University of Missouri
Morehead State
Volleyball Tops Morehead State, 3-1
9/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 11, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Mizzou volleyball team won its second match of the Michigan Pepsi/Challenge after dropping Morehead State, 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-19, 25-8), on Friday (Sept. 11) at Cliff Keen Arena. Junior outside hitter Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) led the Tigers by posting her first double-double of the season, registering 16 kills and 10 digs, both season-high marks. Klein also hit a season-best .324 in the match. With the win, Mizzou improves to 6-2 on the season.
"Overall, I am pretty pleased with our match today. I thought we broke down a little in the second set, but it is early in the season and when you are running people in and out, that can happen," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "I thought we did a great job hanging in there in the third set and I thought we showed a great amount of intensity in the fourth set and really played well."
The Tiger attack was strong at the start of the first set as they were able to build a 4-1 lead after kills from Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.), Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) and Klein. That three-point lead was extended to five after a service ace from Klein that put the Tigers up 8-3. That five-point edge continued throughout the set as Mizzou dictated play with an efficient attack. Junior Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia), who led the Tigers with 11 kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the morning match, continued her fine play, posting five kills, helping Mizzou to a 25-15 set win in the first. Ampudia also hit .714 in the set while Rosa Medrano (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) added four kills on seven attacks while hitting .571.
As a team, Mizzou collected 17 kills in the first while hitting at a clip of .471. The Tiger back row also played well, collecting 16 digs, highlighted by several athletic plays from libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) who had five digs in the frame. Senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco (Shanghai, China) handed out 13 assists in the set as well.
The second set saw Morehead State run out to a 10-7 advantage, prompting a timeout for the Tigers. Following the timeout, the play of senior Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) ignited a 6-3 run that knotted the score at 13. The Tigers continued to surge as a kill from Wang-Francisco gave Mizzou its first lead - 17-16 - since the 7-6 mark. The two squads continued to battle and exchange points until a service ace from Priscilla Armendariz (Blue Springs, Mo.) gave Mizzou a 22-21 advantage. On the very next play, Hantouli and Wang-Francisco put up a double block to extend Mizzou's lead to a pair at 23-21. But two straight attack errors from Medrano put Morehead State on top 24-23 and a service ace for the Eagles gave them the set, 25-23.
Klein and Hantouli were the bright spots for the Tigers in the second frame as they combined for nine kills on 12 errorless attacks in the set. Klein posted six kills on eight swings while Hantouli came off the bench and tallied three kills on just four attempts.
Morehead State gained momentum with the second-set win and played like it to start the third set, taking advantage of a Tiger squad that committed several unforced errors. They Eagles held the lead from the early stages and held it for until a service ace from Wilson knotted the score at 15. Klein posted a kill on the next play, giving Mizzou its first lead of the set at 16-15, completing a 5-2 run for the Tigers. The key play of the set came with the score 17-16 in favor of Mizzou when junior Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) won a joust at the net to give Mizzou a two-point edge at 18-16.
Mizzou went on to take four of the next six points, highlighted by a service ace from Vann, putting the set out of reach as Mizzou earned the win, 25-19, with a solo block from Ampudia. Neither team hit well in the second set as Mizzou came in at .146 while Morehead State hit .077 thanks in large part to 27 digs from the Tigers. Vann led the way with seven digs in the set, moving her match total to 14. Annie Lopez (St. Louis, Mo.) and Wang-Francisco each pitched in five as the 27 digs in the frame are a set-high for Mizzou this season. Klein led all Tiger attackers with five kills in the set as she posted 14 kills through three.
The Tigers looked determined to win the match as they jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the fourth set. That run seized the momentum for the Tigers as Morehead State never recovered in the set. Freshman Kate Harris (Lee's Summit, Mo.) checked into the match as the Tigers' primary setter and with Harris quarterbacking the Tiger attack, the offense continued to overpower the Eagles as they went on to win, 25-8.
Mizzou will play Fairfield tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. (CT) in the Tigers' third of four matches at the tournament. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com.
