Following a disappointing loss to Tennessee on Wednesday, Missouri dropped another match to a ranked opponent Sunday. The Tigers lost to Kentucky in straight sets.
The Tigers kept it close against the Wildcats early. With the set tied 9-9, Kentucky went on a 6-1 run, and Missouri was never able to regain the lead, as the Wildcats went on to win 25-17. Kentucky hit an impressive .500 with 16 kills, while Missouri had 12 kills, hitting .286.
Missouri kept it even closer in the second set. The Tigers held a lead for most of the set. A 4-0 Kentucky run put the Wildcats up 21-19. Missouri tied the set back up at 22, but then Kentucky went on a 3-0 run to win 25-22. Missouri had 14 kills, hitting .333. The Wildcats hit .405 with 19 kills.
While Missouri was able to keep up with the Wildcats in the first two sets, Kentucky really took control in the third set. Tied early, the Wildcats went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-7 lead. Missouri could not catch up, eventually losing 25-18. Kentucky hit .485 with 18 kills, while holding Missouri to nine kills on .125 hitting.
Sophomores Leketor Member-Meneh and Dariana Hollingsworth led Missouri with nine kills each. Sophomore Tyanna Omazic recorded eight kills and three blocks. Sophomore Kylie Deberg contributed eight kills and 10 digs. Redshirt freshman Andrea Fuentes had 28 assists for Missouri. The Tigers hit .247 with 35 kills, while Kentucky had 53 kills, hitting .460.
“I was pretty pleased with our overall effort today,” coach Wayne Kreklow said in a press release. “I thought it was a big bounce-back effort after Wednesday’s tough match vs. Tennessee. I thought our players did really well, but Kentucky is just a really really good team. Their setter, Madison Lilley, makes that whole group go. She was consistently able to get them good swing after good swing. They’re a good defensive team too. I thought we played well and attacked well with the exception of the third set. Overall, I was very pleased with our preparation going into today. I’m happy with the progress we’ve made since Wednesday’s match.”
_Edited by Bennett Durando | bdurando@themaneater.com_
