Missouri volleyball took home a wire-to-wire affair against the Tennessee Volunteers, winning in five sets with a final score of 3-2 This was the Tigers first win against the Vols since the 2021 season.

The Tigers took the first set 25-22 on the backs of outside hitter Mychael Vernon and right side Jordan Iliff. Each had five kills in the set and Vernon had two straight spikes to close it.  The Tigers had 14 kills on 14 assists in the first set of play. Setter Marina Crownover accounted for 11 assists and libero Maya Sands contributed three. 

The match with two 2023 SEC Coaches of the Year did not disappoint. 

Missouri looked strong to start the second set taking an early 9-6 lead and forcing a Tennessee timeout. The Vols fought back quickly to gain a 19-17 lead with great play from outside hitter Hayden Kubik, who recorded 10 kills through two sets, with  2023 All-SEC setter Caroline Kerr at her side making veteran plays. 

Tennessee took the second set 27-25 thanks to a service ace from outside hitter Nina Cajic. There were four total errors by both teams in the final 10 points of the set. Iliff and Vernon continued to match pace with 10 kills each through two sets. 

Each team’s stats were nearly identical midway through the third set. Missouri had 34 kills compared to Tennessee’s 33; 34 assists compared to their 32; 10 service errors to their nine and 30 digs compared to their 32. The Tigers, tied at 8-8, had five errors in six points to help Tennessee go on a 7-2 run and take a 15-10 lead. 

The Volunteers maintained control through the rest of the third set winning 25-18. Cajic and Kubik led the way offensively with 18 and 16 kills in the match. Missouri was hitting .270 through three sets to Tennessee’s .319 hitting percentage, needing momentum to change and clean up their 14 match errors heading into the fourth set. 

They kept their fourth set closer at 15-18 halfway through as the Tigers offensive trio: outside hitter Janet deMarrais, Iliff and Vernon went over 12 kills. 

On the defensive side, Sands finished with 22 digs and was able to stay composed while the team was down. 

“I think it’s coming in together, like after each set, before we go onto the court and just like having positive words to say,” Sands said. 

The Tigers stayed alive, winning the fourth set 25-23. Missouri’s ability to comeback was impressive as they started the set down 1-7. Iliff spiked it down the line for set point and changed the tide of momentum in the game. She continued to be in sync with Vernon as both notched 19 kills through four sets.

“We really rely heavily on that serving to make sure we can drive it and get them out of system and then we can block, dig, transition,” Dawn Sullivan said.

Missouri took an early 10-5 lead in the deciding set. The Tigers minimized errors in the final set to take a 15-7 win against their SEC foe. Middle blocker Regan Haith showed off her jumping ability as she rose up and got the game winning block. Iliff and Vernon each had 21 kills on the day and Iliff secured a career high 21 digs. Crownover finished with 56 assists, her most in SEC play so far. 

The Tigers, now sitting at 12-5, have a week off until their next match against the 7-7 Mississippi State Bulldogs for their final game of the four match homestand. Missouri will take on the Bulldogs at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Hearnes Center. 

Edited by Michael Stamps | mstamps@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com