University of Missouri
Iowa State
Volleyball Falls to No. 8 Iowa State
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2009
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou volleyball team lost a three-set match (14-25, 28-30, 25-20) to No. 8 Iowa State Saturday night (Nov. 21) at the Hearnes Center. A season-high 2,824 fans packed into the Hearnes Center to watch as the Tigers hung tough with one of the nation's elite teams. The loss drops Mizzou to 18-12 on the season and 9-9 in Big 12 play. Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) led the Tigers with 15 kills in the match while the Tiger back row, anchored by libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.), pulled in 58 digs in the match. Vann led the way with 16 digs. Mizzou is now 11-3 at home this season and each of its three losses have come against top-10 opponents.
"I thought that we came out real jittery in the first set, but after that I was really pleased with the way that we continued to fight," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "Iowa State is one of the best teams in the nation and I thought we did a good job of getting our composure after the first set. We now need to look forward to our last two matches of the regular season next week."
Senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco (Shanghai, China) anchored a Tiger offense that posted 38 kills in the match as she assisted on 33 of those. Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) finished the match with nine kills while a pair of Tigers - Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) and Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) - finished the match with six kills apiece. Wilson also led Mizzou with a .263 clip in the match.
Iowa State - who statistically is one of the best defensive teams in the nation - corralled 64 digs and posted seven blocks while limiting Mizzou to a .165 attack percentage, its worst since hitting .075 against Texas on Nov. 7. Mizzou's defense also played well in the match as 10 different played finished the match with a dig. Aside from Vann, Ampudia also shined in the back row for Mizzou after finishing one dig shy of a double-double with nine.
After coming out sluggish in the first set, Mizzou came out and played one of its most competitive sets of the season in the second frame. The two teams combined for 43 digs in the set and both setters finished with at least 15 assists. After Iowa State opened a 4-1 lead in the frame, Mizzou fought back to tie the score at four and from there, neither team built more than a two-point advantage.
Things continued to be tight late in the set until a kill from Klein gave Mizzou set point at 24-23, forcing an ISU timeout. Out of the timeout, Klein sent her service into the net, sending the set to extra points. An attack error from Ampudia on the next rally gave ISU set point at 25-24. But Mizzou hung tough and tied the score back at 25 and the teams traded side outs on the next eight points until a kill from Henson ultimately ended the set at 30-28.
The Tigers came out of intermission and battled in the third frame as well, but a string of errors toward the end of the set ultimately ended the match as ISU claimed the decisive set, 25-20.
Mizzou returns home for its final home match of the season on Wednesday as it host No. 24 Baylor at the Hearnes Center in what is slated for a 6:30 start. The Tigers will honor their two seniors - Wang-Francisco and Hantouli - during the match as well. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com.
