University of Missouri
Wagner
Tigers Take WVU Mountaineer Invitational Title
9/2/2001 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 2, 2001
Morgantown, WV-The University of Missouri volleyball team claimed the championship of the West Virginia Mountaineer Invitational on Saturday when the Tigers swept the Wagner College Seahawks, 3-0. The Tigers finish the tournament with a 12-0 games record and 4-0 match record. Junior Christi Myers was named the Mountaineer Invitational MVP and senior Naaron Branson was named to the all-tournament team.
Mizzou made quick work of the Seahawks taking Game 1, 30-8 and Game 2, 30-12. The Tigers registered a .500 hitting percentage through the first two games while limiting Wagner to a -.212 hitting percentage. Several different Tigers saw action in Game 3 but the result was much the same as the Tigers grabbed a 30-14 win to take the match, which took only 57 minutes. Tiger associate head coach Wayne Kreklow said he was pleased that Mizzou was able to substitute freely and get several players some playing time.
"Overall we were very pleased with the focus and intensity the we played with tonight," Kreklow said. "We were able to get a lot of people in the match and everyone responded well to the challenge which is encouraging."
Senior Kristen Johnson played her best match of the tournament putting down 10 kills on 15 attacks while committing no errors for a .667 hitting percentage. Freshman Jenny Duitsman was solid in her first match as a Tiger. She saw action in two games and put down seven kills, recorded two service aces and two total blocks. Sophomore Ashlee Johns also pitch in with seven kills.
The Tigers improve to 4-0 on the season, the best start to a season since 2000 when the Tigers opened the season at 10-0. Mizzou will travel to Carbondale, Ill. next Friday and Saturday for the Best Inns Invitational. The Tigers will take on IUPUI on Friday at 4:30 p.m. CST and will face Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois at 2:00 p.m. CST and 7:00 p.m. CST respectively.
