Missouri volleyball swept its way to the second round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night when it beat Northern Illinois 3–0 at Hearnes Center.
The Tigers started off solid in front of a loud Hearnes Center crowd filled with 2,119 fans. They were fast-paced, strong at the net, and had big points that demoralized the Huskies. Missouri won the set 25–16.
“They’re a pretty good team, and we didn’t let them do a whole lot and I think that was because of the stuff we were doing on our side of the net,” coach Wayne Kreklow said. “I’m pleased with this win, you can’t go anywhere unless you get the first one.”
Junior Melanie Crow dominated on the court throughout the match. With a match-best 17 kills and a match-high four aces, she played in the zone and swung hard. Senior Carly Kan was behind Crow with 10 kills.
In the second match, Missouri continued its impressive run. After starting off with a 4–0 run, the Tigers took the set 25-13 with a .471 hitting percentage.
Northern Illinois came out tough in the third set, but Missouri kept up the energy and finished strong, winning 25–20. The Tigers started to pull away after the Huskies committed a service error early in the third set.
Northern Illinois continued to let Missouri tally kill after kill from Crow and Kan. Crow was everywhere on the court, and her strong arm was no match for the Huskies’ defense, helping the Tigers to a match victory.
The Tigers will play Purdue, who beat Iowa State in the first round, on Friday night in Columbia. It will be a rematch from 2013, when Purdue upset Missouri in the second round of the tournament.
“I’m excited,” Kan said. “It’s going to be a really good game; they’re a good team again. I’m just excited to have a rematch and we’re going to play hard and all I can ask for out of my teammates is play with heart. Whatever happens tomorrow is going to happen.”
Kreklow is looking forward to the rematch because the loss has stuck in his mind since 2013.
“You forget the wins, but you never forget the losses,” he said. “They were a great team then, and they’re a great team now.”
Kreklow thinks his team is more prepared this year than in 2013. Since Purdue is a physical and a bigger team, he said Missouri will need to prepare for that up close to the net.
“They don’t have to pass exceptionally well to get good swings because they have such big kids on the pins,” Kreklow said. “We don’t have the ability to do that. Our margin for error is a lot smaller. We have to play fast and split the big blockers up.”
**What to look for in the second round:**
Purdue beat Iowa State 3–0 Thursday night, and although it was evenly matched throughout each set, Purdue found a way to finish each set on top. That will be something for Missouri to watch for Friday night.
Earlier in the season, the Tigers have had trouble with becoming tired too fast. They will need to stay conditioned throughout the match to keep pace with the Boilermakers.
Missouri needs to watch out for Purdue middle blocker Danielle Cuttino. The junior stole the show Thursday night with 21 kills and a .613 hitting percentage in three sets. If Missouri wants to contain Cuttino, middle blockers like Alyssa Munlyn and Emily Thater need to be quick and ready for anything, and outside hitters Crow and Kan need to be able to place the ball anywhere on the court.
Friday night’s game will be at 6 p.m. in the Hearnes Center.
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_
