Missouri volleyball finished the Lippy Invitational 2-0 in Nashville. They took wins over host team Lipscomb, before winning their rivalry match against Illinois. 

Here are the takeaways from the Tigers’ weekend wins of volleyball.

The accuracy is on display

Missouri continues to be one of the most precise teams in the nation when it comes to hitting percentage. They rank sixth in the nation for hitting percentage with a rate of .310. Against Lipscomb, the Tigers held a .420 hit percentage to the Bisons’ .207 percentage. Missouri also won the battle against Illinois, but by a smaller margin. Their .236 hit rate bested Illinois’ .226 by comparison. 

Middle blocker Colleen Finney led the way for the Tigers with a .463 average attacking percentage for the invitational. Finney continues to prove to be one of the most accurate players on the team with 14 kills and only one error across the two matches. 

Missouri’s incredibly sharp play can be attributed to their playmakers setting up attackers for easy kills. Over the weekend, the team racked up 124 assists; 60 against Lipscomb and 64 against Illinois. The Tigers have not been tested for the majority of their non-conference slate and have capitalized against the teams in front of them. 

Finishing strong when it counts

The Tigers were able to win their rivalry match with Illinois in a decisive fifth set. The score was tied at 11-11 towards the end, but Missouri went 4-1 in their last five points. Right side Jordan Iliff closed out the game with a kill and a service ace to give the Tigers a perfect record on the weekend. This marked Missouri’s first match of the season that went to five sets. 

Going into the SEC schedule, it is important for the Tigers to be in critical situations for the harsher roads ahead. Despite their low hitting percentage of .083 in the fifth set and six errors, they were able to outplay their rival in the game. With eight kills on eight assists, Missouri’s plan of attack gave them just enough to pull off the win. The Tigers have now won their last six matches decided in five sets dating back to last season. 

Marina Crownover setting up for success

The redshirt sophomore has made her mark in her first season for Missouri. After being a part of Texas’ back-to-back national championship runs, Crownover has found individual success with the black and gold. She reached her highest assists totals of the season with 48 against Lipscomb and 59 against Illinois. Across the two matches, the starting setter accounted for 86.3% of the Tigers’ assists. 

Crownover has played in nine of the 11 matches while starting in five, and is beginning to solidify herself as the potential starting setter of the team. Her early connection with Iliff was especially apparent in the match against Illinois. Iliff posted a season-high 24 kills during the rivalry match, with the majority of those kills coming off a set from Crownover.

The Tigers have found some much needed stability in their starting lineup with the same players in both matches. This consistency will be key as they approach conference play.

Missouri’s next match is on the road at LSU on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. to kick off SEC play. 

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Claire Bauer and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com