University of Missouri
Colorado
MU's 600th Win Comes at Crucial Time
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2008
BOULDER, Colo. - The Missouri volleyball team (13-13, 7-9 Big 12) scored its 600th victory in program history Saturday afternoon with a four-set win over Colorado (12-13, 6-10 Big 12), 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 25-20. Mizzou, winning just its second conference road contest, moves into a tie for fifth place in the Big 12 standings, its best position in the league this season. Junior Megan Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) led Mizzou for the second-straight match, grabbing 15 kills on .344 hitting (15-4-32).
Wilson also tallied three blocks in the match, following up a Wednesday performance in which she scored a season-best 16 kills at conference-leading Nebraska.
With the win, Mizzou keeps hope alive of securing a possible at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. Needing an above .500 record overall for consideration, Mizzou still needs to finish its last four matches with a 3-1-or-better record to finish its season above .500. A home matchup against No. 14 Kansas State on Wednesday proves critical for MU's post-season hopes.
Wilson was one of three Tigers with a double-digit kill total. Sophomore Julianna Klein tallied 13 kills, and added 15 digs and two blocks for another double-double. Weiwen Wang notched 12 kills, six digs, and two blocks.
Junior Lei Wang tallied 46 assists and 12 digs, and also scored four kills and two blocks.
Sophomore Caitlyn Vann contributed 21 digs and two aces.
Mizzou outhit Colorado .224-.165, despite being outblocked 12.5-8
The Tigers gained a large early, 8-2, but Colorado nearly climbed back to steal set one before Megan Wilson's seventh kill of the frame gave Mizzou the 25-23 stanza win. Lei Wang served five-straight points to make the score 5-1, taking the advantage of three Colorado errors. Wilson and the Tigers would score a bunch of kills in a row to eventually make it a 13-5 advantage. Colorado, down 19-12, would use blocks and tactical serving to go on a 9-3 run and pull the score with one at 22-21. After the Mizzou timeout, a Klein kill was followed by a CU kill, which was followed by a Wilson kill and CU block, and then Wilson's kill to end the set at 25-23. The Tigers outhit the Buffs in the frame .208-.089.
Mizzou continued to rely on a diverse group offensively, hitting .324 in the frame to take the second set 25-22. Lauren Nuckolls scored five kills in the set, including the stanza's last. Weiwen Wang also notched five in the set as Mizzou would have four hitters with seven or more kills through the first two sets. It was a heavy sideout set as teams had trouble gaining consecutive serves. Mizzou's valuable four-point run came from the serving of Caitlyn Vann who scored an ace to add to kills by Hantouli and Weiwen Wang. CU would try to strike back with a run of 5-1 to pull the score within three at 22-19, but MU was able to survive to the 25-22 win. If the old sideout scoring would be in play, the set would only have MU with a 8-6 advantage.
A Tiger lead of 15-14 was squandered by a 6-1 run by the Buffs that turned the momentum and eventually was enough to give CU the set win of 25-20. Mizzou would pull within two at 21-19, but Colorado would score on four of the next five to crush comeback hopes of MU. Colorado would crank up its offensive strike in scoring 17 kills on the set and outhitting the Tigers .300-.122. Colorado would also score on four more blocks and make it difficult for Mizzou to run its game.
MU held a comfortable lead throughout the fourth set and was helped by a couple of four-point runs. Brittany Brimmage entered the set and scored the final kill of the match.
The Tigers will start its final two weeks of Big 12 play Wednesday in hosting No. 14 Kansas State Wednesday in the Hearnes Center at 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY IN THE BIG 12
Baylor lost to Texas A&M, 21-25, 22-25, 19-25
#3 Nebraska hosts Kansas, 7 p.m. (CT) start
#4 Texas hosts #14 Kansas State, 7 p.m. (CT) start
Iowa State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, idle
Home teams listed first
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