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The Tigers came back from down 2 sets to 1 to top the Lady Vols

Mizzou Volleyball showcased its ability to battle against some of the best in the SEC with a five set win (25-22, 25-27, 18-25, 25-23, 15-7) over a Tennessee team receiving votes in the top-25.

The Tigers celebrated their annual Pink Out match with a come from behind victory in front of a crowd of 3,345.

Mizzou jumped out to a 12-9 lead in set one as both teams struggled with service errors early on, but Tennessee responded to tie it 14-14 on a 4-1 run with three kills by outside hitter Hayden Kubik.

The Tigers regained some separation with a 3-0 run, leading 20-18, but UT came back to tie it up with kills by Kubik and middle blocker Chelsea Sutton. Dawn Sullivan’s squad then shut the door for good with a 4-1 run to end the set, clinching the 25-22 opening frame victory on two straight kills by Mychael Vernon.

Missouri’s Mychael Vernon (19) hits a ball past Tennessee blockers during a game on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)

Mizzou carried the momentum over to the second set, leading 9-6 after a service ace by Vernon, but the Lady Vols used a 3-0 run to seize an 11-10 lead with an ace of their own by outside hitter Nina Cajic.

The Tigers dealt with a scary moment on the court during this time, as Colleen Finney fell to the floor after taking a direct hit to the head from the volleyball on Hayden Kubik’s swing. Fortunately, she was quickly back up and talking, and reentered the match with no signs of issues shortly after.

The two teams went back-and-forth, Tennessee never leading by more than two, until a 3-1 Mizzou run made it set point for the home team. UT battled back, fending off two set points, and evened the match with a 3-0 run to clinch the second set 27-25.

The Lady Vols capitalized after nearly falling behind 2-0, taking a 14-9 lead in set three with a 5-0 run including four consecutive attacks errors by the Tigers’ hitters. The visitors then added a 4-1 run immediately after to move ahead 18-11.

Mizzou responded with five straight points, including two kills by Vernon, to make it 18-16. But an immediate 5-0 run by Tennessee erased the work Dawn Sullivan’s squad had just put in, and the Lady Vols clinched the third set 25-18 on a service error by Marina Crownover.

Missouri’s Maya Sands (3) watches as a ball falls out of the reach of other MU players during a game against Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)

The visitors made an early push to put away the Tigers in set four, taking a 7-1 lead as Mizzou piled up four attack errors, two of them on blocks. But the home squad immediately works its way back into the match with a 9-2 run, taking a 10-9 lead with the help of two kills by Janet deMarrais.

Tennessee quickly retook the lead, holding on to its advantage as late as 19-18 after a kill by middle blocker Keondreya Granberry. This set was tight until the very end, but the Tigers prevailed 25-23 after going on a 3-1 run to close things out and force a decisive set five.

Nina Cajic again had the hot hand early in the fifth set, powering the Lady Vols to a 4-3 lead with two kills and a service ace.

From there? It was all Tigers.

Mizzou went on a 10-1 run, taking a commanding 13-5 lead, with the help of two kills each by deMarrais and Vernon alongside a kill and two aces by Iliff.

The Tigers played some of their best defense of the season during this time, winning multiple long rallies and getting several highlight-level plays from All-SEC libero Maya Sands. The team held Tennessee to a -.080 hitting percentage in the final frame, and Sands finished with 22 digs for the match.

“Unreal, right?,” asked head coach Dawn Sullivan. “I think they were to a point where they were like, ‘We’re not losing this game.’”

The energy was palpable in the crowd and on the Mizzou bench during the run, building more and more as it became clear the team was headed towards the comeback victory. That energy was released when Vernon and Regan Haith paired to block Hayden Kubik, clinching the fifth set 15-7 and securing the big win.

Missouri’s Mychael Vernon (19) and Regan Haith (11) deliver the game-winning block of Tennessee’s Hayden Kubik (33) to win the fifth set on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)

“We called one of these timeouts and like, ‘Hey, this isn’t who we’re going to be, and this isn’t what we’re about,’” said Sullivan. “And so we just kind of went back out, we’re like, ‘We’re going to work harder than they are and we’re going to continue to battle, and it will come our way.’”

Missouri’s Regan Haith (11) celebrates her game-winning block to win the fifth set of a game against Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo. (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)

Jordan Iliff led the charge on offense for the Tigers, recording 21 kills on a .364 hitting percentage and adding 21 digs for a double-double. Mychael Vernon tied with Iliff, getting 21 kills but hitting .222, though she added 14 digs of her own and two block assists.

Janet deMarrais rounded out the strong trio of hitters, adding 16 kills and hitting .270. Mizzou emphasized getting the ball to their hitters on the outside, trying to target opposing setter Caroline Kerr and avoid Tennessee’s defensively stronger middle blockers.

When setter Marina Crownover was in the front row, Sullivan said Iliff typically had strong opportunities to attack from the back row.

“We were able to take advantage of some of those plays,” she said. “We definitely wanted to attack high, and I think our team did a really good job executing.”

“We worked a lot this week on hitting high off the outside hand,” Jordan Iliff said. “I think that was a big part of our game plan, was to set the ball through the pin so that me and Mychael and Janet could hit off that outside hand, and I think we did that really well today.”

The Tigers hit .263 as a whole, hitting above .275 in three sets but below .150 in the other two and finishing with 24 attack errors. They mostly contained the Tennessee offense, which hit .236 for the match, but allowed the Lady Vols to hit .452 in the second set.

Mizzou once again struggled with blocking, only recording three blocks in the match, but showed some improvement in serve receive. Most of Tennessee’s aces were in a rough third set.

Like I said in the headline, this was a statement win for the Tigers. I believed we’d learn a lot from the outcome of this match, and I think that’s still true.

This is a team with some flaws, which can lose momentum and consistency at times, but has the determination and fight to often make up for those blunders. Mizzou is powered by a potent offense at its best when all three hitters are in a groove, and this defense has potential which has not been fully reached yet.

Sunday’s match leaves me confident that the Tigers are a tournament team that can make some noise in the SEC, and the team just won possibly the last toss-up match remaining on its schedule. Mizzou should have a legitimate shot in, or be expected to win, nearly all of its matches for the rest of the regular season.

“I think this team understands now they can battle anybody, and so they’ve just got to show up day in and day out and make sure we keep that same standard,” Sullivan said.

“It just starts with us believing and fighting for every point,” Maya Sands said, “and working together.”

That starts next Sunday when the Tigers take on Mississippi State in Columbia. The match will begin at 2 p.m. and be broadcast on SEC Network.

The Bulldogs showed why they’re a national title contender

Over the last four games Mizzou (4-8-2, 2-4-1 SEC) soccer has looked better with each outing. Which is why it was a particularly bad time to run into the juggernaut of No. 4 Mississippi State (12-1, 6-0 SEC). The Bulldogs dominated the matchup in Starkville, 5-0.

Mississippi State dominated this one practically from the jump, controlling the shot battle 20-3. The first goal came at the 20th minute when Hannah Johnson buried a shot in the top left corner.

The Bulldogs wasted no time with goal No. 2, as on the very next shot Zoe Main doubled the lead. The Tigers minimized the damage heading into the half, turning away several opportunities.

The home team added another goal in the 3rd minute of the second half, as Macey Hodge delivered a pass to Aitana Martinez-Montoya, who slipped it into the bottom right corner for the 3-0 lead.

After a key save from Kate Phillips, Mississippi State added their fourth goal of the night courtesy of Ally Perry on a free kick in the 63rd minute. This marked Perry’s eighth goal of the year, extending her lead over the rest of the Bulldog roster.

The final goal came courtesy of Maggie Wadsworth in the top left corner of the goal, slipping it past Phillips.

This game marked the return of Tigers defender Rachel Kutella, but her expertise was only able to do so much to fend off the fearsome Bulldog offense. The Tigers were still shorthanded, left without Kylee Simmons for the third consecutive game. Midfielder Keegan Good took the reigns, taking two of Mizzou’s three shots throughout the match.

Kate Phillips made her seventh straight start, doing her best to fight off the Mississippi State attack. The sophomore made four saves despite allowing five goals. This brings Phillips to 32 saves throughout SEC play.

This leaves the Tigers at 2-4-1 in SEC games, sitting at 7 points and 12th in the conference. One of the teams below them is their next opponent: Oklahoma (8-6-1, 1-5-1 SEC). The two will matchup at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 over Homecoming Weekend at Audrey J. Walton Stadium.

Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing for something

Week #8 opening lines have been hung, so in this space we take a look at what the oddsmakers are laying down around the SEC and a few other games of interest.

With that, as always, if you’re going to dabble, please do so responsibly. Don’t forget, any line that seems too good to be true likely is, and the sharps in Vegas know what they’re doing.

Here’s a look at the SEC opening lines and a few other thoughts, with all lines courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook, who is an SBNation partner. All odds are subject to adjust during the week, and all kick times listed are central. TV provider listed in parentheses. The Nuggets of Wisdom (NoW) are free of charge, so you’re getting what you paid for there!

What are some of your favorite plays this week? Leave them in the comments section below and we’ll compare notes.

Saturday, Oct. 19th

• 11 am (ESPN) – Auburn at Mizzou (-7.0 / 51.5 total)

NoW – Who the hell knows anymore? Would any result here surprise you? The only thing I’ll go on the record as guaranteeing in this game is that it will be won by the Tigers…

• 11:45 am (SECN) – South Carolina at Oklahoma (-2.5 / 40.5 total)

NoW – Very low total here and essentially a toss-up on the spread. I get the feeling the public will be coming in heavy on Carolina after their near upset of ‘Bama combined with OU getting clubbed by Texas last week…

• 2:30 pm (ABC) – Alabama at Tennessee (+2.5 / 56.0 total)

NoW – This game looked a lot more important two weeks ago when both teams were undefeated and top-five. Both narrowly averted disaster last week. Still should be a great matchup that will likely be an elimination game for SEC Championship purposes…

• 3:15 pm (SECN) – Texas A&M at Mississippi State (+15.5 / 56.0 total)

NoW – Only reason I can think to watch this one is if you really like the God-awful color maroon. State played admirably in a 10-point road defeat at Georgia last week, while A&M is coming off a bye week…

• 6 pm (ESPN) – LSU at Arkansas (+3.0 / 57.5 total)

NoW – Thought this one might open with LSU a little heavier favorite, books are giving a lot of respect to the ‘Hogs here…

• 6 pm (ESPN+/SECN+) – Ball State at Vanderbilt (-26.5 / 58.5 total)

NoW – Holy cow when’s the last time you saw Vandy as a near four-TD favorite over anyone?…

• 6:30 pm (ABC) – Georgia at Texas (-3.5 / 57.0 total)

NoW – Another one I thought might be a little bigger number, more like 5 or 6. ‘Dawgs getting a lot of respect to basically say it’s a toss-up minus the homefield advantage…

• 6:45 pm (SECN) – Kentucky at Florida (-2.0 / 42.0 total)

NoW – Okay I know Florida just narrowly lost at Tennessee, but this one seems a little bit of an overreaction. Remember, Kentucky just won at Ole Miss two weeks ago….

Non-SEC games of interest

Saturday, Oct. 19th

• 11 am (FOX) – Nebraska at Indiana (-6.0 / 51.0 total)

NoW – Lots of red in this one, we’ll see who’s more legit among the two upstart programs. Can Indiana handle the mounting pressure as they continue to be one of the surprise teams of the season? The Huskers finally won a one-score game in their last outing, is that a sign they’re turning the corner?…

• 11 am (ABC) – Miami, Fla. at Louisville (+3.5 / 61.0 total)

NoW – The ‘Ville did a nice face plant in their first big test of the year at Notre Dame three weeks ago, and doubled it up with a second-straight loss to SMU that cast doubt upon their legitimacy. This would be a “get-right” game of huge proportions if they could pull the upset over star-crossed Miami. How will the ‘Canes pull one out of the fire this week?…

• 6:30 pm (FOX) – Kansas State at West Virginia (+3.0 / 54.0 total)

NoW – West Virginia has been a disappointment this season, at 3-3 overall. Why is this number so low?…

The graduate transfer’s pick quelled any comeback attempt from UMass at the end of the first half.

Deep concern wasn’t in the building quite yet. But it was perched somewhere close to McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

With Mizzou leading 21-3 towards the end of the first half, UMass was stringing together consecutive positive plays on offense. The drive included a 39-yard run by defensive back Te’Rai Powell on a fake punt that gave the Minutemen new life.

To preface, an 18-point lead is large in any football context. However, these circumstances were different, a combination of two factors that made alarm bells ring louder for the Tigers.

Mizzou’s season leading up to Saturday had been, to many, underwhelming. The sting of a 31-point shellacking to No. 14 Texas A&M the week prior still seemed prevalent; in a game that was to be a test of Mizzou’s legitimacy at a national level, the Tigers fell terribly flat, as the myriad of warning signs flashed in the four games previous showed up in College Station.

Then, there was the present day. Mizzou’s bizarre trip to UMass was ripe for a rebound; the Tigers entered Saturday as almost a 30-point favorite against the 1-5 Minutemen, which is what made the end-of-half march by the home team more intriguing.

After the successful fake punt, a 13-yard run by CJ Hester put UMass at Mizzou’s nine-yard line with 70 seconds remaining in the half. UMass went two yards forwards, then two yards backwards to set up a third-and-nine. Quarterback Taisun Phommachanh dropped back to pass and fired a dart over the middle.

Earlier in the week, Corey Flagg Jr. had this to say about what went wrong defensively against Texas A&M.

“I think it was just a lot of guys…trying to make a play instead of just, including myself, instead of just doing our assignment, doing our job and playing with the defense,” Flagg said.

But what if you could remain within the defense and make a play? With the Minutemen threatening, Flagg baked a cake and ate it, too.

During this past Tuesday’s edition of “Tiger Talk”, linebackers coach DJ Smith inadvertently foreshadowed Flagg running like the wind that whipped all afternoon in Amherst.

“He can really, really run. He’s faster than what his tape shows,” Smith told Mike Kelly. “He’s a very instinctual player.”

While Smith was complimentary of Flagg’s wheels, the graduate transfer took a more self-depreciating route after the game.

“I need to go to speed school,” Flagg said.

Although he couldn’t take the interception all the way to the end zone, the Miami transfer’s hurricane of a turnover put Mizzou at the UMass nine-yard line with nine seconds to go. Although Brady Cook was sacked on the next play, there was still time for Blake Craig to kick a field goal, which he did so successfully to complete a 10-point swing that stomped out any spark of a Minutemen revival.

For a defense that’d experienced lapses in coverage over the past few weeks (including Saturday), Flagg’s shining moment proved all the more valuable. It was Mizzou’s first takeaway since Dreyden Norwood’s interception against Boston College.

The moment was reminiscent of something Flagg’s former UM teammate, current Tennessee Titans linebacker James Williams, told me at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in February when asked about how he overcomes in-game adversity.

“I can’t be 11 people out there trying to make every play,” Williams said. “I’ve just got to do my job and make sure my teammate does his job. We’ll all be successful together.”

It was a celebratory day for not just Corey Flagg, but his brother, Caleb, who forced a fumble on that was recovered by Shemar McNeil in the fourth quarter. Caleb was praised numerous times by players and coaches throughout fall camp, and he recorded his first big play of the 2024 season with Mizzou up big late in the game.

“I told y’all, he’s a dog,” Corey said. “He’s better than me. I’m dead serious.”

Only time will tell if Caleb can surpass his older brother. For now, the two can enjoy their fruitful outings in Amherst before a trip back to Columbia to take on Auburn next Saturday.

Winning is hard, so when it looks easy we should appreciate it.

Yesterday was a boring day of football for the Missouri Tigers.

It was needed.

Winning 45-3 over a fairly hapless UMass team doesn’t wash away the week before, but now for five of the six weeks of football the Tigers have played they’ve gotten the results they needed. Maybe the best part about yesterday was that it was boring.

I watched the game from my couch and chuckled on the second play when Luther Burden took a jet sweep 61 yards for a touchdown. I yawned after a 13 play 80 yard drive to score the Tigers second TD on the day. As they were going up 21-0 I was sipping coffee, Maybe there were angry comments at every slight error, and some general weirdness in the game thread yesterday, but the Tigers were up 24-3 at halftime and barely broke a sweat the rest of the way.

Mizzou got caught on a fake punt, and definitely had some coverage issues, but UMass had 11 drives and gained just 237 yards. Quick math says that’s 21.5 yards per drive. Meanwhile the offense scored on 6 of their first 7 drives and 7 of their first 9 before turning things over the backups. And only one of those was with a short field, ironically enough that’s when they kicked the field goal. That’s an efficient day of football.

With the previous week’s performance hanging over the program, one could foresee a road trip to a place like Amherst to play a team like UMass as a trap. Weird things happen when you travel to play against a team where you’re favored by 30 points. Hell, before the game if you asked me to place a bet, I might’ve taken UMass with the spread. Like many of you, I figured the Tigers would show up looking hung over and win convincingly but only by like 21 points or something.

But they didn’t, they won by 42 points, and that was with a full quarter of the backups failing to score on three drives.

Being boring when you need to be is a good thing. Mizzou was really boring in the first two games. Less so in the next two games, but at least Vanderbilt has proven to be a good win. I do understand the feelings of resentment for the way things went down at Texas A&M. But as I said last week, if there’s a year you can afford a mulligan it’s this one.

Eli Drinkwitz isn’t a perfect coach with a perfect football program. He’s a good coach with a good program. But even the best coaches and best teams have weeks where things get away from you. One of the things I really like about Drink is the 1-0 mentality. All you can do is control how you play one play at time, one series at a time, one game at a time. You can’t control what’s behind you, you can’t control what’s in front of you. You can only control what’s right here in this moment.

I have no idea where this is headed. I’ve watched enough football this year to know it’s nearly impossible to say. Nobody seems to be all that great, well maybe except Texas. The Longhorns have yet to be challenged. Ohio State and Oregon played a tight close game, so they’re probably good. But you don’t have to worry about anyone who isn’t in the SEC until the regular season is over. And the three highest ranked teams after Texas all struggled at home against unranked opponents.

If anything that should be a lesson to Mizzou, and its fans. For the Tigers themselves, anyone can be beaten by anyone and anywhere. Playing at home doesn’t save you. The only thing you can do is go 1-0.

Not everything is ever as bad as it seems. Mizzou is 5-1 with Auburn coming to down for homecoming. It doesn’t matter how you beat them, just beat them. Go 1-0, and then worry about the rest later.

Other SEC Scores:

• Texas (1) 34, Oklahoma (18) 3
• Georgia (5) 34, Mississippi State 24
• Alabama (7) 27, South Carolina 25
• Tennessee (8) 23, Florida 17
• LSU (13) 29, Ole Miss (9) 26
• Vanderbilt 20, Kentucky 13
• #15 Texas A&M – bye
• Arkansas – bye
• Auburn – bye