University of Missouri
10-5,1-2SEC
Southeast Missouri
7-10,4-1OVC
Volleyball Sweeps Southeast Missouri Wednesday to Open Homestand
10/9/2024 10:26:00 PM | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four University of Missouri volleyball players totaled double-digit kills as the Tigers (10-5, 1-2 SEC) took down in-state foe Southeast Missouri (7-10), 25-15, 25-20, 25-11, Wednesday night at the Hearnes Center.
Senior Jordan Iliff led the Tigers offensively with 14 kills on a .500 hitting percentage to go with four aces.
Graduate student Mychael Vernon added 12 kills (.474) with seven digs and two aces while junior Regan Haith notched a season-best 10 kills on a .909 clip with two blocks.
Junior Janet deMarrais rounded out the double-digit attackers, chipping in 10 kills (.389).
Redshirt sophomore setter Marina Crownover tallied 30 assists with 10 digs for her fourth career double-double outing.
Junior libero Maya Sands led the defense with 16 digs, seven assists and two aces.
FIRST SET (Mizzou 25-15, Mizzou leads 1-0)
After a service ace for SEMO, Mizzou took a 3-2 edge after consecutive kills from Haith.
A three-point Tigers run capped by a Sands ace provided the Tigers an 11-7 edge.
Mizzou then took a 15-10 lead into the media timeout following a block assist by Iliff and Colleen Finney.
The Redhawks answered with a kill from Marin Johnson before three-straight aces from Iliff coupled with a pair of deMarrais kills provided Mizzou a 20-11 advantage following a 5-0 run.
deMarrais added another termination before an ace from Kiaraliz Perez Catala made it a 10-point advantage (22-12).
Finney and Vernon slammed consecutive kills for set point (24-14) before Vernon secured the frame at 25-15.
Mizzou hit .583 to commence the match, as Iliff (.667) and Haith (.800) each had four kills.
SECOND SET (Mizzou 25-20, Mizzou leads 2-0)
SEMO jumped out to a 4-1 edge in the second stanza Wednesday.
The Tigers fought back with a 5-0 run to push ahead 6-4. The rally was wrapped by back-to-back kills from Vernon.
Mizzou then extended the advantage to 10-5 (9-1 run) aided by two kills and a block from Iliff.
deMarrais and Naomi Franco slammed consecutive kills to make the score 15-10.
Mizzou would widen the margin to 20-14 before three consecutive points by SEMO cut the edge to 21-18.
Missouri then increased its lead in the match to 2-0, closing the frame on a 4-2 run.
Sands finished off the set with an ace to provide the Tigers a 25-20 set two win.
Iliff (.700) and Vernon (.545) each had five kills in the set as Crownover dished out 11 assists.
THIRD SET (Mizzou 25-11, Mizzou wins 3-0)
Missouri jumped out to a 5-1 lead to start the third set that featured a massive block from Haith and Vernon.
Leading 14-10, the Tigers utilized a 6-0 rally to double their edge (20-10). Vernon notched two aces during the sequence.
SEMO would score once more before Mizzou secured the sweep (25-11) with the next five points to cap the match on an 11-1 rally.
Kaylen Rush placed an ace before back-to-back kills from Iliff and deMarrais.
Mizzou hit .565 in the final set and limited SEMO to .083. deMarrais totaled five kills while Haith had four.
MATCH NOTES
- Senior Jordan Iliff led the Tigers offensively with 14 kills on a .500 hitting percentage to go with four aces.
- Graduate student Mychael Vernon added 12 kills (.474) with seven digs and two aces.
- Junior Regan Haith notched a season-best 10 kills on a .909 clip with two blocks.
- Regan Haith has totaled 10 kills three times this season, hitting .444 plus in all three occasions.
- Junior Janet deMarrais rounded out the double-digit attackers, chipping in 10 kills (.389).
- Redshirt sophomore setter Marina Crownover tallied 30 assists with 10 digs for her fourth career double-double outing.
- Marina Crownover has now posted 30 or more assists in seven of her last eight matches.
- Junior libero Maya Sands led the defense with 16 digs, seven assists and two aces.
- With the outing, Jordan Iliff increased her career totals to 985 kills and 97 aces.
- Naomi Franco notched a trio of kills off the bench on a .500 rate.
- Sierra Dudley added 13 assists Wednesday.
- Kiaraliz Perez Catala notched her second ace of the 2024 campaign to go with four digs in the start (12th in 15 matches).
- Kaylen Rush recorded her first ace of the season Wednesday.
- Colleen Finney totaled two kills and a block to put her career block total at 248.
- Four different Tigers had double digit kills Wednesday.
- Mizzou notched a season-best .530 hitting percentage.
- The Tigers tallied 10 aces for the fifth time this season for their second-highest mark in 2024 (six double-digit ace matches in 2024).
- Mizzou concludes non-conference play in 2024 with a 9-3 mark.
- The sweep was Mizzou's sixth of the campaign as the Tigers had seven in 2023 during the first season of the Dawn Sullivan era.
- Dawn Sullivan has now posted back-to-back doubled digit win seasons to start her tenure at Mizzou.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Mizzou next continues its SEC slate with a pair of matches Friday and Saturday at the Hearnes Center.
- The Tigers will face Alabama (9-5, 1-2 SEC) on Friday in their SEC Home Opener before wrapping the week against Tennessee (9-5, 2-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon. Match times are set for 7 p.m., CT Friday and 2 p.m., CT Sunday.
- Friday's Alabama match is a Gold Rush, and fans are encouraged to wear Gold and can receive roller banners while supplies last.
- 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.
- Both matches will be televised on SEC Network+ with Max Thoma and former Tiger libero Riley Rohler on the broadcast.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouVolleyball (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
