University of Missouri
10-4
Georgia
4-10
No. 25 Mizzou Volleyball Claims Series Victory Over Georgia
2/20/2021 9:09:00 PM | Volleyball
The Tigers finished with back-to-back sweeps hitting over .300
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 25 Mizzou Volleyball (10-4 (10-4 SEC)) defeated Georgia (4-10 (4-10 SEC)) in straight sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-21) at the Hearnes Center on Saturday evening. The Tigers improve to 11-5 all-time against the Bulldogs, notching their fifth consecutive victory over UGA dating back to the 2017 campaign.
After the Tigers and Bulldogs traded points for much of the first set, both teams sat tied at 13 points a piece. Out of a media timeout, Mizzou quickly rattled off five straight points to build a 18-13 cushion, led by senior Kylie Deberg, who recorded two kills in the span. The Tigers closed out set one with a 25-20 victory, as Deberg tallied four kills on .400 hitting.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the second set, but Mizzou managed to grab an early 10-6 lead following two Georgia attack errors, which forced the Bulldogs to call a timeout. A 4-0 run by the Tigers, in which Erin Williamson recorded an ace, gave Mizzou the seven-point advantage. The Bulldogs managed to close the gap, but Mizzou held on to win set two by a 25-21 final tally.
Although the Tigers found themselves in an early 4-1 hole in set three, Mizzou managed to regain the lead behind a 6-2 run. Similar to the rest of the match, Mizzou and UGA continued to trade blows for much of the third set, with Mizzou eventually prevailing, 25-21, sweeping the season series over the Bulldogs.
Leading the Tigers in both victories over the Bulldogs, Kylie Deberg tallied 15 kills and 16.5 points on the win. Claudia Dillon tacked on seven kills and 10.5 points on a season-high .636 hitting and recorded one ace. Anna D'Cruz led the Tigers with blocks with 4 and 4 kills hitting .600. As a team, Mizzou racked up 89 attacks, 40 kills, 32 digs and 7 blocks.
#ShowMe Top Performers at Georgia
? Deberg: 15 kills on .293 hitting
? Claudia Dillon: 7 kills on .636 hitting, one ace
? Anna D'Cruz: 4 kills on .600 hitting, 4 blocks
? Andrea Fuentes: 29 assists, 4 digs, one ace
Hear From Head Coach Joshua Taylor
On winning a three-set victory over Georgia…
"I'm very pleased with tonight's performance. I thought everyone had a great game physically, but our mental focus throughout the match is what allowed us to be successful. We'll enjoy this series sweep for a bit then begin preparing for a good South Carolina team on Monday."
#MIZ Takeaways
? With the three set victory over the Bulldogs, the Tigers have now won four matches of the season in straight sets.
? Mizzou improves to 11-5 all-time against Georgia, winning it's fifth straight game over the Bulldogs.
? Mizzou's .337 hitting percentage for the match marks the fifth time this season that the Tigers have hit over .300, earning victories in all five matches.
? Kylie Deberg has posted double-digit kills in ten out of the last 11 matches.
? Claudia Dillon hit an impressive .636 on the night, setting a new season high.
Up Next
The Tigers hit the road to travel to Columbia East for a two-game battle with South Carolina beginning on Friday, February 26th at 2 p.m. CT. The double-header against the Gamecocks will conclude on Saturday, February 26th at 11 a.m. CT.
Season tickets and single-game tickets for the 2020-2021 Mizzou campaign are available at MUTigers.com/VBTix.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Volleyball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Missouri Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouVB).
