University of Missouri
Texas Tech
Klein's 20 Downs Tech in Four
11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 1, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri volleyball team (11-12, 5-8 Big 12) ended its two-match losing streak Saturday night with a four-set win against Texas Tech (5-19, 0-13 Big 12), 25-15, 21-25, 25-14, 25-17. Sophomore Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) led the Tigers with 20 kills and four blocks, two aces and seven digs to lead all with 25.5 points.
Klein also was efficient, tallying a .444 hitting percentage, committing just four errors on 36 attacks. Her 20 kills were her most since recording the same on October 4 at Texas A&M.
Sophomore Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) recorded nine kills to go with a team-leading five blocks and an ace. Junior Lauren Nuckolls had a big day as well, coming off of the bench to clock seven kills and two blocks.
Junior setter Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) had a great night, tallying 52 assists to go with three blocks and three digs. Wang led the team to better than .500 hitting percentages in sets one and three.
As a team, Mizzou hit a season-high .427 hitting percentage.
Sophomore Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) notched 13 digs and scored on two service aces. Frosh Annie Lopez (St. Louis, Mo.) also added 10 digs.
The Tigers started strong on their first set. After one kill by the Red Raiders and a net violation gave Texas Tech two points, the Tigers rallied to bring the score to 7-3, including three kills by Megan Wilson. Play went back and forth for several minutes, but two kills each by Hantouli and Klein kept the Tigers competitive, and brought the score to 13-8. After a double block by Weiwen and Lei Wang and a net violation made it 15-8, Tech was forced to call a timeout. Upon return to play, an ace by Caitlin Vann and another Wang double block extended the Tigers' lead. The Raiders capitalized on five kills and a Mizzou error, but a double block by Catie and Megan Wilson, along with two kills by Klein and one each for Lei Wang and Megan Wilson brought the Tigers to a 24-15 lead. Hantouli scored the winning point and the Tigers won their first set 25-15.
A block by Klein gave the Tigers the first point of the set, but a kill by Tech followed quickly to tie. Play remained tight initially, but two consecutive aces by Klein gave the Tigers the 5-4 lead. Tech followed with an ace of their own to tie the set. The Tigers and Red Raiders continued to trade points throughout the middle of the set, keeping the score tied. After two aces by Tech and a Mizzou error gave the Red Raiders a 12-9 lead, Mizzou took a timeout. The Tigers rebounded after the timeout with a kill and double block by Weiwen Wang and Catie Wilson to bring the score to 12-11; however, Tech responded with two kills, an ace and a double block of their own, forcing another Mizzou timeout. A double block by Hantouli and Catie Wilson brought the score to 19-13. A Klein kill, Tech errors, and a double block by Weiwen Wang and Julianna Klein shrank Tech's lead to 20-17 and forced them to call a timeout. After the timeout, kills by Weiwen Wang and Klein kept the Tigers within one point. The Tigers were unable to retain control of the set, however, and the Red Raiders won 25-21.
Texas Tech took the early lead in the third set, with three kills interrupted only by a Klein kill to bring their lead to 3-1. The Tigers responded in kind, with a Klein block and four kills to give them the 6-3 lead. Lauren Nuckolls had a consecutive kill and block and Megan Wilson added a kill to extend the Tiger lead to 9-5. Two more kills and a double block by Nuckolls and Hantouli forced Tech to call a timeout. Vann added another ace on the day to stretch the Tigers' lead to 16-8, and after a Tech kill, Weiwen Wang quickly answered with two kills of her own to bring the lead to 18-9. After a Weiwen Wang ace, Megan Wilson added two kills, making it 23-13. The Tigers went on to win 25-14.
Mizzou grabbed an early lead in the fourth set with a Lei Wang kill, but had to fight to maintain their lead after early setting errors and Tech kills cut their lead to 8-7. Texas Tech had their first lead of the set, after a kill made the score 10-9, but Mizzou responded with two kills and a Klein block to regain their lead. A Nuckolls block gave Mizzou a 16-13 lead. Another double block by Weiwen and Lei Wang extended their lead to 20-16, and forced a Tech timeout. The Tigers continued to capitalize on Tech errors and kills by Megan Wilson and Klein brought Mizzou to match point, and another kill by Klein gave them the 25-17 victory.
The Tigers return to the Hearnes Center for their next match Sunday, November 9 against Oklahoma (9-12, 5-8 Big 12) at 1 p.m.
###
