The Tigers took down SEMO in their fourth five-setter of the season, as they are now 2-2 in those matches.
Mizzou volleyball (13-7, 4-4 SEC) went down to the wire with Southeast Missouri (12-10, 4-4 OVC) as the Tigers pulled it out in five sets (25-18, 20-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-8) on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The Tigers complete their nonconference schedule with the Redhawks, finishing 9-3 overall.
KEY PLAYERS
- Senior Caylen Alexander posted her 1,500-career kill as she ended up with a team-high 15 kills.
- Two players posted 20 or more assists as redshirt junior Marina Crownover recorded 25 and freshman Nina Mandovic ended up with 21.
- Freshman Zoey Matias-Lopez tallied a team-high 21 digs, while senior Maya Sands ended up with 19.
- In her first start of the season, redshirt freshman Tia Phinezy recorded six kills and three total blocks.
FIRST SET (25-18, Mizzou leads 1-0)
Mizzou began the match with a scoring run, going up six points early with a 9-3 start. While the Redhawks would cut into that, at the first break, the Tigers held strong with a 15-10 lead.
Out of the break, SEMO came alive with a 7-2 run to even the score at 17 apiece. With a sub in from freshman Paige Felder, MU came back to life as she secured two kills and put the Tigers up 22-18.
Freshman Maca Lobaglio wrapped up the first set neatly with a kill, before she finished it off with a solo block – 25-18.
SECOND SET (20-25, Match Tied 1-1)
The second set was defined by a run in the middle of the set, as the Redhawks outscored the Tigers 11-1 once Mizzou led 11-7, making it 18-12 in SEMO’s favor.
MU earned some late sparks as Mandovic produced two-straight aces during a 3-0 run to limit the score to 20-17 – Redhawks leading. However, three was the closest the Tigers could get, as SEMO took the set 25-20.
THIRD SET (25-23, Mizzou leads 2-1)
The battle continued into the third, as this was the closest set of them all. Mizzou got off to a strong start, owning a 10-6 lead, but then the Redhawks came alive. They would score eight of the next 11, as the lead would eventually go to SEMO 14-13.
It wasn’t until after the media timeout that the Tigers regained the lead, but in a close set like this, it was once again lost as SEMO went up 22-21. Mizzou would call a timeout, and out of the break, Felder would take advantage, tying it after the kill.
The Tigers outscored the Redhawks the remainder of the way, as a solo block from Tyrah Ariail and an attack error would finalize it.
FOURTH SET (17-25, Match tied 2-2)
After a strong end to the third set, both sides continued to fight for the lead back and forth. Mizzou tied it at 7-7, but that was met with a SEMO 9-2 run to make it 16-9. The rest of the way was pretty even, but the damage was already done.
The Redhawks ended up outhitting the Tigers, .455 to .259, in the fourth set victory.
FIFTH SET (15-8, Mizzou wins 3-2)
MU opened the fifth on a 6-2 scoring run, as redshirt senior Tyrah Ariail compiled two kills and Alexander had one. That early run forced a timeout from SEMO, and out of the break, it took the following two points.
The lead would continue to hold, however, as the Tigers went up 11-6 after a kill from senior Janet deMarrais. The Redhawks would grab the next point, but Mizzou would end up with the next three.
Ariail would wrap up the match with her 12th kill of the night.
GAME NOTES
- Mizzou leads the all-time series against SEMO 13-3 and currently has a seven-match winning streak against the Redhawks. This was the Tigers first time playing in Cape Girardeau, Mo. since Halloween night back in 2002.
- This is only the second five set match in series history, as the Tigers lost the previous one back on Sept. 20, 1994, in Cape Girardeau.
- Dawn Sullivan is now 53-29 as the Tigers head coach, 162-67 overall and is 3-0 against SEMO at Mizzou.
- The Tigers are 2-2 on the season in five set matches and are 12-4 overall under Dawn Sullivan. As a head coach Sullivan is 31-15 all-time in five set matches.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will return to conference play to take on South Carolina at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24 and Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 26. Fans that want to attend the weekend series can purchase tickets here.
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