University of Missouri
16-7,15-7SEC
South Dakota
15-7,13-3Summit Lea
Mizzou Sweeps South Dakota in NCAA First Round
4/14/2021 2:30:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers hit .347 to advance for their seventh-straight tournament appearance
OMAHA, Neb. – Mizzou Volleyball (16-7) powered its way to the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Championship with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-15) win over South Dakota on Wednesday inside the CHI Health Convention Center.
Senior Kylie Deberg hammered home a match-high 16 kills while hitting a blistering .481 from the outside. Deberg added 10 digs to record her eighth double-double of the season. Sophomore Anna Dixon added 11 kills in her NCAA Championship debut.
The Tigers stormed out to a 10-2 lead in the first set before South Dakota answered to tie it at 17-17. A 4-0 run helped Mizzou pull away down the stretch to take the early lead. In the second, Mizzou made its move with a 12-3 run to finish the set. The Tigers trailed 15-13 at the media timeout, but four Deberg kills helped turn the tide late. Mizzou never trailed in the third set, closing the match by hitting .500 in the frame.
#SHOWME Top performers
- Kylie Deberg: 16 kills on .481 hitting, 10 digs, 2 aces, 2 blocks
- Andrea Fuentes: 39 assists (13 per set), 3 kills on .600 hitting, 1 ace, 1 block
- Anna Dixon: 11 kills on .304 hitting, 3 digs, 2 blocks
- Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana: 7 kills on .250 hitting, 4 digs, 1 block
Hear from head coach Joshua Taylor
On team's performance to pull away in tight sets…
"It required us to rely on one another and solve a tough problem together as a group. We did a pretty nice job of that. Towards the end the match, we saw a little more consistency with addressing that early on, finding a solution to the problem we were facing, and going from there. So, I was happy with how we consistently got better."
#MIZ Takeaways
- Mizzou's .347 hitting percentage is the seventh-best NCAA performance in program history.
- The Tigers earned a first-round sweep for the third straight tournament.
- With two aces in the match, Deberg became the third Tiger ever to record 150 career aces.
- Sophomore Claudia Dillon added six kills and a pair of blocks in the match.
- Sophomore Kenna Sauer led the match with three blocks and added three kills.
- Deberg had 10 kills in the second set without committing an error to hit .714 in the frame.
UP NEXT
Mizzou advances to face No. 9-seed Ohio State on Thursday, April 15, at 11 a.m. The second round match will air on ESPN3.
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).
