University of Missouri
14-5,5-2SEC
Arkansas
14-5,4-3SEC
Vernon’s Program-Record 37 Kills Leads Volleyball to Four-Set Win at Arkansas
10/25/2024 10:53:00 PM | Volleyball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mychael Vernon's Mizzou program-record 37 kills led the University of Missouri volleyball team (14-5, 5-2 SEC) to a four-set (21-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-15) victory over Battle Line Rival Arkansas (14-5, 4-3 SEC) Friday evening at Barnhill Arena.
With the win, Mizzou improves to 5-2 in the SEC and is now tied for second in the league with Kentucky. The Tigers extended their win streak to five matches (four-straight SEC wins).
Vernon notched a career-best 37 kills to surpass Paola Ampudia's 35 kills (Oct. 24, 2009, at Kansas) to become MU's single-match record holder.
Vernon, a graduate outside hitter from Ossining, New York, hit .385 Friday and registered a double-double, adding 17 digs and two blocks. The double-double outing marked her ninth of the campaign.
Janet deMarrais also finished in double-figures attacking, tallying 10 kills and three digs.
Setter Marina Crownover compiled a career best 61 assists and four aces with 11 digs as Mizzou hit .260 in Missouri's first win over the Razorbacks since Nov. 4-5, 2020 (3-2 and 3-0 wins in Columbia, Missouri). It marked Crownover's sixth double-double of the season.
The victory was also MU's first over Arkansas in Fayetteville since Oct. 7, 2018 (a 3-0 sweep).
Libero Maya Sands grabbed a career-best matching 30 digs with four assists and an ace. She has now compiled 30 digs in back-to-back SEC matchups.
Senior right side hitter Jordan Iliff appeared in her 100th career match as a Missouri Tiger. She totaled eight kills, eight digs, two aces and three blocks.
FIRST SET (25-21 Arkansas, Arkansas leads 1-0)
Trailing 5-4, Mizzou utilized a 4-0 run to pull ahead 8-5. Vernon had a trio of kills during the sequence while Sands notched an ace.
Vernon added another kill to tie the set at 10-10 before the Razorbacks went on a 4-0 run and took a 15-12 lead into the media stoppage.
deMarrais posted consecutive kills to make the score 15-14 before another 4-0 run for the home team (19-14 Arkansas).
Crownover placed consecutive aces following a Tigers block to cut the deficit to 22-20.
Vernon would add one more kill (24-21) to fend off set point before Arkansas took the opening frame (25-21).
Vernon had seven kills on a .412 clip to commence Friday's match.
SECOND SET (25-18 Mizzou, Tied 1-1)
Missouri commenced the second set with an 8-3 lead that grew to 11-3. Crownover tallied a pair of aces while Vernon had eight kills over the sequence.
The Razorbacks then utilized a 4-0 run to come within three (13-10) before Mizzou widened the gap to 17-11 after a Colleen Finney solo block and a Vernon termination.
Arkansas would keep the edge to three (19-16) before Mizzou secured the set on a 6-2 rally (25-18).
Regan Haith slammed a kill off a Razorback over pass to make the score 21-16 and prompt an Arkansas timeout.
Iliff then sealed the set with an ace following a Vernon rally stopper.
Vernon had 14 kills (.619) over set #2 Friday while Crownover dished out 16 assists with two aces.
Mizzou hit .325 over the second frame.
THIRD SET (25-20 Mizzou, Mizzou leads 2-1)
Mizzou once again started hot, jumping out to a 5-1 lead that grew to 12-3. Vernon scored the first five Tiger points with kills.
The Razorbacks then responded with five unanswered points to trim the edge to 12-8.
A Vernon kill made the score 15-11 as Arkansas would claw within one, 18-17, to bring on a Mizzou timeout.
Mizzou then wrapped the frame on a 6-2 run (25-20) to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Iliff notched a kill and an ace to bookend a deMarrais rally stopper at 22-18. Finney then slammed a kill to secure the set (25-20).
Vernon had nine kills over the third set while Crownover had 15 assists.
FOURTH SET (25-15 Mizzou, Mizzou wins 3-1)
Back-to-back kills from Vernon early provided Mizzou an 11-6 lead.
Vernon added another kill before a termination from Haith made the score 15-8.
The Razorbacks came within four (15-11) as Mizzou went on a 5-0 run to widen the lead to double digits (23-13).
deMarrais notched consecutive kills to start the rally and connected on the match-clinching kill (25-15).
Vernon had seven kills (.333) in the final set Friday and Crownover compiled 17 assists. Mizzou hit a match-best .341 over the fourth stanza.
MATCH NOTES
- Mychael Vernon notched a career-best 37 kills to surpass Paola Ampudia's 35 kills (Oct. 24, 2009, at Kansas) to become Mizzou's single-match record holder.
- Mychael Vernon hit .385 Friday and registered a double-double, adding 17 digs and two blocks. The double-double outing marked her ninth of the campaign.
- Mychael Vernon finished with 38.0 points which also is a Mizzou single-match record.
- Mychael Vernon has posted 14 or more kills in each of the last four matches and 21 or more kills in each of the last three contests.
- Janet deMarrais also finished in double-figures attacking, tallying 10 kills and three digs. She has now posted 10 kills in back-to-back matches.
- Janet deMarrais has notched double-digit kills in each of the last three matches.
- Setter Marina Crownover compiled a career best 61 assists and four aces with 11 digs. It marked her sixth double-double of the season.
- It's the highest Mizzou assist total since Sierra Dudley totaled 60 against Ole Miss in 2023 (Oct. 15). MU last had a setter with over 61 assists on Nov. 8, 2019, when Andrea Fuentes had 62.
- Marina Crownover has registered 44 or more assists in each of the last four matches. She has notched 55 or more assists in each of the last three matches.
- Libero Maya Sands grabbed a career-best matching 30 digs with four assists and an ace. She has now compiled 30 digs in back-to-back SEC matchups and three times in her career.
- Senior right side hitter Jordan Iliff appeared in her 100th career match as a Missouri Tiger. She totaled eight kills, eight digs, two aces and three blocks.
- Colleen Finney finished with eight kills (.571) while Regan Haith finished with six kills and four assists.
- Colleen Finney has posted seven or more kills in each of the last two matches.
- Regan Haith has notched six or more kills and three or more blocks in each of the last two matches.
- Kiaraliz Perez Catala tallied a season-best 19 digs for her second double-digit dig outing in 2024.
- Mizzou totaled 70 or more kills for the third time this season.
- Missouri registered 68 assists and has posted 68 or more in each of the last two matches (70 against Mississippi State, Oct. 20).
- Missouri grabbed a season best 93 digs with four student-athletes in double-digits. The Tigers last had 90 plus digs at Auburn, Oct. 17, 2021 (96 digs).
- With the win, Mizzou improves to 5-2 in the SEC and is now tied for second in the league with Kentucky. The Tigers extended their win streak to five matches (four-straight SEC wins).
- Mizzou last won four-straight SEC matches Nov. 3-12, 2023.
- Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 16-6.
- Friday marked Missouri's first win over the Razorbacks since Nov. 4-5, 2020 (3-2 and 3-0 wins in Columbia, Missouri).
- The victory Friday was also MU's first over Arkansas in Fayetteville since Oct. 7, 2018, a 3-0 sweep.
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Tigers next wrap their weekend set of road contests at Oklahoma (9-7, 3-5 SEC) Sunday afternoon at McCasland Field House. First serve is 2 p.m., CT.
- The match will be featured on SEC Network+.
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- 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.
