Missouri volleyball was dealt a tough blow in College Station last night with a 3–1 (25–22, 22–25, 20–25, 23–25) loss to Texas A&M. The Aggies handed the Tigers their first Southeastern Conference loss of the season and broke Mizzou’s 13-game winning streak.
Missouri (18–4, 9–1) came out strong in the first set and was able to win it 25–22. The Tigers trailed early on and around the halfway point, but some late scoring runs and senior Carly Kan’s five-kill performance helped them win the set.
The second set saw both teams struggling with errors and consistency, and two errors on the Missouri side of the net helped Texas A&M to its first victory. The Tigers continued to struggle in the third set, and the fourth set saw only one block from Missouri, while Texas A&M had 16 kills on .382 hitting.
Although Missouri struggled on defense and had trouble on offense throughout, Kan and junior Kira Larson were dominant. Larson had 15 kills on .375 hitting, a team high, with seven digs and three blocks. Kan followed closely behind in kills with 14 and led the team in digs with 13.
Junior Courtney Eckenrode remained in the game as setter. She had 45 assists and 12 digs on the night. Senior Emily Thater was also an offensive help, with 11 kills on .364 hitting.
Sophomores Paige Perego and Hao Jin made their Tiger debuts during the evening due to injuries. Perego came in during the first set after junior Sydney Deeken could not play due to injuries, and Jin stepped in during the second set to give other injured players time to rest.
Missouri will return to the Hearnes Center this Sunday to play Mississippi State in another SEC matchup. The game will begin at 1:30 p.m. as the Tigers look to restart their winning streak and stay atop the SEC standings.