University of Missouri
3-1,0-0SEC
Northern Kentucky
1-3,0-0Horizon
Volleyball Opens NKU Invitational with 3-1 Win over Norse Friday
9/6/2024 9:04:00 PM | Volleyball
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The University of Missouri Volleyball team (3-1) notched a 3-1 (25-21, 32-34, 25-21, 25-21) win over tournament host Northern Kentucky (1-3) Friday evening at Regents Hall to commence the NKU Invitational.
Three Tigers finished with double-digit kills paced by a career-best matching 22 from Jordan Iliff. The senior from St. Louis hit .381 with 11 digs for her second double-double of the campaign.
Janet deMarrais secured a pair of aces for the Tigers to go with a season-high 20 kills.
Mychael Vernon continued her double-digit kill streak, extending it to nine matches dating back to her senior season at Oregon State. She finished with 17 kills and 10 digs for her third double-double outing as a Tiger.
Sierra Dudley finished one assist shy of tying her career high, posting 59 with 11 digs as Mizzou hit a season-best .359 Friday. It marked her first double-double in 2024.
Maya Sands led the defense, compiling 21 digs, six assists and an ace after surpassing 1,000 career digs against NC State on Sept. 1.
FIRST SET (25-21 Mizzou, Mizzou leads 1-0)
Iliff started off the match with a kill to provide Mizzou with an early edge.
Mizzou and NKU traded points until a four-point rally by Mizzou with back-to-back kills from Vernon made the score 10-8.
Consecutive kills from Finney and Iliff then brought the score to 13-10.
Dudley then joined Colleen Finney for a block assist before placing an ace for an 18-15 advantage.
NKU answered with a 3-0 run to even the frame at 20-20.
The Tigers then secured the stanza, concluding on a 5-1 rally (25-21) that featured two kills and an ace from deMarrais. Regan Haith capped the set with a denial at the net.
Iliff notched seven kills on a .462 clip to open the match.
SECOND SET (32-34 NKU, Tied 1-1)
The second set was a marathon frame that featured 20 ties and three lead changes. The host Norse prevailed to even the match at 1-1.
Trailing 15-12, Mizzou went on a 3-0 run to even the set.
The Tigers utilized its pair of timeouts down 20-17 and 23-19.
Facing set point (24-20), the Tigers went on a 4-0 run to knot the frame and force extra innings. Dudley notched a kill before consecutive blocks by Vernon and Haith before a Vernon kill.
Vernon slammed another rally stopper before a Mizzou block provided the Tigers a 27-26 edge. She would tie the frame one last time with a kill for 32-32 before NKU secured the frame.
Iliff once again had seven kills followed by Vernon (six kills on a .286 hitting percentage).
THIRD SET (25-21 Mizzou, Mizzou leads 2-1)
Mizzou opened the third set with a 7-4 early lead.
A kill by Finney and an ace by Vernon brought Mizzou's lead to four points (11-7), leading NKU to take their first timeout of the set.
NKU then took its final timeout of the set after Mizzou brought the score to 16-9 after a 4-0 run after a trio of kills from deMarrais. The lead extended to 17-9 following a Norse miscue.
Mizzou extended their margin with kills from Vernon, Iliff and Dudley making the score 20-13.
NKU pulled within three (20-17) after a 4-0 rally and came as close as two (23-21).
deMarrais then secured the set with back-to-back kills. She had six kills during the set on a .667 clip while Iliff added five on a .333.
FOURTH SET (25-21 Mizzou, Mizzou wins 3-1)
NKU commenced the fourth stanza on a 7-4 lead that grew to 12-7.
Back-to-back kills by Finney and deMarrais coupled with an ace from Sands narrowed NKU's lead to one (13-14).
deMarrais then evened the set at 14-14 with a kill.
Mizzou then utilized a 6-1 rally to switch the lead in favor of the Tigers, 20-17. deMarrais added a trio of rally stoppers during the sequence.
MU extended its advantage to 23-18 before the Norse clawed within two (23-21).
A kill by Vernon brought on match point at 24-21.
Vernon and Finney then secured the win for the Tigers, combining for a block.
Mizzou wrapped the match, hitting .444 in the final set. Vernon notched seven kills (.385) while deMarrais had six (.500).
MATCH NOTES
- Jordan Iliff led the Mizzou offense as three Tigers finished with double-digit kills. It marked the second-straight match Mizzou had registered the offensive feat.
- Jordan Iliff notched a career-best matching 22 kills. The senior from St. Louis hit .381 with 11 digs for her second double-double of the campaign.
- Janet deMarrais secured a pair of aces for the Tigers to go with a season-high 20 kills.
- Mychael Vernon continued her double-digit kill streak, extending it to nine matches dating back to her senior season at Oregon State. She finished with 17 kills, 10 digs and four blocks for her third double-double outing as a Tiger.
- Maya Sands led the defense, compiling 21 digs, six assists and an ace after surpassing 1,000 career digs against NC State on Sept. 1. She was one of four Tigers with double-digit digs.
- Colleen Finney chipped in nine kills and four blocks on a .643 hitting percentage.
- Sierra Dudley finished one assist shy of tying her career high, posting 59 with 11 digs as Mizzou hit a season-high .359 Friday. It marked her first double-double in 2024.
- Regan Haith totaled five blocks to go with a pair of kills.
- Kiaraliz Perez Catala notched a Mizzou personal best six digs.
- Friday's win marked Mizzou's first victory of the 2024 campaign in four sets after picking up a pair of 3-0 sweeps at the Bluejay Invitational.
- Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Northern Kentucky, 3-0.
LOOKING AHEAD
- Missouri next faces No. 4 Louisville in Day 2 of the NKU (Northern Kentucky) Invitational Saturday. First serve is set for 1 p.m., CT at Regents Hall.
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.
