Contributing 23 kills and 16 blocks in the Tiger Invitational this past weekend, freshman Alyssa Munlyn was a big part of the Tigers’ 3-0 sweep.
With a hitting percentage of .625 after the final game vs. North Texas on Saturday, what Mizzou coach Wayne Kreklow called “by far our best game,” Munlyn showed she wasn’t just an average freshman.
“Right now, it’s just the sheer athletic ability she has,” Kreklow said. “She can just do things that not many people can do. She’s got the hang time, the reach, and right now that just gives her a huge advantage. She’s just an intimidating kid at the net. She’s just up and hitters know she’s there so a lot of times they’ll make an error trying to hit somewhere else.”
Coming out of Suwanee, Georgia, the middle blocker played for A5, a club that produced 13 Division I players and ranked third in Volleyball Magazine’s 17-U national club rankings. Munlyn was also rated as the No. 36 prospect nationally by PrepVolleyball.com last year.
“We can just throw balls up there and she’ll bounce them,” junior outside hitter Carly Kan said. “I think it’s really great because she’s only a freshman and she’s already at this level. She has so much more to go. She does a really good job of not making those freshman mistakes that a lot of them do.”
Munlyn started the invitational off strong with 10 kills and eight blocks in the first game vs. North Dakota, the third highest for the team behind Kan and senior Regan Peltier.
She brought her athleticism over to the second game against Winthrop, where she finished with a hitting percentage of .462 and five blocks.
“I try not to think too much before the play,” Munlyn said. “I know I have to hit angles and hit around the block, but when the time comes, I try to just think it’s me and the net and just go at it.”
As a freshman, Munlyn still has time to improve her game and help the Tigers over the next four years.
“She’s just gonna get better and better,” Kreklow said. “I think she’s got all the physical tools to be a really, really great player, but she’s also got the mindset. She’s a great learner, she pays attention, she listens, she’s very positive and is just a sponge right now. Once she gets better at these little things, she’s really gonna be a great player for us.”
Those “little things” haven’t stopped Munlyn from performing on the court. She finished the weekend with an average hitting percentage of .364.
“The atmosphere here is absolutely unbelievable, and it makes it so much easier to play with people who support you and have such a great fanbase and team,” Munlyn said.