University of Missouri
Florida International
Mizzou Volleyball Drops Fiver to FIU, Named Tourney Champs
9/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 2, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tiger volleyball team (3-2) took the team championship of the 2007 Tiger Invitational in odd fashion Sunday, losing in five games (30-18, 30-22, 24-30, 27-30, 16-18) to the Florida International Golden Panthers (3-2), but winning the tournament on a plus-two tie-breaking set margin. Mizzou was led by sophomore Julianna Klein's 19 kills.
Klein (Keota, Iowa) grabbed her third career double-double and second consecutive with her added 18 digs in the match.
The Tigers were up 2-0 in the match, only to fall to FIU in a dramatic fifth-game finale of 18-16.
Following the match, head coach Wayne Kreklow acknowledged the change of momentum.
"I hope they learned today that as good as things are going, they can change in the blink of an eye," said Kreklow. "I'm hoping that at this time of the year that was a valuable lesson."
Mizzou had four with double-digit kill totals, as senior Na Yang added 13 with six blocks and seven digs and was named to the All-Tournament team. Sophomore Megan Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) scored a career-best 13 kills, adding three blocks and two aces. In addition, frosh Weiwen Wang scored on 12 kills.
Tiger setter Lei Wang and libero Tatum Ailes were also named to the All-Tournament team. Wang added 58 assists in leading the Tigers to a .500 hitting strike in game two while notching a double-double with 12 digs, four blocks, and four kills. Ailes once again put on a defensive show with 24 digs.
FIU's outside hitter Yarimar Rosa, a 2006 All-American and Olympian from Puerto Rico, was named tournament MVP after putting on a show for the Golden Panthers, finishing with 31 kills on a .297 hitting percentage, to go along with 15 digs and 4 blocks. Olga Vergun added 22 kills and five blocks for FIU.
The Tigers started game one on fire. After a kill by FIU's Yarimar Rosa, the Tigers went on a 10-0 run, led by strong hitting from sophomores Megan Wilson and Julianna Klein. Mizzou and FIU traded points with good play from the Panthers' MB Anita Szymanska (Tychy, Poland), and senior L Tatum Ailes, who had several digs on strong hitting from FIU to keep the ball alive, eventually leading to Mizzou points.
After FIU went on a four-point run to make the score 23-16, sophomore MB Amanda Hantouli came up with a block to swing the momentum back to the Tigers. Mizzou would go on a five-point run to make the score 28-16. An FIU error would give the match to the Tigers, 30-18. Megan Wilson led the way for the Tigers with six kills and a block. The Tiger defense was key in the win, limiting the Panthers to a .043 hitting percentage with 22 digs and four blocks.
The Panthers regained their rhythm in the second game and played the Tigers close as the teams traded points to nine-all. Mizzou would score 13 of the next 20 points to take the lead 22-16, led by good hitting from senior OH Na Yang and Julianna Klein. Mizzou and FIU would trade points over the remainder of the game, with Hantouli recording three more kills, culminating in a 30-22 victory for the Tigers.
In the third game, the Golden Panthers jumped out to an early 5-0 lead on three blocks by senior MB Mina Spasojevic (Belgrade, Serbia). The Tigers would rally back, however, with strong play at the net from Hantouli and good hitting from Wilson. Wilson would add an ace, tying the game at seven-all. The two teams would battle to stay tied at 11, when Yarimar Rosa took over and showed everyone why she was a 2006 first-team All-America selection. She looked unstoppable with extremely strong hitting and several outstanding defensive plays, almost single-handedly leading the Panthers. Na Yang and Megan Wilson tried to keep up, each scoring three kills apiece, but could not keep up with Rosa. She would score eight kills in game three, which FIU would win 30-24.
In the fourth game, the Panthers put on a defensive showcase and sophomore OH Olga Vergun showed off her offensive prowess, as FIU tied the match at two games apiece with a 30-27 win over the Tigers. Vergun had eight kills and three blocks to lead the Panthers to victory in the fourth game. Yarimar Rosa added nine more kills in the Panthers victory, which sent the match to a fifth game.
The fifth, and deciding game, was a thrilling one featuring arguably the hardest hitting of the match from both teams. FIU went up 4-0 early as they had in the prior two matches. But after a timeout, the resilient Tigers would rally back again to close the score at 4-3. Vergun recorded two more kills during a four-point FIU run to put the Panthers up 8-4. The Tigers would go on a 6-3 run with strong play from Weiwen Wang on both offense and defense to make the score 13-10.
With their backs against the wall, the Tigers' experienced leaders would step up. Na Yang recorded kills in three of four consecutive points to put the Tigers up 14-13, match and game point in their hands. However, a Megan Wilson serve into the net would tie the game back up at 14. Yang recorded another kill to put the Tigers back on top 15-14. Yarimar Rosa would come up big with a kill to tie the game at 15. The teams would trade points and tie the game at 16, when Vergun hit a strong shot to the middle of the court to put the Panthers up 16-15. She then ended the game and match with another kill, her 22nd of the match, to give the Panthers the win, 18-16 and match win.
The Tigers will need to improve in the next two weeks before they enter Big 12 play, where four of the twelve teams are currently ranked in the top 25.
They will be in action next weekend when they travel to San Marcos, Texas for the CenturyTel Premier, where they will take on Cal State-Fullerton, Houston, and Texas State.
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