Four Tigers finished in double-digits attacking as the University of Missouri volleyball team (15-5, 6-2 SEC) overcame Oklahoma (9-8, 3-6 SEC) in five sets (19-25, 25-18, 25-13, 24-26, 19-17) Sunday afternoon at McCasland Field House.
With the victory, Mizzou secured its sixth-straight win (five-straight SEC wins) and improved to 6-2 in SEC play, good for second with Kentucky.
Mizzou has now been on two six-match win streaks in 2024, last notching the feat Sept. 13-27. The Tigers’ five-match SEC win streak is their longest since the 2020-21 season (six matches, Nov. 4 to Jan. 30).
Senior Jordan Iliff led the Tigers offense, compiling 23 kills, six digs, three blocks and an ace.
After a program-best outing of 37 kills on Friday at Arkansas, Mychael Vernon chipped in 17 kills (.283) with 11 digs, career-best matching three aces and two blocks.
Janet deMarrais added 13 kills on a .375 hitting percentage and Regan Haith rounded out the double-digit terminators with 10 kills (.500) and three blocks.
Marina Crownover handed out 60 assists with 12 digs and career-best two kills. She has now registered 60 or more kills in each of the two SEC matches this weekend.
Libero Maya Sands grabbed 16 digs with an ace.
FIRST SET (25-19 Oklahoma, Oklahoma leads 1-0)
Oklahoma grabbed the opening three points and extended its advantage to 7-1 early to prompt a Mizzou timeout.
Mizzou then went on a 3-0 run to close the gap, making the score 14-11. Vernon notched a pair of kills while joining Colleen Finney for a block.
Oklahoma then went on a 3-0 rally to advance their lead to 18-12 before Mizzou decided to use its final timeout of the set.
Iliff slammed a kill before a Sooners miscue to cut the deficit to 20-17 as Mizzou would come as close as 24-19.
Iliff had four kills over the opening frame Sunday.
SECOND SET (25-18 Missouri, Tied 1-1)
Mizzou then commenced the second set with a 4-1 lead after kills by Haith, Vernon and Iliff. Iliff added another rally stopper for an early 5-2 edge.
Haith then slammed a kill before a 4-0 Tigers run made the score 13-9.
Mizzou then went into the media stoppage up 15-11 after a Finney rally stopper.
A kill by Haith and back-to-back terminations by Iliff increased Mizzou’s lead to 19-14 as MU went on a 6-1 run to pull ahead 22-15. Iliff compiled another kill after a Sooners timeout before consecutive rally stoppers from deMarrais.
Crownover then sealed the set with a setter kill, 25-18.
Mizzou hit a match-best .613 over the second stanza paced by nine kills from Iliff (.750). Crownover tallied 18 assists during the frame.
THIRD SET (25-13 Missouri, Missouri leads 2-1)
Mizzou then pulled ahead 2-1 after a dominating 25-13 third set.
With an 8-7 edge, the Tigers utilized a 7-1 rally for a 15-8 lead.
Iliff notched back-to-back kills to increase the margin to 18-10.
Mizzou then secured the frame, scoring the final four points (25-13). Vernon notched a kill before three-straight Oklahoma errors.
Iliff registered six kills as Mizzou hit .407 over the set. Oklahoma in comparison hit .000 in set #3.
FOURTH SET (26-24 Oklahoma, Tied 2-2)
Leading 6-4, the Tigers went on a 4-0 run for some breathing room (10-4).
Haith added a kill to make the score 11-5 before the Sooners went on a 6-1 rally to pull within one (12-11).
Mizzou then regrew its lead to 20-16 following a pair of Vernon kills.
A Sooners service error put the score at 23-19 before four unanswered points by Oklahoma evened the set.
Iliff notched a kill for match point (24-23) before OU forced a fifth set after a 3-0 run (26-24). The Sooners wrapped the fourth on a 7-1 run.
Vernon had four kills while Crownover totaled 14 assists over the fourth set.
FIFTH SET (19-17 Missouri, Missouri wins 3-2)
Iliff opened the scoring for Mizzou with a kill before Oklahoma scored four-straight points for a 5-2 lead.
deMarrais recorded three consecutive kills to even the frame at 5-5.
Oklahoma then scored four of the next five for a 9-6 edge which prompted a Missouri timeout.
Vernon tallied a pair of kills to go with an OU error to knot the set at 9-9.
Haith and Iliff then combined for a block to make the score 12-11 before consecutive Sooner miscues brought on match point (14-13).
Finney and deMarrais then registered a block for a 16-15 Mizzou lead before Oklahoma evened the set at 16-16 and 17-17.
Vernon blasted a kill for an 18-17 edge before Crownover secured the match with an ace.
deMarrais (.800) and Vernon (.286) each had four kills in the final set Sunday.
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Tigers next head to No. 7 ranked Texas for a Friday night showdown in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 1. First serve is set for 8 p.m., CT on SEC Network.
