Missouri volleyball picked up its fourth consecutive win in a 3-0 sweep against the Mississippi Rebels at Hearnes Center on Sunday.
Two consecutive aces from redshirt senior Kira Larson got the Tigers to set point in the first set, and two points later they won 25-17. Mizzou had an exceptional side-out rate of 83.3 percent, which helped the Tigers build a lead; there was only one instance in which Ole Miss got two points in a row.
The second set started out neck and neck before the Tigers went on a seven-point run behind the serves of redshirt senior Melanie Crow. Crow also recorded two aces during the run, and the Tigers won the set 25-19.
Mizzou went on a similar 6-0 run in the third set, this time with senior Courtney Eckenrode serving.
“You are always trying to separate from the other team in volleyball,” head coach Wayne Kreklow said. “Big serving runs like that are the best ways to create separation.”
A service error from Mississippi ended the set 25-15 in favor of the Tigers.
The Tiger offense was once again dominant, as all six starting hitters had at least six kills while also hitting at least .230. Topping that list was redshirt freshman Kayla Caffey who had 10 kills on 11 attacks, hitting .909. Caffey had been hitting a perfect 1.000 until midway through the third set.
Other notable performances included redshirt sophomore Riley Sents, who led the team with 14 digs, Eckenrode, who led the team with 21 assists, and Crow, who had seven kills, five digs and two aces against her former team.
The win was the fourth consecutive for the Tigers, who are now third place in the Southeastern Conference with an SEC record of 4-1 and an overall record of 11-7.
Next up for Mizzou is a home game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, who were swept by Mississippi on Sept. 27 and have no wins in six SEC games this year. The first serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 13 in the Hearnes Center.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_