Central Missouri Looks to Win MIAA Title Outright

By David Boyce

Setter Caitlin Pankratz is the only senior on the Central Missouri volleyball team. It's understandable that she wants her last season to be memorable.

But to be the leader of the team that OK's a goal of going undefeated in conference play might seem a little far-fetched, especially with so many nationally ranked teams in the MIAA.

"I think it is always a good thing to shoot for. It's a high goal," Pankratz said. "This conference is obviously really good, but there are surprises every year. We thought we would be the surprise this year."

Well, the Jennies' goal was crushed in the first MIAA game of the season, losing at home to Pittsburg State.

Sophomore middle hitter Paula Harris called the 3-0 loss to the Gorillas frustrating.

Heartbreaking was how Pankratz described it.

"We didn't do anything right," Pankratz said. "It was just one of those matches where balls were falling places they shouldn't fall.

"It kind of put a damper on going undefeated in conference, which we had a goal to do. But we knew we had a lot of time to play so it wasn't too huge of a headache."

The Jennies used the time to create headaches in the MIAA. Since that conference home loss, they have plowed through opponents.

Central Missouri heads into its final match on Friday at Nebraska-Omaha in prime position to be the outright champions in the MIAA. At 31-4 overall and 17-2 in conference, they have clinched at least a tie. Emporia State, which is 15-3 in the MIAA, is the only team that can catch the Jennies.

Pankratz said the Jennies have no intention to share the MIAA title. They want it all to themselves.

Plenty is riding on the game at Nebraska-Omaha. If Central Missouri wins it will all but lock up the No. 1 seed in the South Central Regional and be the host school.

"That's the word," Pankratz said.

The final regular season game will have a playoff-like atmosphere for the Jennies.

Pankratz, though, is not locked into the one-game-at-a-time cliché that most athletes are locked into.

"We are really looking forward to the end of the season and what's in store for us in our last seven matches," Pankratz said.

Seven matches? The schedule says you just have one regular-season match left.

"But we have six more after that before we win nationals," Pankratz said.

It's that kind of natural confidence that has allowed the Jennies to win 17 of their last 18 MIAA games, including three of four that went five sets.

That's very impressive when you consider the MIAA currently has six teams ranked in the top 25 with Central Missouri leading the way at No. 5.

In the one five-set match Central Missouri lost at No. 9 Emporia State, the Jennies were down 2-0 before charging back.

A never-give-up attitude in one of the strong characteristics of this team, said Harris.

"We have the mentality that you have to beat us versus we are going to just let you have the match," Harris said. "We come back when people think we are not going to make it back.

"We pursue every ball. We just don't let balls drop. You will see a play and you think it is going to drop, but we are going to keep going after it every time. Having the mentality you have to beat us has really helped us come a long way."

Through the years Central Missouri has been the gold standard in volleyball in the MIAA under Peggy Martin. She retired at the end of the last season and turned the reigns over to her longtime assistant, Flip Piontek.

Even though Piontek spent 23 years as an assistant at Central Missouri, he was in a new position. In addition, the Jennies were young with only one senior.

Piontek said the players have made the transition very easy for him.

"I didn't know what to expect," Piontek said. "Of course, it has gone really well. I think the players have made the season easier than I thought it would be because of how hard they are working with me going towards a goal the team has.

"I haven't had to fight them at all. They have been very cooperative. They have been very helpful. They know it is a different role for me, too."

The Jennies have been a team in every sense of the word.

"Our strength is that we have so many people who contribute," Pankratz said. "We don't have one player that is going to get every one of our kills and is going to be the all-star All-American player of the year. We have five or six players that can score at anytime. So if we have one player who is not playing well one game I can go to a different hitter.

"We know we will have each other's back. If they are not hitting well they will block well. I think our strength is just being well-rounded and having good defense and good offense."

Whatever happens, this has been one enjoyable season for Pankratz. It's the type of season all senior athletes dream about.

"I think everybody goes into a season expecting to do well. When it becomes reality it is even cooler," she said.

"It has been really fun, a great year to be my last year. I love all the girls. We get along really well. On and off the court we do fun stuff. I feel like they all support me and I support them. I can't imagine a better way to go out my last year."

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.