University of Missouri
11-6, 11-6SEC
(#7) Florida
15-2, 15-2SEC
No. 25 Mizzou Falls 3-2 at No. 7 Florida
3/12/2021 3:09:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers and Gators go the distance for third-straight meeting
Mizzou blitzed the Gators out of the gate, racing to a 13-6 advantage in the opening set. The Tigers held the lead the rest of the way to earn the 25-23 opening set. Mizzou would rack up 19 kills in the second frame to extend its advantage to 2-0.
Florida answered in the third by hitting .433 in the set. The Gators then edged ahead late in the fourth set and held off a furious Mizzou rally to force a fifth set.
The Tigers claimed the early edge in the fifth set, holding an 8-6 lead at the media timeout. Mizzou would then build a 13-10 advantage before the Gators reeled off five-straight points to earn the win.
Senior Kylie Deberg notched her sixth double-double of the season with a match-leading 25 kills and 13 digs. Fellow senior Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana recorded 17 kills to post her highest output since 2018. In the middle, sophomore Claudia Dillon matched a career high with 11 kills.
#SHOWME Top performers
- Deberg: 25 kills on .270 hitting, 13 digs, 3 blocks
- Hollingsworth-Santana: 17 kills (season high)
- Fuentes: 54 assists (season high), 9 digs
- Anna Dixon: 10 kills, 2 digs
- Emily Brown: 11 digs
Hear from head coach Joshua Taylor
On Friday's five-set thriller…
"I was proud of the way our girls came out to start the match today. We battled through some tough moments and it just came down to a few plays that Florida made. We'll reset and be ready for tomorrow's rematch."
#MIZ Takeaways
- Mizzou and Florida went five sets for the third-straight meeting.
- Deberg's 25 kills marked a spring high for the outside hitter. She recorded 20+ kills for the ninth time this season.
- Brown's 11 digs make it 16 double-digit performances in 17 games this season for the libero.
- Dillon tallied 11 kills for the third time this season and finished in double figures for a fourth match.
- Fuentes topped 50 assists and set a season high for a second-straight match.
UP NEXT
Mizzou and Florida meet again on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT. The match will once again air on SEC Network +.
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 (Mizzou Volleyball) and following us on Twitter (@MizzouVB) and Instagram (MizzouVB).
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