A well-balanced and potent offense led Missouri volleyball to its first SEC victory this season against Texas A&M on Sunday in College Station, Texas.
“It was a great team effort and we showed a lot of poise and persistence down the stretch,” head coach Wayne Kreklow said in a press release. “Our seniors did a great job of keeping us together during rough spots of the match.”
Early on, the teams appeared evenly matched. The Aggies came out strong and took the first set 25-21 before the Tigers fired back, winning the second 25-22.
The Tigers took control of the game in the third set. Trailing 5-6, Missouri scored eight straight points courtesy of freshman Dariana Hollingsworth’s serves. The team rode the momentum from the third set all the way to the finish, hitting .306 as it won the final two sets 25-12, 25-22.
The Missouri offense was firing on all cylinders Sunday, as five different players registered at least eight kills, each one hitting above .200. Outside hitters redshirt senior Melanie Crow and freshman Leketor Member-Meneh led the team with 11 kills each, and junior middle blocker Alyssa Munlyn recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 10 total blocks. Redshirt senior Kira Larson finished with eight kills and a team-high 12 digs, and senior setter Courtney Eckenrode led the team with 26 assists.
Hollingsworth had arguably the best performance on the day. The opposite hitter from Puerto Rico put up eight kills, nine digs, six total blocks and five aces, two of which came during her long serving run in the third set.
The depth and versatility that Mizzou showed at Texas A&M will bode well for the team through the remainder of conference play. The Tigers’ next game will be at Auburn on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. CT.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_