Oct. 17, 2000

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Tigers Hope to Buffalo CU in Big 12 Battle
The University of Missouri volleyball squad welcomes the Colorado Buffaloes to the Hearnes Center on Wed., Oct. 18 for the first face off between the two squads of the 2000 season. The Tigers are now 16-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12 after their 3-0 sweep of Oklahoma last Saturday. The Tigers have won six of their last eight matches and are 8-0 on the year in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center. Colorado has played .500 volleyball to this point in the season at 8-8 and 4-5 in the Big 12 Conference. CU has won three of its last five matches with the latest win coming over Texas last Saturday, a match in which the Buffaloes swept the Longhorns, 3-0. Colorado is led by junior outside hitter Sonja Nielsen, who is leading the Buffaloes in kills per game (3.38) and digs per game (3.45). The Buffaloes hold a commanding 26-1 lead in the all-time series including two 3-0 sweeps over the Tigers last season. The Tigers lone win in the series game in the inaugural meeting between the two teams in 1986, a 3-0 sweep in Ames, Iowa.

Morris Named Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Week
Sophomore Lisa Morris, an outside hitter from Overland Park, Kan., has been named the Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 16. Morris recorded 47 kills on 89 attempts for a .438 hitting percentage in wins over Oklahoma and Kansas last week for the No. 24 Tigers (16-2, 7-2 in the Big 12). Morris led Missouri to their first win over Oklahoma (15-11, 15-8, 15-12) in Norman in 17 years on Saturday. She recorded 24 kills against the Sooners, which tied a school record for kills in a three-game match. Morris recorded a .611 hitting percentage for the match and just missed her sixth double-double of the year after picking up nine digs. Just three days prior, Morris helped Missouri down Kansas with 23 kills and 14 digs in a 15-13, 11-15, 15-12, 15-8 win over the Jayhawks. Morris recorded 24 kills and 14 digs in the Wednesday match.

Red-Hot Tigers Sweep Sooners
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri volleyball team picked up its fifth win in the past six matches defeating the Sooners of Oklahoma on Saturday night, 15-11, 15-8, 15-12. The Tigers move to 16-2 on the year and 7-2 in the Big 12. With the victory, the Tigers are guaranteed their first winning season since 1992, when that team was 22-11. The win over the Sooners in Norman is also somewhat historic for another reason, the Tigers had not won a match in Oklahoma since 1983. Sophomore Lisa Morris encored her 23 kill, 14 dig effort on Wednesday night with a 24-kill performance against the Sooners on Saturday capping off a brilliant week. She also recorded a .611 hitting percentage for the match and just missed her seventh double-double of the year picking up nine digs. After the injury to junior Kristen Johnson on Wednesday against Kansas, freshman Ashlee Johns stepped in and did a fine job collecting a career-high 12 kills. Sophomore Christi Myers and junior Naaron Branson also played well knocking down nine kills apiece while Branson led the team in blocks with three. The Tigers dropped nine service aces on the Sooners, including a career-high five by junior Rachael Taylor. MU hit a robust .368 for the match compared to OU's .277. Senior Cathy Cook led the Sooners terminating 14 kills and hitting .423 on the night.

Tigers Hold on Strong at No.24
MU ups vote total to 170 Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri volleyball team cracked the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 poll on Mon., Oct. 9 for the first time in 18 years. The No. 24 Tigers are now 16-2 on the year and 7-2 in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers are one of three teams from the Big 12 to be ranked including Texas A&M and No. 1 Nebraska. A Mizzou squad had not been ranked in the AVCA poll since Nov. 1, 1982, when that team was No. 20. The highest rank a Tiger team has reached was the No. 18 slot on Oct. 18, 1982.

Tiger Fans Come Out in Record Numbers
Mizzou played in front of the second largest home crowd in school history in their win on Wed., Oct. 11 over Kansas. A rowdy crowd of 1,148 went through the turnstiles, just 152 fans off of the all-time highest attended match. The Tigers have drawn five of the Top 10 crowds in school history this season and continue to roll through the Big 12 season.

KJ and Christi: Monitoring the Middle
Junior Krista Johnson and sophomore Christi Myers have provided a spark at the middle blocker position for the Tigers this season. Krista (KJ) Johnson has been the Tigers "unstoppable force" recording a team-high ..367 hitting percentage while also ranking second on the team in total blocks with 48 (6 solo / 42 assists). Myers continues to be a presence in the middle averaging 2.93 kills per game while putting up a .355 hitting percentage. Myers has also proved to be the Tigers "immovable object" recording 82 total blocks (23 solo and 59 assists) on the year.

Morris Ties MU Termination Mark
Sophomore Lisa Morris' 24-kill effort on Sat. Oct. 14 in the Tigers 3-0 sweep of Oklahoma tied a MU record for kills in a three game match. The Overland Park, Kansas native now shares the distinction with former Tiger Melinda Wrye, who put down 24 kills on Nov. 14, 1992 against SEMO.

Branson joins Myers' Block Party
On Sat., Sept. 23, against Baylor there was music (provided by Point Mizzou, the MU Volleyball Pep band), food (provided by concessions stands), and of course, a crowd (776 Tiger faithful to be exact), so sophomore Christi Myers decided to throw a block party. Myers tied the Big 12 single match record with her five solo block performance. She finished the night with 12 total blocks. Junior Naaron Branson joined the party on Sat., Sept. 30 when she also recorded five block solos in the Tigers three game sweep of No. 24 Kansas State. Branson, Myers, and three other players now share the Big 12 record. Myers leads the Tigers in blocks with 82 on the year (23 block solos / 59 block assists).

Bransons Back, Morris is Marvelous
The outside hitters on the MU squad continue to put up big numbers this season. The latest example of this trend is the outstanding performance by junior Naaron Branson on Wed., Oct. 11 when Branson put down a individual season high 19 kills and also pitch in with eight digs Sophomore Lisa Morris must chew Double Mint Gum by Wrigley's. Morris has doubled her excitement recording six double-doubles (kills and digs) this season and leads the team with 23 service aces. She leads the team in both kills (245) and attacks (658), while also slating 40 blocks on the year. Junior Kristen Johnson has also been outstanding thus far for the Tigers. She is currently rehabbing after an injury to her left knee and is expected to return to the Tiger lineup in approximately three weeks. Johnson is now second on the squad in kills (194) and attacks (417). She is third on the team in hitting percentage, hitting a robust .341 on the year.

Home Sweet Hearnes hasProven to Be Upset Central
The Tigers are now 8-0 in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center. MU has defeated two ranked opponents (then No. 19 Texas A&M and then No. 24 Kansas State), won the Lathrop & Gage Tiger Invitational, and pulled out a thrilling five game match over Baylor in front of the hometown crowd.

Gerber With the Assist
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 4,370 assists for her career after her 44-assist performance against Oklahoma. The former record of 3,812 assists was 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 position in the career block/assists category with 221.

Tiger Tid Bits...
lThe Tigers are 50-10 in games this season. Mizzou's 16 wins this season eclipses the team's win total from a year ago when they went 10-21.

lMU is 2-1 against ranked opponents this season and 0-1 against Top-10 teams beating then No. 19 Texas A&M, losing to No. 1 Nebraska, and defeating No. 24 Kansas State.

lHead Coach Susan Kreklow and Associate Head Coach Wayne Kreklow were a combined 85-0 in their last two seasons at Columbia College before taking over at Mizzou. With the Tigers 15-2 record this season, their record now stands at an amazing 101-2 in the last three seasons.

The Kreklows Eclipse the Century Mark
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. In the Tigers Wed., Oct. 11 win over Kansas, the Kreklows picked up their 100th total victory in the past three years. 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 Faced Nebraska's Seventh Woman
The Tiger volleyball team traveled to Nebraska on Sat., Sept. 16., to take on the Huskers at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln. Besides having to face the No. 1 team in the land on their home court, MU witnessed the 11th largest crowd recorded by the AVCA this season-a rowdy 4,167.

Four Tiger Volleyball Matches to Be Broadcast on Radio
Columbia, Mo. - The 16-2 University of Missouri Volleyball Team will have four of its matches broadcast during the remainder of the season. Through the joint efforts of the Premier Marketing Group, Ellis Copy Center, and Missouri Sports Properties, fans of the Tigers will be able to enjoy Tiger action on KWWC 90.5 FM.. Matches included in the package include the Wed., Oct. 11 match up with Kansas, the Wed., Oct. 18 match against the Buffaloes of Colorado, a rematch with No. 1 Nebraska on Wed., Oct. 25, and a Wed., Nov. 22 battle with Oklahoma. All matches are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. central time.

Double-Doubles Abound for 2000 Tigers
Below is a list of double-doubles that have been recorded by MU players in 2000. Lisa Morris Sept. 2 vs. Arkansas-Little Rock - 12 kills-15 digs Sept. 2 vs. Oral Roberts - 15 kills-18 digs Sept. 8 vs. TCU - 16 kills-11 digs Sept. 9 vs. Marquette - 12 kills-10 digs Sept. 27 vs. Texas Tech - 29 kills-21 digs Oct. 11 vs. Kansas - 23 kills-14 digs Christi Myers Sept. 9 vs. Arkansas State - 11 kills-11 blocks Sept. 23 vs. Baylor - 13 kills-12 blocks Sept. 27 vs. Texas Tech - 17 kills-12 digs Naaron Branson Sept. 30 vs. Kansas State - 10 kills-10 digs