WARRENSBURG, MO (August 20, 2001) -- Central Missouri State's women's volleyball team will be the first CMSU team to see action in the 2001-2002 school year. Starting their 26^th season under the guidance of head coach Peggy Martin, the Jennies open their 2001 campaign with three matches this weekend (Aug. 24-25) at Quincy University's McDonald's Invitational. Ranked 19th in the AVCA Division II preseason coaches' poll, the Jennies open their season Friday at 11:00 a.m. against Northern Michigan, then play host Quincy at 8:00 p.m. Saturday the Jennies meet Minnesota-Crookston at 11 a.m. Northern Michigan received votes in the AVCA poll, but did not make the top 25. Quincy and Minn.-Crookston are not ranked. The Jennies are 1-4 against Northern Michigan, with the last meeting coming in 1996 at the Division II Elite Eight. They have won all seven previous meetings with Quincy, the most recent coming last season. They have never played Minn.-Crookston.

The weekend matches will mark the Jennies' first experience with volleyball's new scoring system that is in effect for this season. Matches are still a best three-out-of-five format, but all games now will be played under "rally scoring" rules, with every serve resulting in a point. The first four games in a match will go to 30 points, with the winning team needing a two-point advantage. The fifth game in a match will go to 15 points with a two-point margin required.

NCAA Division II's winningest coach with 841 career victories, Martin has four starters back from last season's 26-8 team that won an unprecedented 19th straight MIAA title (co-champions for first time) and made an 18th straight NCAA tournament appearance. The Jennies' returning starters are senior setter Robyn Griffin, a first-team all-MIAA selection; senior middle hitter Janell (Juh-NELL) Mohme (MOE-me), a second-team all-MIAA selection; junior outside hitter Anna Patterson and sophomore middle hitter Trudy Carter, the MIAA freshman of the year last season. Also returning is junior defensive specialist Jacque Barr.

Newcomers expected to see considerable action this weekend are sophomore outside hitter Carrie Potthast (POT-ast), a transfer from Division I Murray State, and freshmen Elyse (E-LEASE) Mohme and Michelle Uchtman (OOCH-man).