Fayette, Mo. - For the seventh consecutive year, the Central Methodist Volleyball program will compete at the NAIA National Tournament.
However, it will mark the first time in that stretch that Central will head out on the road for opening round, traveling to Waxahachie, Texas to face Nelson University.
Central secured an auto bid into this year's big dance after winning the Heart of America Regular Season Conference Championship for the first time since 2004. CMU enters tournament play with a 26-7 overall record, including a 14-3 mark in the Heart of America.
CMU will be led by a variety of upperclassmen including super senior Annabelle Maassen, junior Joana Milho, and senior libero Rita Campos. The trio earned conference honors from the Heart of America, highlighted by first team selections for Maassen and Milho, and a second team nod for Campos.
Maassen leads the charge as a senior captain, starting in all but one match in 2024. The native of Jefferson City saved her best season for last, setting single-season career bests in kills (253), kills/set (2.32), digs/set (2.98) and points (310).
Milho enters national tournament play posting a .208 hitting percentage and averaging 3.15 kills/set. The native of Lisboa, Portugal leads the team in kills (362) and kills/set.
Campos has appeared in all 33 matches and 115 total sets, racking up 548 total digs and averaging 4.77 digs/set. She also dished out 130 assists.
Nelson enters the dance with a 29-5 overall record, going undefeated in conference play at 22-0. The Lions hosted the conference championship match but fell in straight sets.
The Lions have driven by standout performances from key players such as Tessa Glick the program's all time leader in digs, sophomore Cassidy Hargesheimer the four time Oklahoma Ford Dealers Volleyball Setter of the Week and Bailee Alexander who leads the team in total kills.
Both sides are familiar with eachother, as they met in the Opening Round in 2021 back in Fayette. Central fended off a furious Lions' comeback, winning the match 3-2 and punching their ticket to the Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa. At the time of the meeting, Nelson University was known as Southwestern Assemblies of God.
The match will take place Saturday, Nov. 23 at 1:00 p.m. in Waxahachie, Texas.
For live coverage of the event, please click here.
To view our Opening Round preview with senior libero Rita Campos, please click here.
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