University of Missouri
Oklahoma
Tigers Drop Big 12 Opener at Oklahoma in Four
9/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2008
NORMAN, Okla. - The Missouri volleyball team (5-5, 0-1 Big 12) opened its conference schedule on Wednesday, dropping a four-setter to Oklahoma (6-4, 2-0 Big 12), 25-22, 22-25, 15-25, 21-25. Mizzou started the season with a 10-match away-from-home streak, the longest in program history since 1997. Sophomore Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) led the team with 16 kills on the night, adding nine digs.
Both teams struggled offensively, producing high defensive tallies as sophomore Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) would scoop a career-high 33 digs in the contest. Junior Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) produced her second 20-20 match of her career with 33 assists and a season-high 22 digs to go along with a team-high four blocks.
Freshman Priscilla Armendariz (Blue Springs, Mo.) recorded a season-high 19 digs while frosh Annie Lopez (St. Louis, Mo.) claimed two aces on the night.
The Sooners were led by Francie Ekwerekwu's 13 kills and five blocks.
Mizzou was able to gain the lead early in the first set and hung on for the 25-22 set victory. After four ties and two lead changes in the early going, a 5-1 run setup the Tigers 8-5 lead that they would not let go of. Mizzou would spread the lead to five, its largest of the set, after a Klein kill followed by an Oklahoma error, to give the Tigers a 12-7 lead. The Sooners would inch its way to only a two-point deficit in scoring three straight points to force Mizzou's first timeout. The Tigers were able to grab the next two points with a Catie Wilson kill and an Oklahoma hitting error to spread the lead to 22-18. Although OU responded with two straight of its own, Mizzou closed the book with two kills by Weiwen Wang. Wang led the Tigers with four kills in the set with Mizzou outhitting OU .188-.115.
The Tigers looked to make an early statement in the second set, going up 10-6 after four kills and an Annie Lopez ace as part of a 5-1 run. OU would craw back to 16-15 after forcing Mizzou errors and a timeout. After a Lei Wang-Weiwen Wang double block and two Hantouli kills over four rallies, Mizzou forced an OU timeout in going up 19-16. Oklahoma then took control on the offensive end, scoring off three kills and a block to take its first lead at 20-19 to force Mizzou's final timeout. Oklahoma would turn a 4-0 run into a 7-0 run after the timeout with a kill, an ace, a Tiger error to take a 23-19 lead. MU would make it interesting in scoring on the next three points, but a final kill by OU and a double-block would tie the match with a 25-22 OU set win.
Mizzou struggled to start the third set, scoring only one kill on three unforced errors to go down 11-4 before calling its first timeout. Although the Tigers scored on the next three points to come within four at 11-7, Oklahoma was able to retain a firm grasp on the set. OU went on a 6-1 run to put their lead at 23-12, but Mizzou scored on three straight to make it 23-15. It wasn't enough as OU would score the final two points to take the set 25-15. Although OU would hit only .156 in the set, the Tigers had only eight kills, paired with eight errors, for a .000 hitting strike.
MU sunk to a four-point deficit in the fourth set, at 13-9, after super-long rallies dictated play and forced a Mizzou timeout. The Tigers would go on a 4-1 run to pull within one at 14-13. Three more by OU made it 18-14 as the Sooners quietly kept control, winning the match with a 25-21 final set win.
The Tigers will next host its 2008 home opener when taking on Baylor (9-2, 1-0 Big 12), Sunday, at 1 p.m., in the Hearnes Center in Columbia. The first 500 fans will receive a free schedule T-shirt. The Bears defeated Texas Tech in Waco to earn its first Big 12 win of the season on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY IN THE BIG 12
Iowa State def. Texas A&M, 25-16, 25-11, 26-24
Baylor def. Texas Tech, 25-22, 25-19, 22-25, 25-22
Kansas State lost to Nebraska, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 19-25
Kansas, Colorado, late
Home team listed first
