University of Missouri
Kentucky
Kentucky Overtakes Mizzou in Three
9/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2008
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Missouri volleyball team (3-2) had some difficulties on Saturday afternoon, dropping a straight-set match to Kentucky (4-2), 25-21, 25-15, 25-23, in the second day of the Spring Hill Suites at Arundel Mills Invitational in College Park, Md. Sophomore Julianna Klein led the Tigers with 16 kills on .354 hitting.
Sophomore Weiwen Wang was next in the kill category, scoring seven and adding four blocks.
Kentucky was 22-10 and an NCAA-Tournament team in 2007.
The Tigers had difficulties starting the motor in the first set, falling to a 10-6 deficit before calling its first timeout. Three kills by Klein in a four-point period pulled Mizzou to within three at 18-15. After a Wildcat double block that made the score 20-16, Kreklow used Mizzou's final timeout. Megan Wilson followed with three-straight kills to pull the margin to one at 20-19, as Kentucky used a timeout. The `Cats then scored on five of the next seven rallies to win the set, 25-21. Klein led the Tigers with four kills in the set.
Mizzou struggled to begin the second set as well. After Kentucky put the score to 8-3, Mizzou called a timeout, having a .000 hitting percentage with only one kill while Kentucky was seemingly cruising with a .500 average on seven kills. UK continued to cruise in the set, allowing the Tigers only one non-sideout point for the remainder of the frame. Lauren Nuckolls came off Mizzou's bench, providing a spark with a kill and two blocks, but Kentucky was able to control with a .378 hitting percentage. Despite the Tigers hitting .154 as a team, Klein led MU with five kills on a .455 average.
The Tigers once again had difficulty finding its footing in the third, falling to a 9-5 deficit early. MU started to shake off the Wildcats with a 5-2 run, which included two Brittney Brimmage kills, to pull within one at 11-10. The teams tied at 14-14, but UK scored three-straight to force a Mizzou timeout at 17-14. It appeared the Tigers were getting back in the ballgame with two-straight kills from Klein, but UK went on a 4-1 run to force the other MU timeout at 21-17. Mizzou appeared to be on the ropes when down 22-18, but another three-straight kills by Klein pulled the score to 22-21, forcing a Kentucky timeout. The score was tied at 23-23 before Kentucky's Queen Nzenwa scored a kill to force a match point. UK's Laura Stokowski downed the Tigers with an ace to end the match.
Mizzou will play its final match of the tournament later today at 5:30 p.m., eastern, when they take on St. John's (5-2) for a chance at the tournament title.
