Mizzou Volleyball upsets SMU, advances to Sweet Sixteen

Dec 7, 2024 | Uncategorized

Written By

Matthew Gustafson/Rock M Nation

This is the team’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2017

Mizzou Volleyball pulled off a massive upset over the SMU Mustangs Friday night in Dallas, winning in four sets (25-22, 25-14, 31-33, 25-22) to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. This will be the Tigers’ first appearance in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017.

Mizzou jumped out to an early 6-3 lead in set one powered by Mychael Vernon kills before SMU went on a 5-0 run with three errors by the Tigers, 8-6. Both teams then settled in, and the Tigers retook the lead 14-13 on an ace by Vernon.

Sullivan’s squad pulled ahead 18-16 on a 3-0 run featuring two Jordan Iliff service aces before a 3-0 SMU run in response with two kills by Maya Tabron. But Mizzou retook the lead soon after on a Jordan Iliff kill, 20-19, and would never relinquish the lead.

The Tigers closed out the set on a 3-1 run, taking the opening frame 25-22 on a Naya Shime service error.

The team recorded 12 errors, six attack errors and six from the service line, and was outhit .227 to .200. But Sullivan’s squad added three aces and three blocks to help limit the impact of their mistakes.

Mizzou worked to limit those mistakes in the second set, taking an early 9-5 lead after a block by Colleen Finney and deMarrais. The lead stayed between three and four points before an Iliff kill and SMU attack error made it 15-10 entering the media timeout.

Leading 17-12, the Tigers went on a massive 5-0 run featuring three consecutive blocks to seize a double digit lead and prevent a Mustangs comeback attempt before it began. Mychael Vernon’s eighth kill of the match gave Mizzou a dominant set two victory, 25-14, to put the team one set away from a Sweet Sixteen berth.

Sullivan’s squad significantly cut down on its errors in the second frame, recording only two attack errors and one service error while hitting .429. The team also recorded a whopping six blocks in the set, a total practically unheard of for this team.

The Tigers started out the third frame red-hot, opening with a 4-0 run featuring back-to-back kills by Vernon. SMU cut the deficit to two points, 9-7, on a Naya Shime kill, but a 3-0 Mizzou run put the team ahead 12-7.

That’s when the Tigers’ error issues flared up again, allowing SMU to go on a 7-1 streak to seize a 14-13 lead. Every Mustangs point during the run came on a Mizzou attack error or service error, including two blocks.

Sullivan’s squad retook the lead on a 4-1 run, 17-15, featuring two Vernon kills. SMU quickly tied it up again, 17-17, and the teams went back and forth until a 3-0 Mustangs surge made it set point at 24-21.

But the Tigers refused to go away easily, responding with a 3-0 streak of their own powered by consecutive Maya Sands aces to tie it up at 24. That initiated an intense battle for the remainder of the set in which Mizzou staved off set point seven separate times.

The Tigers led 29-28 and 31-30, forcing match point twice, but SMU came out on top by ending the frame with three straight points. Ellie Bolton’s ace clinched the set 33-31 for the Mustangs, forcing a fourth set.

SMU’s momentum carried over to set four, using a 6-1 run which included four Mizzou errors to take an early 8-4 advantage. Sullivan’s squad worked its way back into the contest with a 4-1 run, 9-8, and tied it up at 14 on a Naya Shime attack error.

The Tigers took a 17-15 lead out of the media timeout with three straight points, including a kill and service ace by Iliff, before two points for the Mustangs tied it back up at 17. SMU retook the advantage 20-19 after an Iliff attack error, but three consecutive kills by Mychael Vernon made it 22-20 Mizzou.

The run continued out of a Mustangs timeout with Marina Crownover’s service ace, and a kill by Jordan Iliff made it match point. Naya Shime recorded one more kill for SMU before Jordan Iliff added her 16th kill of the night to clinch the 25-22 set four win, sending Mizzou to the Sweet Sixteen.

“Every day, they show up for each other and they really battle, and they’re 1 true family,” head coach Dawn Sullivan said, “they’re a true sisterhood, and through the good, the bad, the ugly it doesn’t matter.”

The Tigers hit .268 for the match with 25 attack errors, siding out 68.5% of the time. SMU, meanwhile, had a .267 hitting percentage and 19 attack errors.

Key stats for Mizzou came from the front row and service line: the team recorded 12 blocks, a season high, and 11 aces.

Mychael Vernon again led the way with 23 kills on a .308 hitting percentage, adding four digs and three blocks. Jordan Iliff followed up with 16 kills, 10 digs, and four aces.

Those four aces gave her 65 on the season, a new single-season program record. As the cherry on top, she also had the match-clinching point.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” Iliff said about recording that kill, “and I was doing it for everyone who was alongside me on the court.”

Colleen Finney recorded four kills on a .500 hitting percentage and put together a massive defensive effort with seven blocks, leading the team, while Regan Haith added four blocks and four kills on a .364 hitting percentage.

Maya Sands anchored the defense with 14 digs, also contributing five assists and four aces. And Marina Crownover put in another strong performance at setter, recording 52 assists and six digs to go with five blocks.

For the second straight season, this team has set a goal nobody thought was possible at the beginning of the year and reached it. The Tigers didn’t just take down one of the top eight overall seeds, but did so in fairly dominant fashion.

“No matter what the score is, how down we are, how up we are, we just put on the gas always,” Mychael Vernon said, “and the drive that we have, we play for each other, and it’s just so fun to play on the court together.”

Now, Mizzou has a chance to do something it has only done once in the program’s history: reach the Elite Eight.

The Tigers will face a familiar opponent, Kentucky, in the round of 16 next weekend in Pittsburgh. MIzzou is 0-2 against the Wildcats this season, but Maya Sands said the teams’ recent history will not faze them.

“When we play our game we’re unstoppable, and I don’t think we’re gonna go into that game scared at all,” she said, “We’re going to prepare, and we’re going to go into that really confident.”

The winner of that match will make it to the Elite Eight, setting up a likely matchup with the top overall seed Pitt.


Matthew Gustafson/Rock M Nation

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