Mizzou Volleyball takes down defending champs Texas in Austin

Nov 2, 2024 | Uncategorized

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Missouri’s Colleen Finney (1) celebrates making a kill during a game against Alabama on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. (Cal Tobias/Rock M Nation)

The Tigers have defeated a top-10 opponent for the first time since 2016

For the first time since 2016, Mizzou Volleyball defeated a top-10 team in a five set instant classic against Texas (21-25, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 15-10) in Austin. The victory over the two-time defending national champions gives the Tigers a crown jewel for their tournament resume, and will likely result in a top-25 ranking on Monday.

Texas raced ahead 5-2 in the first set with three kills by All-American outside hitter Madisen Skinner before Mizzou stormed back to take a 10-9 lead with a 7-2 run. The Longhorns immediately responded with five straight points, three of them on Tiger attack errors, and a late 3-0 run put the SEC leaders ahead 21-16.

The Tigers made a last-minute push with a 4-0 run, cutting their deficit to one, before Texas closed out the set on a 4-1 streak to clinch the first set 25-21 on a kill by Marianna Singletary.

Mizzou dropped the opening set in its prior two matches and then responded well in set two. They continued the trend, taking a commanding 8-1 lead to begin the second set with two blocks.

MAYA SANDS ACE!!! ♦️

SEC Network#Mizzou 8, #9 Texas 1 | 2nd SET (0-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/OpMtFcDmd8

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

The Tigers extended their lead to eight on a Mychael Vernon service ace, 11-3, when the Longhorns snapped out of their slump, going on a furious 10-2 run to tie the set 13-13.

Dawn Sullivan’s squad reestablished itself in the driver’s seat with a 4-0 run featuring two Marina Crownover service aces, 20-15, but a 4-1 streak for the home team made it 21-19. Facing mounting pressure in one of college volleyball’s toughest environments, Mizzou seized the final four points of the set and won the second frame 25-19 on a kill by Janet deMarrais.

There’s a set for MIZZOU!!! @janetdemarrais

SEC Network#Mizzou 25, #9 Texas 19 | 2nd SET (1-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/ntmCnpoAHK

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

The third set began with four straight points for the Tigers sandwiched by runs of 3-0 and 4-0 for Texas, putting the home team up 7-5. The two sides then locked into a back-and-forth battle for most of the frame’s first half, but a 4-0 run for the Longhorns was the start of a dominant late set.

Marina Crownover, SETTER KILL!!!

SEC Network#Mizzou 13, #9 Texas 13 | 3rd SET (1-1) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/otEAzNwiao

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

Texas had a 12-4 advantage in the second half of set three, moving ahead 2-1 in the match on a kill by All-American opposite hitter Reagan Rutherford to win the set 25-17.

When the Longhorns scored five straight points to lead 7-4 early in the fourth set, it looked like Mizzou might run out of gas. But it turns out the Tigers were just getting started.

Sullivan’s squad slowly fought its way back to even, 12-12, and then traded points with the hosts for most of the frame’s middle portion. Mizzou finally gained some separation with a 5-1 run, 23-19, though it wasn’t going to be that simple.

Texas forced its way back into the set with a 5-1 run of its own, tying the match 24-24 with a kill by Devin Kahahawai to send the burnt orange faithful into a frenzy. But the Tigers collected themselves, taking advantage of a service error by Keonilei Akana and forcing a decisive fifth set with a kill by Jordan Iliff, 26-24.

Jordan Iliff is her name!!! We are headed to the fifth set!!!

SEC Network#Mizzou 26, #9 Texas 24 | 4th SET (2-2) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/rbwEGwVena

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

Mizzou has thrived in set five this season, holding a 3-1 record entering the match, while the Longhorns were winless at 0-3. However, facing Texas in Austin was completely different from anything the team had encountered this year.

Madisen Skinner willed the Longhorns to an early 5-4 lead, but the Tigers quickly responded with kills by deMarrais and Colleen Finney. The Longhorns then retook the advantage after a service error by Kiaraliz Perez Catala and attack error by Vernon, 7-6.

It was the last lead of the night for Texas.

Mychael Vernon recorded three straight kills for Mizzou, 9-7, and another kill and service ace by the Oregon State transfer put the team ahead 12-9.

Mychael Vernon with the ACE!!!

Texas Timeout.

SEC Network #Mizzou 12, #9 Texas 9 | 5th SET (2-2) | #MIZ pic.twitter.com/L2ykKTx1C4

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

Two consecutive kills by Iliff after a timeout by the Longhorns made the run 4-0 and forced match point, 14-9. Madisen Skinner recorded one last kill, 14-10, and then an attack error by Marianna Singletary clinched the massive five set victory for the Tigers.

“We were just us and that’s all we got to be.”#MIZ pic.twitter.com/GFbU3FCXdW

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

Mizzou was outhit in this match .256 to .224 and had 28 attack errors, eight more than the hosts. Texas had two more digs and twice as many blocks as the Tigers.

And in the end, none of it mattered. Dawn Sullivan recorded arguably the biggest win of her coaching career, and this team is now tied for first in the SEC.

Jordan Iliff led the team with 18 kills, hitting .196 and also finishing first with 15 digs, followed by Mychael Vernon’s 16 kills on a .103 hitting percentage with 10 digs. The grad student struggled with efficiency in the match, recording 10 attack errors on 58 attempts, but was the X factor in set five with four kills and an ace.

Janet deMarrais had arguably her best match of the season, hitting .290 with 15 kills. Middle blockers Colleen Finney and Regan Haith recorded five and six kills on a .385 and .429 hitting percentage, respectively, and Haith led the Tigers with an impressive five total blocks.

But the story of this match is Marina Crownover, Mizzou’s starting setter, who is an Austin native and transferred in from Texas this offseason. She recorded 51 assists and 10 digs for a double-double alongside two aces and two blocks.

The stat which sticks out for Crownover, though, is kills. She finished with six kills, a career high, hitting .857 on her seven attempts.

I interviewed her yesterday and asked her what it would mean to beat her former team. She said, “It would mean everything,” and it’s clear she left everything on the court tonight.

“I’ve already been texting my old teammates from Texas, being like, ‘Oh, you better watch out, I’m coming,’” she said Thursday. “‘You’re about to lose, you’re about to take a loss!’”

She followed through with that promise, putting together possibly her strongest all-around performance of the season.

What a homecoming for the Austin native!?!@CrownoverMarina spoke with SEC Network following Mizzou’s five-set victory over No. 9 Texas. #MIZ pic.twitter.com/wzP3G1OGkN

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

After an uneven start to the season, Mizzou is full speed ahead with seven straight wins. This victory has the potential to draw serious attention across the nation, putting the Tigers on the selection committee’s radar.

Looking at the bigger picture, this program was consistently one of the best in college volleyball for the better part of two decades under the supervision of the Kreklows. In less than two seasons, Dawn Sullivan seems poised to return Mizzou to a place of prominence in the sport’s landscape.

A conference title is now on the table for the Tigers, who find themselves in a tie at the top with the Longhorns and the Kentucky Wildcats, who will come to Columbia for a match in late November.

That match could decide this conference championship race in a tumultuous year for the SEC, where seemingly any team can beat everyone else.

First, Mizzou must set its sights on Georgia as the team returns to the Hearnes Center on Wednesday. The match will start at 7 p.m. and be broadcast on SEC Network.

A Huge WIN deserves a Huge Celebration!!! #MIZ pic.twitter.com/4nWjus42r8

— Mizzou Volleyball (@MizzouVB) November 2, 2024

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