University of Missouri
11-5,2-2SEC
Alabama
9-6,1-3SEC
Volleyball Sweeps Alabama Friday in SEC Home Opener
10/11/2024 11:25:00 PM | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri volleyball team (11-5, 2-2 SEC) swept Alabama (9-6, 1-3 SEC), 25-22, 25-19, 25-21, Friday evening at the Hearnes Center.
The sweep marked the second-straight to commence Mizzou's homestand and seventh overall sweep of the 2024 campaign.
Missouri welcomed 2,810 fans to Hearnes Friday for the Tigers' SEC home-opening match against the Crimson Tide.
Senior Jordan Iliff led the way for Mizzou with 17 kills and three aces to reach the career milestones of 1,000 kills and 100 aces. Iliff connected at a .500 rate Friday evening adding two blocks and two digs.
Graduate student Mychael Vernon joined Iliff in double figures with 14 kills to go with eight digs. Junior Regan Haith led the Tigers in hitting percentage with .857 on six kills and three blocks.
Redshirt sophomore Marina Crownover led the team in assists with 44 to go along with three digs, two blocks and an ace.
Junior Maya Sands led Mizzou defensively with 19 digs to go along with two assists.
FIRST SET (Mizzou 25-22, Mizzou leads 1-0)
Alabama commenced the match with a 10-8 lead early in the set.
The first set continued to be back and forth before the first ace of the match forced a Missouri timeout with Alabama extending their advantage to 21-18.
MU responded out of the timeout with two kills forcing an Alabama timeout. Out of that timeout the Tigers extended their run to 6-0 with an Iliff ace and Tigers' block assist to take a 24-21 lead before Alabama used their second timeout.
Alabama registered a point out of the timeout, but Missouri closed the first set on a 7-1 scoring run to win 25-22.
Mizzou was led by five kills from Vernon and four from Iliff.
SECOND SET (Mizzou 25-19, Mizzou leads 2-0)
The two sides were knotted up in a tight set early in the second before Mizzou ripped off a 6-2 run heading into the media timeout. Iliff contributed a kill and an ace to the run, putting the Tigers ahead 15-11.
Missouri scored the first point after the timeout before Alabama responded with three straight of their own. Two straight kills from Mizzou ended the run and forced Alabama to use their first timeout.
Out of the break, Alabama scored the first two before the Tigers scored three of four, forcing Alabama to call their second timeout and extending the Missouri lead to 21-17.
The Tigers closed the set at 25-19 coming out of the break led by four points from Iliff, who recorded three kills and a block down the stretch.
Iliff led MU with seven kills and a block in the second period, along with 13 assists from Crownover.
THIRD SET (Mizzou 25-21, Mizzou wins 3-0)
Missouri and Alabama were deadlocked after 20 points at 10-10 following a back-and-forth battle early with the Tigers being led by five kills from Iliff.
Both sides remained tightly knit through the media timeout where Mizzou claimed a 15-13 lead following a block and kill from Haith.
Coming out of the break Alabama scored the first two before they were forced to use a timeout after an Iliff ace (18-16), marking 100 career aces.
The Tigers continued to pull away, scoring three-straight to force the second Alabama timeout at 21-17 Missouri.
Following the final timeout of the match, both teams traded points before a kill from Haith closed the set 25-21 Mizzou.
The third set was led by six kills from Iliff as well as five from Vernon and 17 assists from Crownover.
Mizzou hit .400 in the final set Friday after a .359 second stanza.
The matchup totaled 24 tie scores and eight lead changes including 12 ties in the third set Friday.
MATCH NOTES
- Jordan Iliff notched 1,000 career kills (1002) and 100 career aces with Missouri behind 17 kills and three aces Friday against Alabama. She also hit .500 to go with two blocks and two digs.
- Jordan Iliff is one ace away from tying her career high of 45 set in 2023.
- Jordan Iliff has registered 14 or more kills and three or more aces in each of the last two matches.
- Graduate student Mychael Vernon joined Jordan Iliff in double figures with 14 kills to go with eight digs. Vernon has notched 12 or more kills in each of the last two matches.
- Junior Regan Haith led the Tigers in hitting percentage with .857 on six kills and three blocks.
- Redshirt sophomore Marina Crownover led the team in assists with 44 to go along with three digs, career-high two blocks and an ace.
- Marina Crownover has now posted 30 or more assists in eight of her last nine matches.
- Junior Maya Sands led Mizzou defensively with 19 digs to go along with two assists.
- Janet deMarrais chipped in nine kills in the start, her fourth of the campaign. She has notched nine or more kills in each of the last two contests.
- Colleen Finney totaled five kills, an assist and a block. She now has 249 career blocks.
- Sierra Dudley compiled five assists and a dig.
- Kiaraliz Perez Catala grabbed six digs Friday.
- The sweep marked the second-straight to commence Mizzou's homestand and seventh overall sweep of the 2024 campaign.
- Mizzou leads the all-time series with Alabama, 15-5 and has swept the Crimson Tide in back-to-back seasons.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Missouri will go into the second half of its four-match homestand Sunday against Tennessee. First serve is set for 2 p.m., CT at the Hearnes Center.
- Sunday's contest against Tennessee will be the Tigers' Breast Cancer Awareness match presented by MU Health Care. Mizzou will wear specialty pink jerseys for the match.
- The Tigers' match against Tennessee will be televised on SEC Network+.
- The MU homestand will conclude with a matchup against Mississippi State at 2 p.m., CT on Sunday, October 20.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
