DALLAS – The No. 25 ranked and seventh seeded University of Missouri volleyball team (22-8, 11-5 SEC) overcame No. 10 ranked and second seeded SMU (25-8, 16-4 ACC) in four sets (25-22, 25-14, 31-33, 25-22) Friday evening at Moody Coliseum in the Second Round of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
With the win, Mizzou punched its ticket to the 2024 NCAA Sweet 16 and will face No. 11 ranked and third seeded Kentucky (22-7, 14-2 SEC) either Dec. 12 or 13. Location and time to be announced at a later date.
Missouri is headed to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and fifth time in program history. That season, the Tigers beat No. 16 seed Wichita State (Dec. 2, 2017) in the Second Round before taking on top seeded Penn State (Dec. 8, 2017) in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Mizzou was led for the second-straight match by graduate outside hitter Mychael Vernon. Vernon posted 23 kills (.308) with four digs, three blocks and an ace Friday. It marked her second 20-kill NCAA Tournament match in as many career Tournament matches.
Her 23 kills Friday ranks tied for fifth in Mizzou history for an NCAA Tournament match. Mizzou last had 20 or more kills in an NCAA Tournament match in 2016 when Carly Kan had 20 (Dec. 9, 2016, vs. #2 Minnesota).
Vernon, the 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year, has registered 14 or more kills in 14 of the last 15 matches. She has finished in double-digits kills in all but two matches this season (28 of 30).
Jordan Iliff added 16 kills with 10 digs, four aces and two blocks. It marked a career-best in NCAA Tournament play after she tallied 11 kills versus Texas State Thursday. The double-double was Iliff’s 15th of the season and the 40th all-time in Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament history.
With the four aces, she now has set a new Mizzou single-season record with 66. Shen Danru registered 64 aces in 2002. Iliff also now has 1,217 career kills, good for 10th all-time in Mizzou program history.
Janet deMarrais chipped in 12 kills, two blocks and a dig. She has posted nine or more kills in four-straight NCAA Tournament matches.
Marina Crownover recorded 52 assists with six digs, career-best five blocks and an ace as Mizzou hit .268 as a team. The 2024 All-SEC setter from Austin, Texas, has dished out 22 or more assists in each of the last 15 matches. She has now totaled sixteen 40-plus assist matches in 2024.
Maya Sands, the back-to-back SEC Libero of the Year, grabbed 14 digs with career-best matching four aces and five assists. Her 20 digs on Thursday versus Texas State rank tied for eighth in program history for an NCAA Tournament match.
Sands has eclipsed the double-digit dig mark in all but one contest this season. Her 522 digs in 2024 ranks sixth all-time in Mizzou history.
Colleen Finney paced the team with a career-best matching seven blocks to go with four kills and a dig. Her seven blocks rank tied for fourth all-time in Mizzou NCAA Tournament history.
Mizzou as a team registered a season-best 12 blocks Friday. It marked the most blocks for the Tigers since 15.0 versus Texas A&M (Nov. 10, 2023). Mizzou’s 12 blocks rank tied for eighth in program history for an NCAA Tournament match.
Regan Haith also had four blocks and four kills (.364).
Kiaraliz Perez Catala grabbed seven digs with an ace.
Naomi Franco compiled a trio of kills (.500).
Sierra Dudley posted four assists.
Mizzou also had 11 aces Friday, its second largest total in 2024. It also ranks tied for first all-time in MU history for NCAA Tournament matches.
Friday’s match featured 39 ties and 19 lead changes including 13 and 16 ties with seven lead changes in the first and third sets, respectively.
Mizzou hit .429 in its dominating 25-14 second set before wrapping the match with .424 in the fourth.
