University of Missouri
Washington
Mizzou Nearly Pulls Off An NCAA-Tournament First
12/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2007
SEATTLE - The University of Missouri volleyball team (17-13) closed the 2007 campaign Friday night in an epic five-game match against the sixth-ranked and sixth nationally-ranked Washington Huskies (27-3), topped in five games, 30-23, 28-30, 30-22, 32-34, 11-15. Missouri becomes only the second team in NCAA Tournament to force a seeded team to five games in the first round. Senior Tatum Ailes tied a Big 12 and school single-match record with a career-best 39 digs. As well, senior Na Yang toppled Mizzou's single-season kills record, adding 26 on the night.
"I told the team afterwards, `it's always difficult when you lose," said Head Coach Wayne Kreklow. "'But, when you do it this way, crawling and scratching tooth-and-nail, there is no better feeling I have for this team.' This was maybe the grittiest team I've ever coached, and I was incredibly proud to see this team fight through every type of adversity, not only tonight, but all through this season."
All-time in NCAA Tournament history unseeded teams facing seeded teams in the first round have never won in the eight years of tournament seeding. Dayton took sixth-seeded Notre Dame to five games in 2005 as the only other team in tournament history to push a seeded team to the limit in opening round play.
The match was reminiscent to Mizzou's second round match up in 2006 at Stanford. The Tigers push the Cardinal to the limit, succumbing in five games after coming back to win an epic fourth set.
Tatum Ailes (Bellevue, Neb.) was an absolute super star for Mizzou in her final collegiate match. Her 39 digs not only tied Big 12 and school records, but it put her over 2,000 total for her Tiger career and set a new Tiger NCAA-Tournament high.
Na Yang's team-high 26 kills took her to 522 for the her senior campaign, an all-time Tiger record, breaking Yvette Buhlig's 1992 record of 515.
Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) spread 60 assists, notching another double-double by adding 13 digs, five blocks and two kills and an ace. Wang went down with a sprained ankle in early in game five but rebounded to finish the match.
Three other Tigers joined Yang in the double-digit kill category. Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) notched 14 kills while Megan Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) added 14 as well, including four critical points that ended game four in the Tiger favor. Frosh Weiwen Wang also grabbed 14 kills on the night.
Mizzou claimed the lead once in game one and battled to seven ties, but Washington took the opening book 30-23. Although the Huskies scored the first five points and jumped to a 6-1 lead, the Tigers battled back to an 8-8 tie off the serving of Lei Wang and Catie Wilson. Wilson's ace tied the score and catapulted Mizzou to take the lead at 11-10. The teams would side-out back-and-forth to a 16-16 tie. From that point forward Washington was able to take advantage of MU miscues, eventually taking a 25-19 lead and forcing the Tigers to take its final timeout of the frame. Although the Tigers close within four at 25-21 after back-to-back kills by Yang and Weiwen Wang, UW closed the books on the stanza with a 5-2 run thereafter. In the game, the Tigers, only committing five errors but needing 46 attacks, were outhit by the Huskies .364 to .196. Weiwen Wang led Mizzou with five kills.
The Tigers once again made the opening situation interesting in game two. With three-straight service points by Tatum Ailes to start the game, the Tigers led 3-0 to start. Four points by UW gave the Huskies the lead, but a 5-0 run by the Tigers off the serving of Lei Wang, which included an ace and back-to-back plays by Na Yang of a kill and solo block, gave the Tigers an 8-4 lead and forced a Washington timeout. The Huskies were able to tie the score a few times, but Mizzou held strong to the lead, eventually winning the game 30-28. Defense was key in many of the rallies, coming mainly from Tiger libero Tatum Ailes. In one point in particular, Ailes used a pancake to receive the serve, then had to use a punch save that eventually gave Weiwen Wang a chance to get the kill. Na Yang scored nine kills in the Tiger frame as Mizzou outhit UW, .208 to .196. Ailes, was amazing, accumulating 12 digs in the stanza.
Early on in game three no team gained a clear advantage on the way to a 9-8 UW advantage. Four-straight points by the Huskies forced Mizzou to a timeout at 13-8. Washington continued its control in the set with mild-runs of two, three, and four points. While Mizzou's defensive proved cumbersome at times, UW still posted an outstanding .409 hitting strike to Mizzou's .220. Ailes' nine digs were a big part of UW's little troubles, but the Huskies overcame in winning 30-22.
Yang tied the Mizzou single-season record with the Tigers' first point in game four. Yang on the next Tiger point clinched the record, tooling her attack off a UW double-block. It was a classic back and fourth battle the rest of the way home as it was a frame with 17 ties. The Tigers led 20-18, but UW used a 4-1 run to go ahead 22-21. Mizzou showed life again after a Husky service error. Amanda Hantouli scored a kill through the triple block to once again claim the lead for MU at 23-22. But, UW used a 4-1 run to force a Mizzou timeout at 26-24. After the pause, Washington aced the Tigers to go up 27-24 as Mizzou took its final timeout. Hantouli scored on the next two points to close the lead to one at 27-26 and force a UW timeout.
What came next in game four was nothing short of absolutely amazing. Washington gained their first match point to go up 29-27 after a Tiger rally fell short. But, on the point Ailes had a pancake dig, a diving dig, and punch dig, but the final Husky attack go the Tigers. Then, the Tigers fought back, once again, tying the score at 29 with a Yang kill and a Weiwen-Catie Wilson double block. Washington had another match point, but another Yang kill followed by another double-block gave MU a chance at match point. UW tied the score again at 31, then again at 32. Megan Wilson shut the door on the Huskies with two-straight kills, giving Mizzou the game, 34-32.
The Tigers battled Washington in the fifth game, which was tied at 11 at one point. The Huskies were able to take the next four points, however, to take the game 15-11.
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