After a weekend full of sweeps, Missouri volleyball finished the Bluejay Invitational with a 2-1 record. 

Here are three main points Tiger fans can take note of as the season continues.

Mychael Vernon’s hot start

A transfer from Oregon State, outside hitter Mychael Vernon has been on fire during the first three matches. 

In the first game of the invitational on Friday against Drake, Vernon started the weekend with 18 kills on 36 total attacks for a .472 hitting percentage. She led the Tigers in both kills and total attacks, and was the only member of the team with a hitting percentage north of .400 and at least five kills. 

She continued to perform well in Saturday’s game against the then-No.12 Creighton Bluejays, despite getting swept. Vernon continued the success with 14 kills, but her hitting percentage fell to .122 during the second match. In a match where nothing seemed to go Missouri’s way, Vernon played a big role in making the game competitive.

Vernon capped off the weekend with a stellar performance against NC State’s team that finished 22-7 last season. She finished the game with 12 kills and 21 total assists which helped propel the team to a 3-0 sweep to close the weekend.

Vernon carried the team through three games with 44 kills and 105 total attacks, taking on a leading role in her first games with Missouri.

During her time at Oregon State, she played four years and racked up over 1,000 kills. A player with that track record has high expectations, and she has been playing up to the hype.

The Tigers will need to continue to lean on Vernon in order for them to continue their success this season.

Jordan Iliff’s consistency

Senior right side hitter Jordan Iliff is continuing to make a mark for the Tigers in the start of the 2024 season after being named a member of the 2023 All-SEC team last season. 

She shined for the Tigers in the game on Saturday against Creighton with 12 kills and a .435 hit percentage. Iliff finished with at least 23 total attacks in every game this weekend. Throughout all games against any opponent, she shows up to play every time. Iliff’s senior leadership can help carry the Tigers and keep them competitive against tough opponents like No. 4 Louisville and the No.1 Texas Longhorns.

Killer attitude

When the Tigers racked up the kills, the games ended in their favor. 

In their sweep against Drake, the Tigers outmatched with 47 kills, compared to the Bulldogs’ 36 kills throughout the match. In their sweep against NC State, Missouri won the kill margin by 17. Big margins will usually result in dominant wins like the Tigers showed last Friday and Sunday. 

In their defeat against Creighton, the Tigers were on the opposite end, losing the kill battle 42-45. If the Tigers’ block isn’t able to prevent the opponent from acquiring a large amount of kills, it makes no difference how good the offense performs.

Missouri volleyball played last weekend at the NKU invite from Sep. 6-8.

Edited by Dylan Heinrich | dheinrich@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Emma Short

Copy edited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com