Missouri volleyball’s first SEC match of the season was a showdown against the No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats Friday night.
Although the Tigers tested Kentucky each set, the hosts prevailed with a tight 27-25, 25-23, 25-22 sweep at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky. The match pitted two young programs against each other, but unveiled a key difference between the two: the ability to close out games.
The Wildcats’ efficient offensive attack, which boasted a .306 hitting percentage and compiled 49 total kills, propelled them to victory. Kentucky senior outside hitter Alli Stumler, sophomore outside hitter Madi Skinner, and junior middle blocker Azhani Tealer, contributed at least 10 kills respectively.
Freshman setter Emma Grome added 41 assists for the Wildcats — her fourth straight game of more than 40 assists. Kentucky committed 28 errors in the win, including 12 service errors, which allowed the Tigers to remain in each set.
For Missouri, junior outside hitter Anna Dixon led the Tigers with 14 kills, freshman middle blocker Trista Strasser posted 4 aces and freshman setter Addison Lyon contributed 17 assists.
The Tigers finished with a .165 hitting percentage, highlighting the offensive woes that have plagued them throughout the season. Missouri’s continued struggles in the late-game setting gave Kentucky the opportunity to fight back every set.
The Tigers roared to a 19-11 start behind 4 aces, while the Wildcats made 7 errors, including 3 errors by Tealer. However, Missouri’s previous troubles continued as Kentucky stormed back to tie the game at 24 apiece, before taking the set altogether.
Kentucky jumped out to a 18-12 lead in the second set behind a strong offensive attack that featured 11 kills and 2 aces. Still, the Tigers proved relentless and used a 9-2 run to take a 21-20 advantage. Missouri’s heroics were halted there though, as the Wildcats capitalized on two late errors to take the second set.
After a tense first two sets, the third was no different. Each team traded points to begin the set, and then settled into an 11-11 tie early. Using 2 aces and 5 kills as momentum, Missouri lept ahead to a 19-15 edge before Kentucky responded with a 7-0 stretch to retake the lead for good.
The match is one the young Tigers can learn from, while the tight scores show they can keep up with a high-ranked opponent. For Kentucky, it will allow the team to focus on the weaknesses they exhibited.
With the victory, Kentucky improved to 8-3, while Missouri fell to 3-11. The Tigers return home for a two-game bout against the University of South Carolina starting Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com
