Jan 10, 2001
The 2000 Tiger Turnaround Tour
When Susan and Wayne Kreklow were hired as the head and associate head coaches of the University of Missouri volleyball team last spring, there was hope that the successful husband and wife duo would breath fresh air into the program.
After Mizzou posted a 24-7 overall record and a 14-6-second-place Big 12 finish, that fresh air ended up being in the Rocky Mountains of Provo, Utah on the campus of BYU as the Tigers made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history. Although Mizzou lost in the first round to Utah State in five games, the appearance was one of several firsts that Mizzou would experience during the 2000 Tiger Turnaround Tour.
The Tour Kicks Off
After a successful spring season in which the Tiger went 13-0-1, there was much anticipation for the 2000 regular season. Mizzou continued the success it has experienced during the spring picking up wins over Wichita State, Arkansas Little-Rock, and eventual Mid-Continent Conference Champion and host school Oral Roberts at the Oral Roberts Hilton adidas Classic taking the title. Junior Kristen Johnson was named the MVP of the tournament while senior Heather Gerber and sophomore Christi Myers were named to the all-tournament team.
After a sweep of in-state rival UMKC in Kansas City, Mizzou put away its Willie Nelson record (On the Road Again) and headed to the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center hosting the Lathrop and Gage Tiger Invitational. The opening match of the tournament for Mizzou proved to be a historical one as Gerber became the all-time MU assists leader against Morgan State with her seventh assist of 35 she would record in the match.
Gerber finished her career with 4,955 career assists, eclipsing the Cindy Aterberry's mark of 3,812. The Tigers made quick work of all four opponents they faced (Texas Christian, Arkansas State, Morgan State, and Marquette) sweeping each and taking the Lathrop and Gage title. Fittingly, Gerber was elected the MVP of the tournament while (Kristen) Johnson and sophomore Lisa Morris were named to the all-tournament team.
The Tigers faced their final pre-Big 12 season challenge the following Monday night as they traveled to 2000 NCAA qualifier Southeast Missouri State sweeping SEMO 15-5, 15-6, 15-5. The win moved MU to 9-0, the first time Mizzou had been undefeated through nine matches since 1983.
The First Leg: Winning the Crowd Over
After going 4-16 in the Big 12 in 1999 and being picked to finish ninth in the Big 12, Mizzou faced the toughest test of the young season with the upcoming Big 12 schedule. To open the fist cycle of the double round robin format the conference uses, Mizzou welcomed No. 19 and perennial powerhouse Texas A & M to the Heanes Center. In a match that truly turned the Big 12 status quo on its ear, the Tigers swept the Aggies for the first time in school history. However, the honeymoon of the week was short-lived as Mizzou traveled to the Land of Lincoln- Lincoln, Neb. that is, and was swept by No. 1 and eventual national champion Nebraska.
The Tigers then recovered from their first defeat of the season sweeping Iowa State in Ames. Up next for Mizzou was Baylor who came calling in the Show Me State, and was promptly hung up on as Mizzou took what everyone outside the Missouri volleyball program called a shocker from the Bears in five games. The match truly personified the Mizzou squad as the Tigers battled back and forth with the Bears and eventually came through taking game five, 17-15. After the win over Baylor, America started taking notice of the up-start Tigers as Mizzou appeared in the "others receiving votes" category in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll with 32 votes.
After the emotional win over BU, the Tigers made their first of four trips to Texas to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who had experienced similar early season success and were 13-1 going into the match. The Tigers dropped the first game of the match, (which was a bad omen for MU, they were 24-1 when winning game one of a match) and dropped a five game heartbreaker in Lubbock. Several Tigers recorded career highs in the match including Morris, who put down a career-high 29 kills and picked up a career high 21 digs in match that lasted almost three hours. Junior Krista Johnson also had a big night recording a career-high 16 kills while senior Annette Luyten recorded a career-high 26 digs.
Mizzou seemed destined to be on a roller coaster of a season at this point alternating wins and losses and searching for its identity. However, it could be said Mizzou's most solidifying win came on Sept. 30 as the Tigers swept eventual Sweet 16 qualifier Kansas State. The momentum continued to mount as Mizzou went on to beat Texas the following Wednesday for the first time in school history. The following Monday, Mizzou found itself in a place it had not been in 18 years. The Tiger clawed their way into the Top 25 for the first time in school history at No. 24 and would not drop from the rankings for the rest of the season.
The red-hot Tigers continued to roll winning their next three matches sweeping Oklahoma and Colorado and picking up a four-game win over Kansas and were 17-2 after their first trek through the Big 12 gauntlet.
The Second Leg, Frustrations, Awards, and Uncharted Territory
The secret was out, the cat was out of the bag, and the golden goose had landed. The Tigers could no longer sneak up on teams. The Big 12 was forced to reckon with the scrappy Tigers. The second leg of the TTT began with frustration and the Tigers first two-match losing streak of the season as they were swept by Texas A&M and Nebraska. Despite the loss to the Huskers, the Tigers drew the largest crowd in school history as 2,009 Mizzou maniacs walked through the turnstiles at the Hearnes Center.
Mizzou was at another turning point of their season. With a 17-4 record and several big matches remaining, the NCAA tournament was a distinct possibility, but only if they could finish strong.
And that was exactly what they did.
The Tigers went 7-2 the remainder of the Big 12 campaign. Mizzou picked up an impressive sweep of Baylor in Waco and swept Texas Tech and Texas at home. The Tigers had a chance to finish alone in the second place spot in the conference going into their final match of the season. However, they dropped the season finale to Colorado and finished in a tie for second place in the Big 12 with Kansas State and Texas A&M at 14-6. The second place finish was the highest conference finish by a Mizzou squad in school history. With a 24-6 overall record and 14-6 conference record, the Tigers were giddy with anticipation as they awaited their post season fate. The announcement came that they would go to the NCAA tournament on Sunday, Nov. 26 as the team had gathered along with fifty fans, administrators and media. The Tigers would travel to Provo, Utah, home of the BYU Cougars to take on Utah State. As if the NCAA selection wasn't enough good news, it was also announced that the Coaches Kreklow were named the Big 12 Volleyball coaches the year. The Tigers also received word that Lisa Morris was named first-team All-Big 12 and Heather Gerber and Christi Myers were honorable mention. The awards were the first Big 12 awards for Mizzou and the first conference recognition since 1992 and the days of the Big 8. As Mizzou headed for Provo, they still felt they had much to prove to the country. In what was a great match, Mizzou played some of the best volleyball it had played all season and was on the cusp of advancing to the next round of the tournament as they were up 14-11 in game four. However, the Aggies battled back and took the game and match, ending the Tigers campaign at 24-7 overall and 14-6 in the Big 12.
The 2000 Tiger Turnaround Tour was definitely a historical trip and full of landmark accomplishments. The 24 wins was the sixth most wins in school history including a 10-1 mark in non-conference play and a 13-1 home court mark. Mizzou was able to draw seven of the top 10 largest crowds in school history and averaged 875 fans, up 171% from 1999. The Tigers also displayed their hard work in the classroom with six Academic all-Big 12 selections including first teamers Annette Luyten, Heather Gerber, Katie Sowers and Lisa Morris and second teamers Naaron Branson and Rachael Taylor while Morris was also named the Verizon District VII all-academic team. The Tigers recorded program-first wins over Colorado, Texas and Texas Tech and swept Baylor and Texas for the first time in school history.
The Tigers will look to build on this Cinderella season and create a tradition going into the 2001 campaign, but will never forget the twists, turns, and.... And occasional turbulence of the 2000 Tiger Turnaround Tour.