University of Missouri
Baylor
Tigers Complete Season Sweep of Baylor
11/2/2000 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2000
Waco, Texas - The No. 24 University of Missouri volleyball team made its final trek to the Lone Star state of the 2000 season on Wednesday and came away victorious sweeping Baylor, 15-11, 15-12, 15-6. The win marks the first time in school history that the Tigers have swept a season series from the Bears and also the first time Mizzou has taken a match in Waco. Mizzou went 2-2 in their trips to Texas this season sweeping Texas and Baylor and losing to Texas Tech and Texas A&M.
A usually slow-starting Mizzou squad came out in complete control, weathering several rallies where it looked as if BU might take the momentum of the first game. Mizzou capitalized on four Baylor service errors in the game and registered a .439 hitting percentage taking game one, 15-11.
In game two, Baylor jumped out to a quick 10-7 lead, but could never pull away from the Tigers. Mizzou once again used timely serving and good passing to rally and eventually take game two, 15-12. Game three was all MU as the Tigers jumped out to an 8-1 lead. Baylor climbed to within 8-5, but the Tigers were able to put away the Bears with a final 7-1 run to take the game and the match. Head Coach Susan Kreklow said that consistency was the key for Mizzou.
"We played at a high level and were consistent throughout the match," Kreklow said. "When you play a quality team like Baylor in their place, the little things like passing and serving are magnified and we did those things well tonight."
The Tigers used excellent passing and quality ball control to pick up the win and hit .327 on the night compared to BU's .210 effort. Junior Naaron Branson played a key roll in the transition between offense and defense for Mizzou picking up a career-high 16 digs while senior Annette Luyten pitched in with nine of the Tiger's 56 pickups.
Direct beneficiaries of the quality passing were the Mizzou outside hitters. Sophomore Lisa Morris played one her most complete matches of the year putting down a match-high 20 kills, hit .333, picked up five digs, and knocked down five total blocks. Freshman Ashlee Johns continued to impress putting down a career-high 17 kills and hit a robust .371 on the evening in the win. Speaking of outside hitters, the services of junior Kristen Johnson were available to the Tigers for the first time since the Kansas match on --- when she went down with a left knee injury. Johnson did not see action, but looks to be a key contributor down the stretch for the Tigers.
The win moves the Tigers to 19-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12 Conference while the Bears drop to 13-10 overall and 6-8 in the Big 12. Mizzou is now tied for second place with the Texas A& M Aggies in the Big 12 and look to avenge a 3-2 loss on Saturday against Texas Tech. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. in the Hearnes Center. For ticket information, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS. Also a reminder that the Sat., Nov. 11 match when the Tigers host Texas will be played at Rockbridge High School in southern Columbia. For more information, call 573-882-0713.
