It was the best of times and it was the worst of times for the Missouri volleyball team as they beat Alabama 3-2 on Oct. 28.

Even with a lead as large as 19-11, the Tigers couldn’t find a way to claim the first game. The long and bumpy road to victory began with a 33-35 loss in the first game with a total of 17 tie scores and eight lead changes.

Freshman Alyssa Munlyn and sophomore Kira Larson helped lead the team with a combined total of 12 kills. Falling short even with a strong lead is “something we struggle with because we can get one point but we can’t convert and get multiple,” Larson said.

“When we were comfortably ahead, we made seven hitting errors,” Tigers coach Wayne Kreklow said. “We go from just needing to side out to win the game and now we put ourselves in a situation where it’s a point for point back and forth. Then they get going and we’re in trouble.”

The second game began the best of times. Ten kills and eight blocks later, the Tigers won the second game 25-20. Junior Julia Towler maintained a .571 hitting percentage. Only one hitting error for the team gave Missouri the extra boost needed to close the game.

Junior and middle blocker Emily Thater took control of the third game by scoring three kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Although the strong block game continued with eight total team blocks again, the Tigers fell short to the Crimson Tide 26-28.

“What was working was when we were focusing on our personal jobs,” Munlyn said. “Once everyone focused on that, that’s when everything cleaned up and it was a lot better. When we were all worried about what other people were doing or what the other team was doing, that’s when we didn’t do so well.”

The fourth and fifth game ended in back-to-back wins for Missouri, keeping the Tigers’ record perfect at home. That said, a total of 37 tie scores and 17 lead changes throughout the night didn’t make this an easy victory.

With ten missed serves and 19 hitting errors, this may not have seemed like a strong showing. But the Tigers finished the night with 23 total blocks, a new season high and the fourth highest single match block total in program history. Towler, Munlyn, Larson and Thater both set new career highs in blocking.

“It was probably the best, ugliest, crappiest, most beautiful match,” Kreklow said. “We keep talking about all the time with our team (that) we’re only as good as the group. We’re only as good as what everybody brings.”