Nov. 23, 2000

No. 24 Tigers Look to Finish Strong Against Buffs
The University of Missouri volleyball team (24-5, 14-5 Big 12) continues to fight for the second place spot in the Big 12 Conference. Mizzou picked up a win over Oklahoma on Wednesday and travels to Colorado to wrap up the regular season on Saturday. Mizzou has won five of its last six matches and is ranked third in the Central Region. After the Tigers win on Wednesday and Kansas State's loss to Texas A & M , Mizzou finds themselves in a tie for second place in the conference standings. With a win on Saturday over the Buffs combined with a Kansas State loss to No. 1 Nebraska, Mizzou can claim the second place spot in the Big 12 outright. MU's 14 conference wins this campaign, doubles the highest previous conference win total of any Mizzou squad in the history of the program

Breaking Down the Buffaloes
University of Colorado Buffaloes (15-11, 11-8 Big 12) welcome the Tigers to Boulder on Saturday. CU is coming off of an emotional 4-game win over Big 12 foeTexas on Wednesday. If the Buffs, who are coached by Pi'i Aiu, can pick up a win over Mizzou this weekend, it will mark the 13th consecutive season CU has recorded at least 16 wins. The Buffs are led offensively by junior outside hitter Sonja Nielsen, who is averaging 3.79 kills and 3.74 digs per stanza. Sophomore middle blocker Meghan Barkman has been outstanding at the net for CU with 150.0 total blocks and is averaging 1.61 blocks per game. CU leads the all-time series 26-2. However, Mizzou did manage a 3-game sweep of the Buffs in Columbia on October 18.

Mizzou Moves to No. 24 in USA TODAY/AVCA Coaches Poll
Tigers receive 131 votes The University of Missouri volleyball team (24-5, 14-5) jumped one spot in the USA TODAY/AVCA Coaches Poll on Monday to No. 24. The Tigers have now been ranked in the Top 25 for seven straight weeks dating back to Oct. 9. Mizzou enters the final match of Big 12 play tied for second place withKansas State behind Big 12 Champion and No. 1 Nebraska . The Tigers will travel to Colorado to wrap up the regular season. With 24 overall wins and 14 conference wins, the Tigers will have to wait until this weekend to find out if a NCAA Tournament bid is in their future. There will be a selection show gathering at 7 p.m. on Sun., Nov. 26 at the Student Athlete Lounge in the Taylor Brookfield building. All media are welcome to attend.

Tigers Have Six Named to Big 12 All-Academic Team
The Big 12 Conference announced the 2000 Volleyball Academic All-Big 12 Team Monday and six Tigers were honored. Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the volleyball academic all-league squad consisted of 45 combined first-team members with 14 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.2 or-better grade-point average, while the second team are those who have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA. On the first team for MU was senior Heather Gerber (Human Development and Family Studies), senior Annette Luyten (History), junior Lisa Morris (Overland Park, Kan.), and junior Katie Sowers (Secondary Education-Social Studies). Making the second team for Mizzou was juniors Naaron Branson (Textile Apparel Management) and Rachel Taylor (Fitness and Nutrition). Gerber and Luyten have received the this honor three times while Morris, Sowers and Taylor are two time recipients. Every school which sponsors volleyball, Oklahoma State does not, had at least three representatives on the Volleyball Academic All-Big 12 squad with nine of those schools having five or more. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests.

Tiger Remain Resilient in Regional Rankings
Missouri stayed in third place in the latest edition of the Central Regional Rankings, which were released on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The Kansas State Wildcats swapped places with Texas A&M, jumping to the No. 2 spot in the region while the Aggies fell to fourth. No.1 Nebraska maintained the region's top spot.

1 Nebraska 26-0 18-0

2 Kansas State 20-6 14-4

3 Missouri 23-5 13-5

4 Texas A&M 17-8 12-6

5 Texas Tech 23-7 11-7

7 Colorado 14-11 10-8

8 Oral Roberts 21-10 13-1

9 Texas-San Antonio 22-8 17-3

10 Illinois State 18-9 15-3

MU Jumps into Top 30 in Attendance
Susan and Wayne Kreklow have brought a winning attitude and a new look to Missouri Volleyball. Along with the new attitude, a new interest in the program has taken shape. One proof of this turnaround lies in the Tigers' recent jump into the NCAA Top 30 in average home attendance. The Tigers rank 28th, averaging 858 fans per home contest and have attracted seven of the top 10 largest home crowds in the programs 27-year history. Mizzou played in front of the largest home crowd in school history in its loss to No. 1 Nebraska on Oct 25. The 2,009 Mizzou Maniacs who walked through the Hearnes Center turnstiles surpassed the former record of 1,350 on Oct. 31, 1997.

The Myth from Fort Smith Living up to The Legend
Junior Naaron Branson has bounced back in big way after a very slow start to her 2000 season. Through the first 14 matches of the campaign, Branson was averaging only 1.71 kills per game, 1.66 kills off of last seasons 3.37 kpg pace. However, since her 10 kill-10 dig-eight block performance in the Tigers sweep of Kansas State on Sept. 30, Branson has been living up to her Missouri entertainment namesake. She is averaging an entertaining 3.56 kills per game in the past 14 matches and has recorded four double-doubles. Branson has also picked up her all-around game as well recording four double-doubles since Oct. 1 including her latest dos-dos, a 15-kill, 10 dig performance in the Tigers sweep of KU last Saturday.

Flexing Their Muscle in the Middle
Junior Krista Johnson and sophomore Christi Myers have provided a spark at the middle blocker position for the Tigers this season. KJ has been the Tigers "unstoppable force," recording a .352 hitting percentage while ranking second on the team in total blocks with 84 total blocks (16 solo / 68 assists). Myers continues to be a presence in the middle, averaging 2.98 kills per game while putting up a .358 hitting percentage. Myers has also proved to be the Tigers "immovable object," recording 126 total blocks (37 solo and 89 assists) on the year. Myers 36 solo blocks leads the Big 12.

Johns Adjusts
Freshman Ashlee Johns continues to flourish after moving to outside hitter midway through the season. After experiencing some early growing pains, Johns is beginning to come into her own. She is averaging 3.39 kills per game since the promotion and had great night on Oct. 28 against Iowa State when she put down 14 kills and recorded a .600 hitting percentage. Johns then added another solid effort to her developing portfolio registering a career-high 17 kills on Wed., Nov. 4 in the Tigers 3-0 sweep of Baylor. She also set a career-high with four block solos last Saturday in the Tigers 3-0 sweep of KU.

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

Branson joins Myers' Block Party
Against Baylor on Sept. 23, 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 party, a block party to be exact. 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 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.

Getting Up for the Down Ball
With the second half of the Big 12 schedule under way, the Tiger outside hitters will be asked to continue their outstanding production. Sophomore Lisa Morris must chew Wrigley's Double Mint Gum. Morris has doubled her excitement, recording nine double-doubles (kills and digs) this season and leads the team with 30 service aces. She also leads the team in both kills (406) and attacks (1097) while slating 68 blocks on the year. If Morris can maintain her 4.46 kills per game average, she will be only the second Tiger in history to average over four kills per game in a single season. Yvette Buhlig set the MU school record when she averaged 4.68 kills per game in 1992. Junior Kristen Johnson made her return to the Tiger lineup and put down seven kills against Texas Tech on Nov. 4. Johnson has been in and out of the Tiger lineup since. She ranks fourth on the squad in kills (206) and hitting percentage, hitting a robust .319 on the year.

Home Sweet Hearnes has Proven to Be Upset Central
The Tigers are now 13-1 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 has 4,849 assists for her career after her 33-assist performance against Oklahoma. The former record of 3,812 assists was held by Cindy Atterberry, who graduated in 1993.

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 Tiger's win over Kansas on Oct. 11, the Kreklows picked up their 100th total victory in the past three years.

2000 Tiger Tid Bits...

lThe Tigers are 74-19 in games this season. Mizzou's 24 wins more than doubles the team's win total from a year ago when they went 10-21.

lMizzou is 24-0 when it wins the first game of a match and 0-5 when it loses the opening stanza of the contest.

lMU is 2-3 against ranked opponents this season and 0-2 against Top 10 teams. Mizzou has defeated -No.19 Texas A&M (Sept. 13) -No. 24 Kansas State (Sept. 30) And has lost to: -No. 1 Nebraska (9/16) -No. 1 Nebraska (10/25) -No. 25 Texas A&M (10/21)

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 Tiger's 24-5 record this season, the Kreklow's record now stands at an amazing 109-5 in the last three seasons and 485-60 during their coaching career.

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

Oct. 18 vs. Colorado - 17 kills-10 digs

Nov. 11 vs. Texas - 16 kills-14 digs

Nov. 18 vs. Kansas - 13 kills-15 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

Nov. 4 vs. Texas Tech - 16 kills-15 digs

Nov. 11 vs. Texas - 16 kills-12 digs

Nov. 18 vs. Kansas - 15 kills-12 digs