September 23, 2021

By Brandon Haynes

Rhema Prim

Missouri volleyball begins SEC play Friday night against No. 7 Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Tigers are fresh off a 1-2 performance in the Redbird Classic last weekend. They lost in three sets to the University of Illinois in its opening game, then rebounded to beat the University of North Texas in five sets and ended the classic with a four-set loss to hosts Illinois State University.

Kentucky (7-3), last year’s national champion, will be a daunting opponent for Missouri’s young 3-10 squad that struggled throughout non-conference play. The Tigers, victims of sweeps in eight games, are in the midst of a 1-6 spell. In this rough stretch, Missouri only managed to win 5 of their last 24 sets.

Kentucky is fresh off a five-set victory against No. 14 Stanford and features a balanced team. Through 10 games, the Wildcats held a .278 hitting percentage and kept opponents to a .187 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Alli Stumler, junior middle blocker Azhani Tealer and sophomore outside hitter Madi Skinner lead the offense with a combined 138 kills.

Offense is where Missouri’s struggles are most defined. Its current hitting percentage is .187 and they only average 11.6 kills per set. The Tigers’ opponents, however, have hit a combined .254 percentage to go along with 14 kills per set. That Tigers’ offensive inefficiency, coupled with an inability to slow down the opponent, are the main contributors to their 3-10 record.

Missouri’s junior outside hitter, Anna Dixon, and a trio of underclassmen, freshman middle blocker Kayla Burbage, freshman outside hitter Kaylee Cox and sophomore defensive specialist Emily Brown, are keys to their hints of success so far. These players, along with the experience Missouri’s core is gaining, could prove vital as they begin a tough SEC schedule. 

The game will be featured on the SEC Network + at 6 p.m.

Through the Eyes of the Tigers:

• Missouri is 5-8 against Kentucky since 2013
• The last meeting between the two was October 29, 2020. At the time, No. 3 Kentucky took down No. 9 Missouri in four sets
• The Tigers are 0-2 against current Top 25 teams this year.
• Kentucky is on a seven-game winning streak against Missouri

Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com