Missouri finished their weekend full of volleyball at Northern Kentucky with multiple losses
After a weekend full of volleyball at the Northern Kentucky Invitational, Missouri volleyball finished with a 1-2 record with losses against Louisville and South Dakota and a win over the host team, Northern Kentucky, bringing the Tigers to an even 3-3 on the season.
Missouri vs. Northern Kentucky
Missouri was able to clinch an opening victory to start off the tournament against the Norse on Friday evening. In a 3-1 win for the Tigers, the game was much closer than expected. All four sets were won by a margin of four points or less.
The highlight of the game came in the second set, which went back and forth until the Norse pulled through, winning 34-32. The Tigers captured the three other sets with a 25-21 score.
Right side Jordan Iliff led the Tigers with 22 kills in the match. Middle Reagan Haith also stood out, with five blocks of her own. Libero Maya Sands looked strong at her position, finishing with 21 digs. Missouri finished their match with the Norse with a .359 hitting percentage.
For the Norse, Joy Banks led the way with 17 kills.
Missouri vs. Louisville
What appeared to be the toughest matchup entering the invitational proved to be true, as Missouri was swept by the No. 4 Louisville Cardinals.
Throughout the entire match, the Cardinals impressed with a .441 hitting percentage. They also limited their mistakes to only two errors, compared to Missouri’s 18. Another key to the game was the 12 blocks Louisville fielded, compared to the Tigers one.
Iliff led Missouri in kills with 11. Setter Marina Crownover was excellent at setting her teammates up, finishing with 21 assists in the match.
The Cardinals’ stars showed out for Louisville as outside hitter Anna DeBeer and middle Reese Robins combined for 20 kills total.
Though it ended in a loss, the Tigers played a very competitive game against a top-five team in the country, including a close 25-21 second set. Louisville had a great 2023 season, making the Elite Eight in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Missouri vs. South Dakota
In the final game of the invitational, the Tigers suffered a loss to the South Dakota Coyotes. The Tigers started the match off hot with a 25-15 win in set one, but proceeded to lose every set after including a 25-16 blowout in the 4th set.
The Tigers struggled with consistency in sets two through four and couldn’t get any huge runs going. Outside hitter Mychael Vernon played a solid game with 15 kills. The Tigers as a whole finished with a .239 hitting percentage throughout the match.
Outside hitter Lauren Medeck had 17 kills for the Coyotes. Middle Morgan Bode finished with 5 blocks herself. Both are freshmen that aided in the upset victory.
Missouri plays against the Kansas City Roos in the Mizzou Invitational on Friday, Sep. 13 at 11:30 a.m in hopes to improve their even record.
Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com
Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com