COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri volleyball team (3-0) edged Colgate (2-1), 3-2 (21-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-22, 15-12), Sunday at the Hearnes Center to sweep the Mizzou Classic. The 3-0 start to a season is Mizzou’s best start since the 2019 campaign.
Trailing the match 2-1, the Tigers secured the win in the final two sets Sunday.
Graduate student Dilara Gedikoglu led the way for Missouri with a double-double of 20 kills (season best, .224) and 13 digs with three aces and two blocks. Jordan Iliff added 18 kills with six digs, three aces and a block.
Freshman setter Sierra Dudley set a new career high in assists for the third match in a row, contributing 52 to go with 10 digs, three aces, three kills and a block.
Libero Maya Sands grabbed a career-best 24 digs with four assists and two aces after matching her personal high on Saturday. Sunday marked Sands’, a sophomore from Rock Falls, Illinois, second-straight 20 plus dig outing.
FIRST SET (25-21 Colgate, Colgate leads 1-0)
The Tigers would find themselves in an early hole, as Colgate would open the match on a 4-0 run.
Mizzou started to find its footing on the back of three kills by Gedikoglu, who scored on the Tigers’ first three points to draw the match within three (7-4).
Iliff put together a run of her own with an ace sandwiched between a pair of kills to cut the early deficit to 11-9. She had six kills in the opening set Sunday.
The Raiders the pushed the margin to 18-12 after a 7-3 sequence. Two more Iliff kills coupled wiith a pair of Gedikoglu service aces would draw the set within two (18-16), as Colgate would hold off the comeback and take the opening frame 25-21.
SECOND SET (25-19 Mizzou, Tied 1-1)
Gedikoglu put together an early 5-0 run on her own with four straight kills along with a block assist with Morgan Isenberg to give Mizzou an early 6-3 lead.
Gedikoglu (6 kills, .500) and Iliff (5 kills) would combine for 11 kills in the second stanza.
The Tigers would add a 4-1 rally for a 15-10 advantage at the media break.
Missouri would continue their hot streak out of the break, widening the gap to 17-10.
Iliff then knocked a kill to bring on set point at 24-17 as the Raiders would score just twice more.
Mizzou hit a match-best .303 in the second set to tie the match at 1-1.
THIRD SET (25-15 Colgate, Colgate leads 2-1)
Colgate jumped out to an early lead, taking five of the set’s first six points (5-1).
The Raiders continued their momentum, increasing their lead to 13-6 after a 4-0 run before taking a 17-10 advantage.
A kill from Gedikoglu followed by a Sands ace trimmed the edge to 19-15 before Colgate sealed the set on a 6-0 rally.
FOURTH SET (25-22 Mizzou, Tied 2-2)
Colgate once again started strong, opening with a 5-1 lead. Mizzou rebounded with a 5-1 run to knot the set at 6-6.
The Tigers built a 6-1 rally in the middle of the frame, aided by back-to-back service aces from Iliff to put Mizzou ahead 14-9.
Colgate drew the set even at 17-17, but Mizzou would quickly respond with a pair of kills from Janet deMarrais to regain their advantage.
The Raiders would tie the frame at 21-21 and come as close as 23-22 before recording an error coupled with a Mizzou block assist from Dudley and Isenberg.
FIFTH SET (15-12 Mizzou, Tigers win 3-2)
Three kills by Gedikoglu combined with a Dudley service ace provided the Tigers a slight 4-2 edge.
Mizzou would head to the switchover up 8-5 off a trio of kills from Iliff, Gedikoglu (four of Mizzou’s seven kills in the set) and deMarrais along with a Colgate error.
The Raiders clawed within two (12-10 and 14-12) before a service error swung the match in Mizzou’s favor.
The Tigers hit .267 in the final frame Sunday.
MATCH NOTES
- Lauren Forbes made her first start (18th in her career) of the 2023 season Sunday. The defensive specialist grabbed a season-high 14 digs.
- Two Tigers reached double-digit kills led by Dilara Gedikoglu with 20 (season best, .224) along with Jordan Iliff (18).
- Dilara Gedikoglu registered her second-straight double-double as a Tiger, adding 13 digs with two blocks. She posted a career-best matching three aces for the third-straight match.
- Jordan Iliff added a career-high three service aces.
- Freshman setter Sierra Dudley set a new career high in assists for the third match in a row, contributing 52 to go with 10 digs, three aces, three kills and a block. She registered a double-double in each match this weekend to commence her Mizzou career.
- Libero Maya Sands grabbed a career-best 24 digs with four assists and two aces after matching her personal high on Saturday. Sunday marked Sands’ second-straight 20 plus dig outing in 2023.
- Morgan Isenberg led the Tigers with four blocks to go with five kills.
- Mizzou led the aces category on Colgate, 12-4.
- The Tigers surpassed the 2022 attendance average in every match this weekend at the Mizzou Classic. Missouri welcomed 1,278 fans in its home opener on Friday before 1,136 on Saturday and 804 on Sunday.
- The win provided the Tigers their first 3-0 start since 2019.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will next kick off the Tiger Invitational against Northern Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 1. The match is slated for 6 p.m., CT at the Hearnes Center, and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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