Harris Leads Volleyball Past Fairfield

Saturday, September 12

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:30PM

University of Missouri

Fairfield

9/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

Sept. 12, 2009

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Mizzou volleyball team improved to 3-0 at the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge and 7-2 overall this season after defeating Fairfield, 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 25-20), on Saturday (Sept. 12) at Cliff Keen Arena. Freshman setter Kate Harris (Lee's Summit, Mo.) led the Tiger attack by passing out a career-best 28 assists in just two sets while junior outside hitter Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) posted 13 kills while hitting a season-best .357. Mizzou will play Michigan tonight at 6:30 p.m. (CT) for the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge tournament title.

"Overall, I thought we started really well and it gave us a chance to try out some different lineups. We had Kate come in and set the final two sets and I thought she did a great job," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "When you change lineups it can change the dynamic of the match, but I thought we stayed calm and got right back into rhythm by the third set."

With her 13 kills in the match, Klein now has 69 in her last six matches and is hitting .286 in those matches. During her last two matches, Klein has tallied 29 kills while hitting .338. Harris passed out 14 assists in the each of the final two sets for the Tigers, both set-highs for the freshman. Junior Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) hit better than .300 for the first time in the tournament during the match, hitting at a clip of .455 - her second-best mark of the season - while posting 11 kills.

Junior Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) also pitched in nine kills in the match, moving her tournament total to 32 while hitting .310. She added two solo blocks in the match as well, tying her career-high.

The Tiger middle hitters were key in the first set as Mizzou built and early 6-3 lead after several kills from that position, including one by both Wilson and Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.). Ampudia also posted a solo block in that stretch as the Tigers dictated play early. The Stags continued to battle and even cut the lead to one point at 12-11, but that is when Brimmage and Klein took over as they helped Mizzou go on a 10-3 run to go up by eight at 22-14. That lead was more than enough for the Tigers as they claimed the first frame, 25-17.

Brimmage led the Tigers in the first set with three kills on just three attempts as the Stags had no answer for the Tiger sophomore. Both Klein and Wilson finished the set with two kills while Wilson hit .400 in the set without an attack error. The Tigers hit .320 in the opening frame while holding the Stags to a -.059 clip, due in large part to 12 digs from the back row and four total blocks in the set.

Mizzou picked up right where it left off to start the second frame as Harris replaced Lei Wang-Francisco (Shanghai, China) at setter. Ampudia led the surge early for Mizzou as she tallied three kills and a solo block to open the frame and after two service aces from libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.), the Tigers found themselves on top 13-6. But after a Fairfield timeout, the Stags put together a 10-3 run to tie the score at 16. With the score knotted at 16, sophomore Annie Lopez (St. Louis, Mo.) made an athletic play to keep the ball off of the floor in the back row and Ampudia buried a kill from the left side to give the lead back to the Tigers at 17-16.

The teams swapped points from there until a service ace gave the Stags back the lead at 20-19, forcing a Tiger timeout. After almost being aced on the very next play, Mizzou recovered and senior Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) made two fine plays on the right side, first denying an attack from the Stags, and then teaming with Brimmage to tally a block that knotted the frame at 20. After trading points, defensive specialist Priscilla Armendariz (Blue Springs, Mo.) posted a service ace to put Mizzou on top, 22-21. From there, the combination of Harris and Wilson combined on two attacks to give them the first set point of the match at 24-23. The teams traded side outs until a kill from Klein ended the set at 29-27.

Harris anchored a well-spread Tiger attack in the second as she passed out 14 assists in the set, hitting five different targets. Ampudia was her favorite option as she posted six kills in the set and added a solo block as well. Wilson also pitched in four kills in the set.

Harris remained as the Tigers' setter in the third and continued to spread the ball all over the floor as the Tigers built a 9-7 lead after a kill from Klein. The teams traded points during the next few rallies, but Farifield was able to build a 15-13 lead over the Tigers. But Harris continued to set well in the third as she spread seven assists to Tiger hitters, sparking a 9-0 run. Harris also teamed with Wilson for a block during that span as she accounted for eight of the Tigers' nine points during the run.

That stretch put the set out of reach for Fairfield as the Tigers claimed the final frame, 25-20, after a service error from the Stags. Harris finished the match with a career-best 28 assists while anchoring a Tiger attack that hit .272 and totaled 42 kills in the match. Klein led all attackers with 13 kills while hitting .357, her second-straight match that she has hit .350 or better. Mizzou added 8.0 total blocks in the match and held Fairfield to a .152 clip.

Mizzou will return to Cliff Keen Arena tonight (Sept. 12) to play No. 7 Michigan in the championship game of the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge. The first serve for that match is slated for 6:30 p.m. (CT). For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com.