University of Missouri
Arkansas-Little Rock
Vander Kooi leads No. 13 Mizzou in Sweep over UALR
8/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 29, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Behind 20 kills and 19 digs from senior Jessica Vander Kooi, the 13th-ranked Missouri Tigers dispatched the Arkansas-Little Rock (2-3) Trojans in three games 30-28, 30-21, and 30-22. Playing in front of 1,855 fans, the largest home crowd in Tiger volleyball history, the Tigers improved to 3-1 on the season.
Vander Kooi fell one dig short of becoming the first woman in Mizzou history to record 20 kills and 20 digs in a three-game match. Vander Kooi does have two career 20-20 performances: both occurred in five game matches. The most recent of which was last November at Nebraska. Of the 15 20-20s in MU history, only one has been compiled in a 4-game match. Regan Eckenrode accomplished the feat against Drake in 1993.
Vander Kooi's 20 kills on a .432 hitting-percentage did however move the Hinton, Iowa native past Lisa Morris for sixth all-time on the career kills record list as she scored her seventh career match with 20 or more kills. Vander Kooi's 1,094 career kills, places her 26 kills behind Naaron Branson for fifth all-time. Shen Danru tops the all-time list with 1,658.
Senior Nicole Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) added 11 kills and three of the team's nine service aces. Junior Tatum Ailes led Mizzou with 23 digs while freshman Amanda Hantouli scored on seven of the team's 11 blocks. Freshman Lei Wang compiled 41 assists, adding four blocks.
In game one, UALR held an early 6-3 advantage before a 7-0 Missouri run gave the Tigers a 10-6 lead. The Tigers never trailed after the score was tied 6-6 in the early going, but the Trojans kept the contest close, tying the score at 12 and 22. The Tigers led 28-23 late, but the Trojans scored 5 of the next 6 points to make the score 29-28. A kill from Vander Kooi sealed the deal for Mizzou at 30-28.
The Tigers won game two 30-21 after opening an 8-3 early lead. Missouri led comfortably throughout behind Jessica Vander Kooi's five kills. The Trojans had an opportunity to cut the Missouri lead to four at 22-17, but an UALR serving error followed by a Nicole Wilson ace, Vander Kooi kill, and a block from Julianna Klein and Amanda Hantouli put the game out of reach at 26-17.
Midway through game three, UALR held an 11-9 advantage, but three Vander Kooi kills in four points evened the score at 12-12 and started a 8-1 Missouri run. The Tigers never looked back, winning the third and decisive game 30-22.
The Tigers head to South Bend, Indiana, on Thursday for this weekend's Shamrock Invitational hosted by Notre Dame. Missouri plays Idaho at 3:30 on Friday, Valparaiso at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning, before closing out the tournament with No. 21 Notre Dame at 6:00 p.m Saturday evening. The Notre Dame match is scheduled to appear on CSTV on a tape-delay basis, Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
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