Senior hitter Lisa Henning made program history with a school record for career kills as No.7 Missouri (26-0, 10-0 SEC) stayed undefeated with a victory over Ole Miss (25-21, 25-18, 25-18) at the Hearnes Center Friday evening.
The Tigers blew through the first set on 28 swings, then battled through the second aided by six team blocks to lead the Rebels 2-0 at halftime.
And then, at 12- 9 in the third set, it happened.
Henning swung on a ball from senior setter Molly Kreklow to tally her 11th kill of the night and career kill number 1,659, breaking a program record. The previous record of 1,658 kills was held by Shen Danru (2002-2005).
At a time out two points later, 3,292 fans rose to give Henning a standing ovation. The senior All-American stayed characteristically humble, wiping sweat from her forehead and focusing in on the team huddle.
“It’s pretty awesome, but I’m actually really excited for our team and what we’ve accomplished this year,” Henning said. “We’re 26-0 and I think that’s such a better feeling and a better accomplishment than anything an individual record could ever be.”
Coach Wayne Kreklow understands Henning’s modest team-minded mentality.
“All of them have a pretty healthy approach to all this stuff, whether it’s the wins and the losses, or the personal records,” he said. “Obviously I’m sure (Lisa) is really happy about that, and she should be because it’s quite an accomplishment, but I do think those guys want more than that.”
Though Henning was reluctant to harp on her achievement, junior blocker Whitney Little was happy to talk about her teammate.
“It’s really exciting just to watch your friends succeed, like I’m getting goose bumps right now,” Little said. “Especially for her senior year, and she’s done so much for our team for four years, and I’ve really seen her grow as a player and as a person. I know she’s going great places, so to be able to see her break these kinds of records is only a start for her.”
The Tigers were bogged down by three service errors in the first set, never widening their lead to more than two points until a kill by junior hitter Emily Wilson made it 14-10. Henning led Missouri to a 25-21 victory with a team-high five kills and two block assists, all while hitting .714.
The only Tiger to hit better was freshman blocker Emily Thater, who had a perfect hitting percentage with three kills and a block assist. Missouri as a whole hit an outstanding .571 for the set with 18 kills, as opposed to Ole Miss with 13 kills on .385 hitting.
After sliding down to a 1-4 deficit at the start of the second set, Missouri fought back through six ties in score to go up 12-11 thanks to a pair of Rebel errors. Wilson jump-started the Tiger offense once again with a kill to give Missouri a 17-14 lead. Little followed suit, putting down a kill and three blocks in the final stretch of the set.
However, Ole Miss forced Missouri to attempt set point three times before a kill from freshman utility Carly Kan sealed the deal at 25-18. The Tigers posted only 13 kills, hitting .286.
Missouri took control in the final set, building off of stellar serving from junior libero Sarah Meister to put its offense back into gear before Henning’s record-setting kill. Kan led the charge, and a service ace from freshman setter Loxley Keala finished it off at 25-18.
Kan posted five kills for the set, and ended the match hitting .529 with 11 kills. Henning finished the night with 13 of the team’s 45 kills. Molly Kreklow spread 41 of Missouri’s 45 assists, also contributing two kills and two block assists.
Lone seniors Henning and Kreklow, who has earned two weekly conference awards in the span of a month this season, have combined to be Missouri’s leadership force. Wayne Kreklow has coached the pair for their entire careers.
“In any program over time, there are just certain players that rise to the level of all-time greats, and Lisa and Molly both are at that level,” he said. “When I look back at, not just our 14 years here, but throughout the history of Mizzou volleyball, there are only a handful of players who have had that kind of impact.”
Henning acknowledges her co-captain as a huge part of her volleyball career.
“It’s nice to know that coach has confidence in me, that’s always a plus, but I would never be able to be in this position without Molly,” Henning said. “She’s kind of been my partner-in-crime all four years that I’ve been here, so I think that as much as it’s an award for me, it’s an award for her as well.”