Sept. 15, 2000
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - In what was undoubtedly the University of Missouri Volleyball team's most exciting match of the season, the Tigers knocked off the No. 19 Texas A&M Aggies, 15-12, 15-8, and 15-8. The Tigers once again used a solid team effort and great team passing to pick up the victory. The win moves MU to 10-0 on the year and sets up a match up with undefeated and top-ranked Nebraska on Saturday.
In front of 537 Tiger fans, the Aggies came out on fire, stepping out to a 7-2 lead in the first game. The Tigers then went on to score six unanswered points, but then fell behind once again, 12-8. After a Mizzou time out, the whole complexion of the match seemed to change as the Tigers rattled off seven straight points to win the game, gain the momentum, and eventually win the match.
Leading the way for the Tigers once again were the usual suspects of sophomore Lisa Morris and junior Kristen Johnson. Both outside hitters registered 13 kills on the night to lead the Tigers while Morris also added two service aces. Junior Naaron Branson and Christi Myers both had solid nights knocking down nine kills a piece.
Senior Heather Gerber continued her outstanding play picking up right where she left off, an MVP performance at the Lathrop & Gage
Tiger Invitational last weekend, and handed out 41 assists. Gerber now has 4,019 career assists, the top mark by any setter in Tiger history. While senior Annette Luyten didn't add to her career block assists total of 217, which puts her at fourth place on the all-time block/assists list, she did pitch in with eight digs.
Defensively, the Tigers proved to be outstanding registering 55 digs. Myers led MU with 11 digs while defensive specialist and junior Rachael Taylor chipped in with 10. MU also put down 7.5 blocks on the match. Branson led the way with two block solos and a block assist.
Shucking the Cornhuskers
With the first mission of the week completed, a three-set sweep of No. 19 Texas A&M, the Tigers will travel to the University of Nebraska to take on the top-ranked Cornhuskers. The match is set for Sat., Sept. 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln. Playing for the first time this season as the nation's No. 1-ranked squad, the Huskers remained perfect at 8-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big 12 Conference with a 15-4, 17-15, 15-4 win over Texas Wednesday night. NU, which took over the No. 1 spot in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll Sept. 11, is now 41-2 when competing as the nation's top-ranked team.
Gerber to Break Four Grand This Weekend
Senior setter Heather Gerber claimed the MU all-time career assists title on Fri., Sept. 8 with her 35-assist performance against Morgan State. Gerber now has 3,990 assists for her career after her 41-assist performance on Wednesday against Texas A & M. The former record of 3,812 assists was formerly held by Cindy Atterberry who graduated in 1993.
Senior Annette Luyten also continues her climb up the MU record charts and is now in the No. 4 postistion the career block/assists category with 219.
The Kreklow's and Co.
Head Coach Susan Kreklow and associate head coach Wayne Kreklow have had great success in their coaching careers. They led Columbia College, an NAIA school here in Columbia, to two straight national championships and accumulated a six-year record of 461-81. In 1998 and 1999, the Cougars went a combined 85-0. It is rare for a husband and wife to be coaching the same team with such great success, but the Kreklow's are only one of the two husband-wife tandems on the Tiger staff. Assistant Coaches Deng Yang and Cheng Fung are also married.
Tigers on TV
This weekend, Susan and Wayne Kreklow will be featured in a segment of Fox Sports Net's "Big 12 Showcase." In the feature, the Kreklows will sit down with the reporter Keith Fletcher and talk about the season, the team, and the challenges of juggling family and volleyball. The program will air at 3:00 p.m., central on Fri., Sept. 15 and 9:30 a.m., central on Sat., Sept. 16 on TCI Cable Channel 30 in Columbia.
Tigers "Knocking the Cover off the Ball"
In the 2000 season so far, the MU Volleyball team's hitting percentage has been off the charts. They lead the Big 12 in the category going into conference play with a robust .361 mark. Leading the way is sophomore middle blocker Christi Myers, who is hitting at a phenomenal .468, has recorded 86 kills on 158 attacks. She also leads the team in blocks with 42 on the year. The middle blocker position has proved to be a "two-headed monster" (only an expression!). Junior Krista Johnson is hitting at a .431 pace, which ranks her third on the team.
Outside Hitters Continue to Spark Tiger Attack
The outside hitters on the MU squad have continued their solid play throughout the non-conference schedule. Junior Kristen Johnson wasted no time after transfering to MU from Washington State to make an impact for the Tigers. Johnson now leads the Tigers in kills (116), is second on the team in attacks (236), and has recorded a .381 hitting percentage to date.
Sophomore Lisa Morris is also showing signs of having a great career at Mizzou. She is second on the team with 105 kills on a team-high 273 attacks while also slating 24.0 blocks on the year.
Junior Naaron Branson has picked up her play drastically as of late and has worked her way into the starting line up after a slow start to her 2000 campaign. Branson currently has 49 kills on the year on 94 attacks and is second on the team in digs with 80.