The Missouri volleyball players rushed to the court to hug each other with laughter and tears of joy. Black and gold confetti rained down on the Hearnes Center floor as a trophy was presented to the team.
Mizzou defeated the Tennessee Volunteers in three sets Saturday, claiming their second Southeastern Conference title in four years.
The match also served as senior night for Carly Kan, Julia Towler, Emily Thater and Alexa Ethridge. The group won the SEC championship as freshmen. They came in with a title and now leave with another.
“It was amazing to win the SEC championship the first time,” Kan said. “We wanted to do it again. We worked hard, and this was one of our goals. We knew we could do it.”
Mizzou started off strong in the first set, claiming the victory 25-15. The Tigers exploded on offense with a total of 13 kills for the set, along with four aces to help keep the lead. Redshirt junior Kira Larson had a team high of two aces. Sophomore Alyssa Munlyn led the offense with three kills in the set to dominate on offense.
During the second set, the toughest one of the relatively short night for the Tigers, junior setter Courtney Eckenrode moved up to sixth all-time in career assists by a Missouri player. The Volunteers and the Tigers went back and forth until the Tigers went on a 7-1 scoring run late to win the set 26-24.
The Tigers came out dominant in the third set to conclude the match. Mizzou earned 12 kills to produce another outstanding offensive performance. The Tigers defeated the Volunteers 25-16.
Hearnes Center had a great turnout, packed with the fans who came to cheer on the team.
“When everyone comes out and you hear every voice, you feel like everyone is one team,” Munlyn said. “I feel like the crowd is a part of us, with them it’s unbelievable.”
Other Mizzou athletes — including Drew Lock, Aarion Penton and Terrence Phillips — were also in attendance to support the program.
“We are all friends and support each other,” Munlyn said. “It’s one of those things where it’s nice to see them support us as well. It’s more than sports for us; it’s friendships, relationships, and it’s a great feeling.”
Despite having an outstanding season, coach Wayne Kreklow never looked ahead at the chances of playing for an SEC title.
“I never mentioned the word ‘championship’ at all this season to the players,” he said. “We wanted to take each match one at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.”
After winning the SEC title in 2013, the Tigers suffered a tough loss early in the NCAA Tournament. Following Saturday’s win, Kreklow explained what he learned from the experience.
“Never take anything for granted, and always be ready to go.” Kreklow said. “[2013] was unfortunate, but we have to move on and get ready for this postseason.”
On Sunday, the Tigers find out their opponents and match locations for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_