The Missouri Tigers hosted the Stanford Cardinal Sept. 9 in their home opener, ultimately losing the match 3-1.

Despite the loss, it was an impressive game across the board for the Tigers, as senior Caylen Alexander, redshirt senior Tyrah Ariail and senior Janet deMarrais all reached double-digit kills against the No. 5 ranked Cardinal.

DeMarrais opened the match with some great net work, ending in a kill –– her first of 12 for the night. After thrilling back-and-forth action, Stanford took the first set 25-23. Missouri would bring a defensive storm into the second set, forcing the Cardinal into timeouts at 9-4 and 20-16. After battling point-for-point, Stanford took the second set with a score of 33-31.

The pressure was on for the Tigers going into the third set. Missouri took and maintained an early lead until the end, taking the victory in this set with a score of 25-22. The fourth set was another exciting battle. Both teams took turns getting ahead, but in the end Stanford would take the set 25-21.

In the post-game press conference, head coach Dawn Sullivan emphasized the importance of playing matches against higher-ranked teams, as it prepares them for Southeastern Conference and postseason play.

“This match is really huge,” Sullivan said. “It shows us we’re going to continue to take the steps we need to take.”

DeMarrais also understood the importance of playing Stanford regarding future matchups.

“The first thought in my head is that those are the types of teams we are going to see when we make it back to the Sweet Sixteen,” deMarrais said.

Looking to come back from this loss, the Tigers will face off in two matches against Wyoming and Rhode Island Sept. 11 and Texas Christian University Sept. 12.

Edited by Killian Wright | [email protected]
Copy edited by Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]