Missouri volleyball defeated Purdue 3-1 on Friday in Columbia, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers tallied one of their best sets all year in the opening set, winning 25–13. Purdue could not keep pace with blockers Alyssa Munlyn and Kira Larson, who had big kills that shut down the Boilermaker defense. In front of an energetic crowd, the Tigers had a .571 hitting percentage.
“Our first set was clean,” redshirt junior Melanie Crow said. “We had no errors, and our back row played really well.”
Purdue adjusted in the second set and brought its trademark Big 10 toughness. It held Missouri to a .211 hitting percentage, winning 25–22. The Tigers showed strength at times during the set, but the Boilermakers had an answer for most of what Missouri threw at them.
“After the second set, we went to the locker room and talked about what we needed to do better,” Larson said. “We talked about going for it and being aggressive.”
The Tigers returned to the court in control and ready to swing. Crow tallied her 15th kill of the night and had a couple of bangers in the middle of the set that stunned the Boilermakers. The Tigers looked sharp with a .480 hitting percentage while the Boilermakers hit .056.
The Tigers won the fourth set to claim a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. The set started off well for Missouri, but it shifted back and forth — the Boilermakers would not go down without a fight. The Tigers tallied 18 kills in the set to run Purdue into trouble defensively. Crow contributed 10 of the Missouri kills on the set. Unable to find an answer, Purdue’s tournament run ended at the Hearnes Center.
The game served as a rematch from 2013, when the Tigers fell to Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“I am very proud of these girls,” coach Wayne Kreklow said. “I knew it was going to be a tough match, but we were relentless in transition and played really well.”
Purdue coach Dave Shondell acknowledged the loss.
“What a performance by Missouri tonight,” Shondell said. “We just did not have the answer tonight. They had too much skill.”
Shondell also noticed the Tigers’ growth from Missouri’s 2013 team.
“Missouri has a unique style of play,” he said. “They are amazing both offensively and defensively. This is a better team than I saw three years ago.”
Missouri will play the winner of Minnesota and Hawaii in the Sweet Sixteen. The location and date are to be determined.
_Edited by Peter Baugh | pbaugh@themaneater.com_
