Mizzou Volleyball swept by top-15 Kentucky

Oct 6, 2024 | Uncategorized

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UTM’s Addy Vaughn hits a ball past two Mizzou defenders in a game Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at the Hearnes Center. (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)

The Wildcats proved their ranking in Lexington

Mizzou Volleyball was overpowered by 13th-ranked Kentucky today in Lexington, falling in a three-set sweep (18-25, 20-25, 21-25).

The Wildcats controlled the action from start to finish, with only seven ties and two lead changes during the match.

Kentucky took an early three point lead with a 5-1 run capped by a Brooklyn DeLeye service ace. The 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year has the second most aces in the SEC, only behind Mizzou’s very own Jordan Iliff.

The Tigers tied it up 8-8 with three straight points, but an immediate 6-1 response by the Wildcats put the hosts up 14-9. Mizzou cut the deficit to two points with a 5-1 run started by back-to-back team blocks, 19-17, but the host team had the last word.

Kentucky ended the first set on a 6-1 run, clinching a 25-18 victory on a kill by Haley Melby. The Cats were red-hot from the start, hitting .321 in the opening frame and recording three service aces.

Serve receive has been a point of concern all season for the Tigers, who have allowed the second-most service aces in the SEC this year.

The Mizzou offense struggled to get off the ground, hitting .182 in set one. Colleen Finney was a notable bright spot, recording a perfect hitting percentage on four kills, but all other players with more than one kill ended the set hitting .125 or below.

The offense didn’t get better from there.

Both teams went on 3-0 runs early in the second set, and a block by Regan Haith and Janet deMarrais tied it 11-11.

That’s when Kentucky went to work, going on runs of 3-0 and 4-0 to pull ahead by five, 20-15.

The 4-0 run displayed some of the Tigers’ key struggles in the match, as they allowed two service aces by Ava Sarafa and had two attack errors.

Mizzou prevented another late run, but a Janet deMarrais attack error gave the Wildcats set two, 25-20. Finney once again was perfect on both her attacks, bringing her up to six kills for the match, but the Tigers hit exactly .000 in this set with eight attack errors.

The Cats had their worst-hitting set at .276 but got nine combined kills from DeLeye and Megan Wilson, with DeLeye hitting .800 on her attempts.

Kentucky carried over its momentum to set three, going on a 5-1 run. The early streak included three straight attack errors by deMarrais, who finished with nine errors and a -.077 hitting percentage.

Three consecutive points, featuring a block and service ace, put the hosts ahead 12-7, and it looked like the frame was trending towards a blowout.

To Mizzou’s credit, the team fought their way back to a two-point deficit at 18-16 with a kill by Mychael Vernon. The Oregon State transfer caught fire in the final frame, getting six kills on a .455 hitting percentage.

The Wildcats then went on a 4-0 run, taking a 22-16 lead, but the Tigers immediately responded with a four point streak of their own.

Leading 22-20, Kentucky closed out set three with a 3-1 run, clinching the set 25-21 on Vernon’s lone attack error of the frame for the sweep.

She again led Mizzou’s attack in this match, finishing with nine kills and hitting .333. The grad student also recorded her 200th career block.

Finney hit .750 on six kills, but everyone else fell flat on offense for the Tigers.

Iliff hit -.105 on four kills, joining deMarrais with a negative hitting percentage, and Regan Haith hit .100 with three kills.

The team hit .103 for the match, piling up 21 attack errors as Kentucky recorded seven blocks. Meanwhile, the Wildcats had a .303 hitting percentage, finishing each set above .275.

DeLeye and Wilson starred for the host team, each reaching double-digit kills on hitting percentages above .300.

Simply put, the Tigers were overmatched. Mizzou’s offense, one of the best in the conference, never found its stride.

The team has also struggled tremendously with front row defense this year, recording the fewest blocks in the SEC and the second-worst opponent hitting percentage.

When the offense is off its game, the defense is unable to make up the difference, causing a result like the one we saw today.

The good news? The Tigers have a highly favorable schedule coming up, starting with SEMO on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.

The match will be on SEC Network+.

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