Sarah Durbin
Right side hitter Maca Lobaglio, jumps into the air for a kill during the game against Arkansas on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Hearnes Center, in Columbia, Mo. Lobaglio had a total of 3 spikes and 3 kills for this match and Missouri went on to win the match, 3-0.
The Missouri Tigers fell to the Florida Gators on Oct. 10 in four sets, marking their third loss in four games. Here are some key takeaways from the team’s defeat.
SEC struggles
With the loss against Florida, Missouri moves to 1-4 in conference play on the season. The Tigers are currently ranked 10th out of the 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference.
Last year, Missouri went 11-6 against SEC opponents, including the NCAA tournament. This success against conference powerhouses led them to a No. 7 seed in the tournament and an eventual run into the sweet 16.
Last season in the NCAA Tournament, the SEC fielded five teams, the most out of any Division I conference. Tough battles in one of the best conferences in college volleyball preview what the Tigers are going to have to face come tournament time. So far, however, Missouri has not shown the ability to win big games.
The Tigers recorded a season-high 76 kills against the Oklahoma Sooners and tied their season-high 78 digs against Florida. In their first five SEC games, Missouri has also only lost one set by double digits.
Nevertheless, the team has not been able to put everything together against conference opponents. With three more SEC matches coming up, there is no time like the present to turn things around.
Closing out close sets
While the box score of the Missouri-Florida matchup may look like an uncompetitive game, all four sets were decided by a combined nine points. The Tigers have shown the ability to keep things tight against top teams — Missouri’s match against No. 2 Texas was decided by a total of 10 points in three sets.
Missouri can stay in matches with tough opponents, but there comes a point where they need to finish off these teams and start winning these ultra-close sets.
For Missouri, it ultimately comes down to getting off to hot starts and making timely runs. In the first, third and fourth sets against Florida, the Tigers found themselves in deficits before the 10-point mark was eclipsed. Florida went on to win all three of those sets. In the lone set won by the Tigers, they jumped out to a 10-3 lead and never looked back. Even an 8-1 Florida run wasn’t enough to muster a comeback. When the Tigers can secure an early lead, they find success. However, when they find themselves in an early deficit, it is quite the opposite. The first few points have been make-or-break for the Tigers all season, and should be a point of emphasis moving forward.
If the Tigers can start hot and not have to worry about constantly scoring five straight, which they have not efficiently done against SEC competition so far, they will be able to stay within themselves and control their matchups. If the Tigers do that, the team will start edging out a few more close sets and getting back in the win column.
Caylen Alexander is heating up
Senior outside hitter Caylen Alexander is starting to find the form that earned her the 2024 Big West Player of the Year. In her last two matches, Alexander recorded her two highest kill totals of the year, with 18 against Oklahoma and 24 against Florida.
While Alexander is predominantly known for her thunderous spikes at the net, this is not the only place she has been shining on the stat sheet as of late. The Hawaii transfer recorded three service aces against Oklahoma and 15 digs against Florida, both season highs. Alexander is improving her game in all facets, a good sign for a Missouri team in need of a game-changer.
While Missouri’s struggles against SEC opponents have been apparent, the same can not be said for Alexander. She has introduced herself brilliantly to conference opponents, touting a hitting percentage of .331 in SEC matchups, almost .100 percentage points higher than her season clip of .236.
Missouri simply might be looking to feed Alexander more as they face tougher competition, or the team is just meshing together more as they adjust to play styles and get more repetitions. Nevertheless, there is no doubt Alexander is heating up for the Tigers, and showing Columbia faithful why her name was found on the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watchlist.
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Grace Morgan and Emma Harper | [email protected]
Edited by Chase Pray | [email protected]