Mizzou Volleyball extends winning streak to six, beats Arkansas and Oklahoma

Oct 28, 2024 | Uncategorized

Written By

Michael Baniewicz/Rock M Nation

The Tigers put together a dominant reverse sweep on Friday and barely escaped in five sets on Sunday

Mizzou Volleyball continued its winning ways with two SEC victories this weekend over Arkansas and Oklahoma, maintaining the team’s place in the top three of the conference.

The weekend started with a reverse sweep (21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-15) Friday night against Arkansas in Fayetteville, a comfortable win over a team receiving votes in the AVCA poll.

This match will likely be known as the Vernon Game.

Mychael Vernon broke the program’s single-match kill record, finishing with 37 kills on a .385 hitting percentage to break the previous mark of 35 kills set by Paola Ampudia in 2009.

3️⃣7️⃣ Kills.

Mychael Vernon has etched her name in the Mizzou record books with a career-best 37 kills at Arkansas!!! #MIZ pic.twitter.com/Oyg5HnSf62

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 26, 2024

The two sides began the first set evenly matched before two separate 4-0 runs by Arkansas (14-6, 4-4) put the Hogs up 19-14. The Tigers fought back with a 3-0 run, including two straight aces by Marina Crownover, to cut the deficit to two.

But the Razorbacks closed out the set on a 3-1 run, clinching the 25-21 opening frame victory on a kill by Olivia Ruy.

Dawn Sullivan’s squad came out ready in set two.

Mizzou raced out to an early 11-3 lead with an 8-0 run featuring six kills by Vernon and two Crownover aces. Arkansas worked its way back into the set, trailing 19-16 after a Hannah Hogue kill, but the Tigers closed the frame on a 4-1 streak and took set two 25-18 on a Jordan Iliff ace.

Cue up a Jordan Iliff ACE to even the match!!

SEC Network+#Mizzou 25, Arkansas 18 | 2nd SET (1-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/N9VIOCmgyk

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 26, 2024

The Tigers built an even bigger lead at the start of the third set, using a 5-0 run with two kills by Janet deMarrais to seize a 12-3 lead. But the Razorbacks immediately responded with five straight points, then slowly cut into their deficit until it was 19-18.

Mizzou again used a late surge to create separation, going on a 5-1 run with a kill and another ace by Iliff and then clinching set three 25-20 on a Colleen Finney kill.

COLLEEN FINNEY!!!

SEC Network+#Mizzou 25, Arkansas 20 | 3rd SET (2-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/2wIG6wmReB

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 26, 2024

The fourth set was tight at the beginning before a 5-1 streak for the Tigers, powered by back-to-back Vernon kills, moved the team ahead 13-7. Sullivan’s squad made sure there would be no comeback attempt this time, building a double-digit lead with a 7-1 run.

It’s a NEW MIZZOU program record for Kills in a match!!!

Mychael Vernon with 36 Kills!!!

SEC Network+#Mizzou 17, Arkansas 12 | 4th SET (2-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/OcaUyE3Edf

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 26, 2024

Janet deMarrais sealed the 25-15 set four win, and reverse sweep, with her 10th and final kill of the night.

Mizzou was hot and cold on offense, finishing with a .260 hitting percentage after hitting above .300 in the second and fourth sets but below .250 in sets one and three. The Tigers were also error-prone, with six or more attack errors in three of four sets.

Vernon was, of course, the bright spot with 37 kills and a .385 hitting percentage – which is absolutely unbelievable efficiency for someone who had 78 total attempts. She also added 17 digs for a quality all-around performance.

Jordan Iliff and Janet deMarrais both struggled, hitting below .125 and finishing with eight and 10 kills, respectively. I’ve said before that this offense cannot function well enough to win when two of its three main hitters have an off-night.

It turns out a record-breaking performance from the other main hitter is the exception to the rule.

Colleen Finney also recorded eight kills, hitting an uber-efficient .571.

But the highlight of the match, outside of Vernon, was the team’s defense. The Tigers held Arkansas to a .163 hitting percentage for the match, and the Hogs hit below .200 in three of four sets.

This defense has looked substantially better the past few weeks, and this was an extension of a trend which is looking more and more like the norm.

Maya Sands again tied her career high of 30 digs, while defensive specialist Kiaraliz Perez Catala recorded 19 and setter Marina Crownover added 11. Crownover had a record-breaking match herself, setting a new career-high with 61 assists alongside four aces.

The team had a tidal wave of momentum heading into their match Sunday with Oklahoma, and seemingly everything pointed towards a comfortable victory for Mizzou.

But sometimes life throws you a curveball, and the Tigers found themselves in a very tight battle in Norman. Mizzou barely eked out a five set victory (19-25, 25-18, 25-13, 24-26, 19-17) over the Sooners.

Oklahoma jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set with five early attack errors (including two blocked hits) by the Tigers’ offense, forcing them to play catch-up for the rest of the frame.

That’s something Dawn Sullivan’s squad was unable to do, trailing by three points at 20-17 but losing the first frame 25-19 on a Perez Catala service error as OU pulled away late.

Set two began as a much tighter battle before Mizzou took a 13-9 lead with four straight points, including three attack errors by the Sooners. Oklahoma cut its deficit to two, 16-14, before a 6-1 Tigers run gave the team a 22-15 advantage.

Mizzou sealed the 25-18 victory with an ace by Crownover, tying the match 1-1.

That’s our setter, ladies and gentlemen

All tied at 1-1.

SEC Network+#Mizzou 25, Oklahoma 19 | 2nd SET (1-1) #MIZ | @CrownoverMarina pic.twitter.com/GP5rGfuIWB

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 27, 2024

The two sides went back-and-forth to begin the third frame before the Tigers took a 15-8 lead with a 7-1 run and then quickly extended their lead to nine points with a 4-1 streak. The team continued to pile it on with a 5-1 run closing out the third set, clinching a 25-13 victory on Kamille Gibson’s service error.

REGAN & JO

SEC Network+#Mizzou 24, Oklahoma 13 | 3rd SET (1-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/T7oalRu1q3

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 27, 2024

All signs pointed towards another reverse sweep, especially after Mizzou (15-5, 6-2) jumped out to a 10-4 lead. Oklahoma made it competitive again with a 4-0 run, 11-9, and the Tigers settled into a holding pattern with a small lead.

When a Jordan Iliff kill put Mizzou up 22-17, it looked like the Sooners were finished. But the hosts ended the third set on a 9-2 run, completing an improbable comeback 26-24 with a kill by Kari Geissberger after staring down match point.

Oklahoma looked poised to steal the win from the Tigers when they went on a 4-0 run early in the fifth set, but three straight kills by Janet deMarrais tied it up. Mizzou trailed 9-6 when it took the lead, 11-10, on a 5-1 run sparked by two kills from Vernon.

The Sooners retook the lead 13-12 on an Iliff attack error, but two straight errors by OU made it match point for the Tigers. That’s when the two sides got stuck in a time loop, each team siding out (scoring when served to) as Oklahoma would tie it, Mizzou forced match point again, and so on.

But it was Vernon and Crownover who again came to the rescure, recording a kill and service ace to give the Tigers a 19-17 win in the decisive fifth set. Mizzou just barely avoided a second major loss after taking a sizable lead in SEC play after being reverse swept earlier this season at Texas A&M.

Sealed with an ace!!!

That’s a five-set dub in Norman.#MIZ | @CrownoverMarina pic.twitter.com/8Ejn382UUd

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) October 27, 2024

The Tigers hit .278 for the match, including hitting percentages above .400 in the second and third sets but below .230 in the other three frames. The team was led by Iliff’s 23 kills on a .212 hitting percentage, followed by 17 kills from Vernon on a .283 hitting percentage to go alongside 11 digs and three aces.

Janet deMarrais put together an efficient match, hitting .375 with 13 kills, while Regan Haith joined her in double digits with 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.

In the middle of it all was Marina Crownover, recording 60 assists with 12 digs, two kills and an ace. Defense was again a strongsuit of the team, limiting Oklahoma to a .195 hitting percentage and preventing the hosts from hitting above .280 in any set.

Mizzou remains tied for second in the SEC with Kentucky at 6-2 and continues to look better and better. This team likely loses to Oklahoma just a few weeks ago. The key difference?

Defense, defense, defense.

The Tigers rank sixth in the nation in hitting percentage and first in the SEC, the only team in the conference with a percentage above .300. But Mizzou has struggled on the defensive end this season, forcing its offense to keep pace in order to win.

When the offense struggles, it’s been a near-certain loss for the team. But that just might be changing.

And a team of the Tigers’ offensive caliber combined with a solid defense? That’s the type of squad which can make an impact in the SEC and be competitive in the NCAA Tournament.

Mizzou will face arguably its toughest remaining opponent next, facing off with top-10 Texas in Austin on Friday night. The match will start at 6 p.m. and be broadcast on SEC Network.

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