Missouri goes undefeated in Nashville including a five-set thriller against rival Illinois
Missouri volleyball extended their winning streak to five as they completed the Lipscomb Invitational in Nashville with wins against Lipscomb and Illinois.
Lipscomb
The first game of the invitational against the hosts ended as a 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 23-25, 25-17) win for the Tigers.
The first set contained an early 6-0 run that gave the Tigers a 10-4 lead. Missouri never looked back, leading for the rest of the set until they clinched the 25-17 win. Janet deMarrais and Mychael Vernon stood out for the Tigers in the first set with five kills each.
The Tigers dominated the second set from the start with an early 7-1 run. Missouri built on that early advantage, leading by as much as 14 late in the set. The Bison went on a 5-0 run of their own towards the end of the set, however the Tigers still won 25-16.
Lipscomb responded well in the third set including a 9-2 run to take a three-point lead at the midway point. Missouri battled back, even snagging the lead at 23-22. Lipscomb refused to quit, scoring the next three points to avoid the sweep.
The Tigers bounced back in the fourth set with a 25-17 win to take the match. The turning point came after an impressive run of six straight aces by Jordan Iliff to push Missouri ahead by nine.
The trio of Iliff, Vernon and deMarrais all ended with at least 13 kills during the match. Missouri finished the match with a .420 hitting percentage, the third highest mark of the season thus far.
Illinois
The volleyball version of the Braggin’ Rights rivalry between Missouri and Illinois finished as a five-set thriller. The Tigers emerged victorious 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12) by the narrowest of margins.
The Tigers started fast, beginning the first set on a 5-0 run. The Fighting Illini responded well later in the set with a 5-0 run of their own to cut the lead to one at the midway point. Missouri added another 5-0 of their own, holding onto the first set 25-17. Iliff and Vernon matched one another’s production with five kills and two blocks each.
Both teams started the second set on even footing before the Tigers grabbed a 9-6 lead. Illinois put a stop to this with a 7-0 to turn the tide. Illinois clutched up with a 5-2 run to close the set and tie the match.
Illinois continued to settle in an early 7-5 lead in the third set. Both teams then battled back-and-forth, as the set was tied at 17. Missouri went on a late run to win 25-21. The final point came after a bad set by Illinois’ Averie Hernandez, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was tied early at 11 near the halfway mark. Illinois took control with a 5-0 run right after, keeping the lead throughout the tail end of the set. Illinois clinched a 25-21 win in the fourth set to tie up the match once again and take it to a decisive fifth set.
Early in the fifth set, the two teams were deadlocked at 11. However Missouri pulled away late with a 4-2 run. An ace by Iliff clinched the set 15-12 in the Tigers’ first five-match set of the year. Iliff led the team with 24 kills while racking up 14 digs and five aces.
Missouri begins SEC play against LSU in Baton Rouge, La. Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com
Edited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com