Muleskinner

Issue date: 9/21/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Stephanie Flippin/Photo Editor bumped off -- Libero Katie Tarka returns the ball during a victory over Northwest Missouri State Saturday. Since 1998, the Jennies are a perfect 17-0 against the Bearcats, having not lost more than one game in any match during that span.

Media Credit: Stephanie Flippin/Photo Editor Set 'em up-- Freshman Caitlin Pankratz sets the ball to a teammate Saturday against Northwest Missouri State. The No. 10 Jennies will travel to Kirksville, Mo., Wednesday to battle No. 4 Truman.

The No. 10 Jennies' volleyball team will head to Kirksville, Mo., Wednesday to play the No. 4 Truman State Bulldogs.

Truman has a season record 14-1, which puts them just ahead of the 15-2 Jennies. The Jennies and Bulldogs have always played fiercely against each other, but in recent, years the Bulldogs have come out on top.
Friday, the girls will be in Hays, Kan., where they will take on the 1-15 Fort Hays State University Tigers. The Tigers have only won one game this year, which should make for a relatively easy win for CMSU.

"Hopefully the girls won't get overwhelmed by the five-hour bus ride," said coach Flip Piontek said.

"It's going to be a tough week," said Jillian Ohrman, the team's leading hitter. "We've been tending to break down, but then we get right back up, so we're going to do well this entire week."

Piontek agreed that this will be a tough week.

"Wednesday's game will be against a tough Truman team," Piontek said. "It will give us a glimpse of how the division will play out."

This past weekend was another undefeated run for the Jennies. The girls performed at a high level in front of the parents that came to the games.

Friday night was a heated match with University of Missouri-St. Louis. CMSU played great the first two games of the match, clearly showing their strength in killing and setting the ball.

After that, UMSL got a fighting spirit. The last three games in the match went by quickly. The teams were never more than three points apart. They were hard-hitting games.

"It was really tough competition," said Jillian Ohrman, who led the charge with 21 kills. "We worked together really well this week, and that is what helps us win."

The match Saturday morning was against Northwest Missouri State University. The Jennies continued their great play and fighting spirit from the night before and won the match, losing only one game by two points.

Ohrman is having a wonderful season, leading the team and pretty much the MIAA in kills.

"My position depends on the rest of the team doing what they do well," Ohrman said. "There has to be a good pass and set in order for me to do my job, so I really owe my success so far to the team."

Coach Peggy Martin now has 990 career wins. She is knocking on the door of 1,000 wins.

The team is aware of their part in the huge accomplishment.

"We all want to be the team that gets coach her 1,000th win," Ohrman said. "We had a meeting at the beginning of the year and made some goals for ourselves. Getting that 1,000th win was definitely one of those goals. Especially the seniors, who have given a large amount of the wins, they want to be on the team when that win happens. We are definitely excited about it."

Martin has been head coach at CMSU for 31 years and has a 975-257-8 record coaching the Jennies. She is already the first Div. II coach to achieve the 900-win mark.

If the Jennies can go without a loss, the 1,000th win game will take place at Missouri Western State University Oct. 20 in St. Joseph, Mo.

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