July 31, 2001

Columbia, Mo. - University of Missouri head volleyball coach Susan Kreklow announced Monday that Mary Lauren Smith, a 6-1 outside hitter from St. Joseph, Mo., will join the Tigers for the upcoming 2001 season. Smith will transfer from the University of Pacific and begin taking classes at Mizzou in the fall.

Kreklow said that Smith, who was a Fab 50 player her senior season in high school according to Volleyball Magazine, is a very exciting addition to the Tiger roster and will raise the overall level of play even higher.

Last season, Smith averaged 1.36 kills per game in 25 games for the Pacific squad that finished the 2000 season at No. 8 in the final AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. Smith recorded a .265 hitting percentage and also recorded 11 total blocks for the Tigers.

Smith attended high school at Briarwood Christian High in Birmingham, Ala., through her junior season and finished her prep career at Central High in St. Joseph, Mo. Smith was a five-year letter winner in volleyball as she competed for Briarwood Christian varsity squad as an eighth grader. She led Briarwood to three consecutive state titles from her freshman to junior seasons and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Alabama State Tournament after leading the state in blocks and kills her junior season. Smith was named the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior while at Central and also received all-city, all-district and second-team all-state honors her senior year.

The Missouri Tigers begin the 2001 campaign on Aug. 18 with the "Meet the Tigers" open house, which will be held in the Hearnes Center starting at 5:00 p.m. as part of the "Mizzou Preview 2001." The public and media are encouraged to attend and players will be available for interviews immediately following the exhibition.