Aug. 18, 2001
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri volleyball team is just two weeks away from its 2001 regular season opener at the Mountaineer Invitational in Morgantown, West Virginia. However, Mizzou treated its fans to exciting five-game thriller Saturday night during the "Meet the Tigers" Open House held in the Hearnes Center.
Approximately 400 Tiger faithful attended the intrasquad match which saw the MU Black team defeat the MU White squad, 30-24, 24-30, 30-28, 31-33, 30-22. Following the match, the Tigers signed autographs for the fans and had a meet and greet session on the Hearnes Center Floor. Head coach Susan Kreklow said she was very happy with the progress the team has made during the preseason and also the support the community provided for the event.
"This was a very positive event for our entire program," Kreklow said. "It was good for our team to experience some live action and be in front of crowd and we really appreciated the community and fan support we received during the event. We want to keep the program in a growth mode and continue the positive momentum that is in place."
The MU Black team was led by junior 2000 All-Big 12 selection Lisa Morris, who had 13 kills and eight digs while senior Krista Johnson was fierce at the net, collecting one block solo and six block assists. Senior Kristen Johnson also broke the double digit barrier in kills with 10. Sophomore Mary Lauren Smith paced a feisty MU White squad collecting a double-double in her first match as a Tiger. Smith put down 12 kills and picked up 11 digs while sophomore Ashlee Johns chipped in with nine kills. Freshman Shen Danru, who will red-shirt during the 2001 season, led the White squad in digs with 13.
The Open House also marks the end of two-a-day practices for Mizzou as the team begins classes on Monday. They will practice from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. this fall starting Monday. MU opens up its 2001 schedule on Sept. 1 at the Mountaineer Invitational. The Tigers first home action is on Sept. 15 as they welcome the Cyclones of Iowa State to the Hearnes Center. For ticket information, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS or 884-PAWS in Columbia.