The Tigers’ longtime kryptonite, the Wildcats, again got the best of them

Mizzou Volleyball’s run in the NCAA Tournament ended Thursday in a 3-1 loss to the SEC champions Kentucky (20-25, 20-25, 25-16, X). The Tigers lost all three matches to the Wildcats this season and have not beaten them in their last fourteen matchups, a streak dating back to the Kreklow era in 2016.

Mizzou took an early 7-5 lead with the help of three Mychael Vernon kills, and the offense as a whole was highly efficient to begin the set.

But Kentucky began to force the Tigers out of system and make them take low quality attacks, going on a 9-2 to run move ahead 14-9.

Sullivan’s squad cut into its deficit with a 3-0 run, 14-12, and kept the deficit between one or two points until a 3-0 Wildcats run made it 23-19. Kentucky closed out the opening frame on a 5-1 run, taking set one 25-20 on a kill by Brooke Bultema.

Mizzou’s offense was efficient in the set, hitting .303 with four attack errors, but could not keep up with the Wildcats’ .457 hitting percentage. Bultema had a huge impact in the first set, hitting .833 on five kills.

The Tigers kept it close early in set two, trailing 9-8 with the help of a 3-0 run, before Kentucky again went on a big run before the halfway point.

The Cats scored five straight points with the help of two Brooklyn DeLeye kills, taking a 14-8 lead.

Kentucky added a 3-0 run, capped by another DeLeye kill, to push the lead to eight. Mizzou came out of a timeout with renewed fight, going on a 4-0 streak to cut the deficit to four, 21-17. But the Tigers were unable to push any closer, and the Wildcats took the second set 25-20 on a kill by DeLeye.

Mizzou’s blocking, which had looked out of sync without regular starter Regan Haith today, began to improve as the set went on. Kentucky hit .273 in the frame, lowered significantly from the dominance the team showed on offense in the first half of the second set, but the Wildcats limited Sullivan’s squad to a .194 hitting percentage with five attack errors.

Leading 5-4 to open the third set, Kiaraliz Perez Catala stepped up to the service line and delivered the best serving run she’s put together all season. Her three aces powered a 10-0 run by the Tigers spanning two Kentucky timeouts, seizing a 15-4 advantage.

Mychael Vernon, who had gone ice cold after a strong start to the match, began to get involved again with the offense during this run. She recorded three kills, also getting in on the defensive action with a solo block.

The run ended on a kill by Brooke Bultema, and the Wildcats went on a 4-1 run soon after to make it 18-10. But Sullivan’s squad finished out the set strong with a Jordan Iliff kill, winning 25-16 on the back of the 10-0 run and a .520 hitting percentage.

The fourth set was a different story, as Kentucky took an early 12-6 lead with runs of 3-0 and 5-1. Mizzou’s offense fell back to earth, hitting -.250 at the point in the set due to four attack errors.

The Wildcats continued to push forward, building a double-digit advantage with a 6-1 run. Kentucky clinched its spot in the Elite Eight and closed the book on the Tigers’ season with a block by Bultema and DeLeye, winning the fourth set 25-13.

Mizzou hit -.037 in set four, lowering their hitting percentage to .241 for the match with 20 attack errors. Jordan Iliff led the team with 20 kills, hitting .341 and adding nine digs alongside two service aces.

Mychael Vernon followed that up with 11 kills but hit -.029, struggling mightily after strong performances in both matches of the opening weekend. Colleen Finney and Janet deMarrais both recorded six kills, hitting .545 and .429 respectively, and Finney added three total blocks.

Kentucky again got the best of the Tigers on the attack, hitting .347 for the match with hitting percentages above .270 in each set. SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye had 22 kills, hitting .419 to lift her team to the regional finals.

Mizzou’s blocking, and defense as a whole, did not seem the same as they were missing starter Regan Haith. Morgan Isenberg, starting in place of Haith, found more of a rhythm as the match went on, hitting .556 on five kills with three blocks.

Kiaraliz Perez Catala put together a strong effort in her final collegiate match, recording eight digs with three aces, while Maya Sands led the team with 13 digs.

“She’s been a defensive specialist for us , but she could probably be a libero on any team in the country,” head coach Dawn Sullivan said when asked about Perez Catala. “She knows exactly who she is and how to get what she wants, and she’s going to have a wonderful life ahead of her.”

After a season of improbable runs, comebacks and upsets, Mizzou was unable to push a familiar boulder over the hill. But this team’s impact will spread far beyond one season.

“We are on the map, and this is a place you want to compete for championships,” Sullivan said. “I think Mizzou Volleyball is an incredible place with incredible people that are going to care a lot about you, but also, we’re going to let it rip when we when walk on that court.”

The Tigers have placed themselves on the national map once more and set themselves up to be a part of the SEC’s top tier for years to come. The seven seniors on this team, alongside head coach Dawn Sullivan, have completely transformed the program in only two seasons.

“I never dreamed of where I would be at right now, and I’m very grateful for Dawn, the entire coaching staff, the girls that I got to play with every single day the two years I’ve been at Mizzou,” Colleen Finney said. “The girls around me have taught me so much about life, what it means to be loved by other people around you, and have a great support system.”

Special recognition goes to Jordan Iliff and Morgan Isenberg, the final two players from the Josh Taylor era who struck around with a new head coach. Iliff will go down as one of the best players in program history and broke several big career milestones throughout the season.

“I just never wanted to leave, and I never stopped believing in Mizzou as a program,” Iliff said, “and that’s the legacy I will leave behind, is to never give up and always be there for people around you.”

One of the hallmarks of this program under Sullivan, which has allowed the team to reach new heights so quickly, has been the bond between players.

“With the culture Mizzou has, we have a sisterhood, and I think that it’s going to continue to be that way,” said Mychael Vernon, “Because stepping in, I could see that it was that way as soon as I stepped into Missouri.”

This bond also extends between the players and coaches, something Sullivan talked about when asked about this team’s future legacy.

“My teams are so special, and they’re a family to me,” said Sullivan, “We talk about a lot of really important things, and we’re just really close.”

Year two of the Dawn Sullivan era is over. But Mizzou seems poised to continue its upward trajectory into the future – and the 2024 Tigers will be a huge reason why.