason Banger from Harding. All three players shot 211.

MWSU travels to the Northeastern State Men’s Golf Classic on Sept. 18 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

— MWSU Athletics —

TALEQUAH, Okla. – Missouri Western sophomore Shi Qing Ong shot an even-par-72 Monday and has the lead after the first round of the Northeastern State Golf Classic at Cherokee Springs Golf Course. Missouri Western is in third place after the round with a 307 and is just two strokes off the lead.

Chong Yong is tied for second place and trails Ong by just a stroke with a 1-over-par 73 in the first round. Jenna Kosmatka carded an 80 as Tiffanie Yabut ended with an 82 for MWSU. Katie Irvin rounded out the Griffon scorecard with an 86.

Texas A&M Commerce sits atop the team standings after shooting a 305 in the opening round. Second round play begins for Missouri Western on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Missouri Western soccer moved to 4-0 for the first time in program history with a 4-2 win at Sioux Falls Sunday afternoon.

The Griffons scored three second half goals and saw several more records fall in the contest. Cassidy Menke became the program’s all-time points leader and Sydney Cluck broke the MWSU career assists record in the win.

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
For the first time this season, the Griffons trailed in a game after Sioux Falls got a goal in the ninth minute. Menke scored the initial equalizer and broke the points record with her sixth goal of the season in the 17th minute off an assist from Taylor Schwartzkopf. After Schwartzkopf gave MWSU a 2-1 lead early in the second half, Sioux Falls tied the game at two. From then on it was all Griffons as Madeline Cowell put the Griffs up for good scoring off her corner kick in the 78th minute. Menke padded the lead with her seventh goal of the season in the 83rd minute.

SECOND HALF TEAM
Along with the three second half goals, the Griffon defense went into lock-down mode in the final 45 minutes. Missouri Western allowed just three Sioux Falls shots in the second half while taking 12. The Griffons had seven second half corner kicks to none for Sioux Falls. MWSU has outscored opponents 10-2 in the second half this season, outshooting the opposition 49-16 after the break.

GOALS RECORDS ON ALERT
Four goals Sunday gave MWSU 18 already this season. Only two Griffon teams have ever scored more in an entire season. The high-water mark is 26 set in 2009 with last year’s team scoring 22. Not all results were reported at the time of this release, but the Griffons’ 4.5 goals per game average and 18 total led the MIAA following Sunday’s win. Menke is already just two shy of her own goals in a season record set in 2016.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western takes momentum into the first round against its rival to the north. The Griffons host Northwest Missouri (1-1) Friday, Sept. 15 in a non-conference tilt. Then No. 25 Lindenwood (2-1) comes to St. Joseph on Sunday, Sept. 17.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The Missouri Western volleyball team swept the University of Bridgeport (25-15, 25-18, 25-9) in their first match of the day Saturday but fell to West Texas A&M, 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22), in their final match at the Lindenwood Last Minute Challenge.

SERVES UP
MWSU served nine services aces as a team in the sweep over Bridgeport. Amanda Dalbey, Kayla Ruff and Ali Tauchen each recorded two aces for the Griffons. Mikayla Sellers-Wiebe would add two more aces for the Griffons against West Texas A&M.

HEAVY HITTERS
Stephanie Doak and Ali Tauchen combined for 65 of Missouri Western’s 104 kills in the two matches. Doak finished the day with 37 kills, including a new career-best 21 kills against West Texas A&M. Tauchen finished with double digit kills in both games, highlighted by a career-high 17 kills and .441 hitting percentage in the final match.

MONIES WORTH
Missouri Western and West Texas A&M made sure everyone got their monies worth as both teams battled the entire way. Three of the four sets in the match would be decided by three points or less. After ending the third set on an 8-2 run, MWSU won the set in extra points, 26-24.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Fort Smith, Arkansas on Thursday, Sept. 14 as it takes on Arkansas-Fort Smith at 7 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —