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MU Faces Off with Tech in Big 12 Opener
The University of Missouri volleyball team finally begins the Big 12 portion of its schedule when it welcomes the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the Hearnes Center on Wednesday. Mizzou will play nine of their next 14 matches at home. The Tigers are undefeated (7-0, 0-0 in the Big 12) for the second consecutive season after seven matches. MU was scheduled to begin its Big 12 schedule last Wednesday at Kansas, but the match was postponed due to the tragedy that has gripped the nation. The Tigers' match that was scheduled for Saturday was also postponed after the Big 12 placed a moratorium on all events scheduled for last weekend. No make up date has been set for those matches.
The Eye of the Tiger
The Tigers are off to a great start once again this season. Mizzou has won both of its regular season tournament titles of 2001, the latest coming on Sept. 9 as the Tigers went 3-0 at the Best Inns Invitational in Carbondale, Ill., and currently sits at 7-0. Mizzou opened 2000 at 10-0 and also won both of its regular season tournaments last season.
The best start to a season by an MU squad was in 1982 when, under the direction of then-head coach Mike English, the Tigers opened the campaign at 19-0. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the No. 1 one single on the Billboard charts during 1982...yes you guessed it, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Mizzou is currently ranked third in the Big 12 behind KU (8-0) and Baylor (8-0). Texas Tech is currently ranked seventh overall in the Big 12 sporting a 6-2 record.
A Look at the Red Raiders
After going 1-2 in their opening tournament of the season (the Utah Classic), the Red Raiders have won five straight matches heading into their matchup with the Tigers. Four of those victories came in the Four Points Sheraton Red Raider Classic, which was hosted by TTU on Sept. 7-8. TTU swept Texas-El Paso, 3-0 and picked up 3-1 wins over Stephen F. Austin, Lamar and Ohio.
The Red Raiders were scheduled to have very busy week last week with matches slated against Texas (9/12), New Mexico (9/13) and Nebraska (9/15) but all of those matches were postponed due to the events of last Tuesday.
Leading the way for Texas Tech are freshman Kelly Johnson, who is averaging 3.73 kills per game and senior Yolanda Cumbess, who is averaging 3.60 kpg. Senior setter Skydra Orzen is also having an excellent early season handing out 13.97 assists per game and was named the MVP of TTU's last regular season tournament.
The Techsters hold a commanding 10-1 lead in the all-time series vs. Mizzou. Missouri's lone victory came in Columbia last season on Nov. 4, 3-0.
Tracking the Tigers Last Time Out... Tiger Volleyball Wins Best Inns Invitational
Carbondale, Ill.-It was Cats (Tigers) vs. Dogs (Salukis), 2-0 vs. 2-0 in the Best Inns Invitational, home (SIU) vs. well... away (MU) in the Championship match of the Best Inns Invitational in Carbondale, Ill on Saturday. The Cats and away team would be the victors on the night as Mizzou improved to 7-0 on the season and took home its second regular season tournament trophy. Mizzou has won four straight regular season tournament titles dating back to last season.
Junior Lisa Morris took home MVP honors of the Best Inns Invitational tournament while junior Christi Myers and senior Krista Johnson would be named to the all-tournament team. Morris would pace the Tigers in the match putting down match-high 20 kills and seven digs. Morris averaged 4.27 kills per game throughout the tournament and put down a tourney-high 26 kills against IUPUI on Friday.
Finally...the Tigers have Come Back to Hearnes Center
Mizzou will eat at Bambino's Italian Cafe in Columbia as a team for the first time this season on Wednesday. The Tigers eat there before each home volleyball match as the Tigers return to Columbia for their first home match of 2001. The Tigers started their season at the Mountaineer Invitational in Morgantown, West Virginia and at the Best Inns Invitational in Carbondale Ill..
Last season Mizzou went 13-1 in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center. In fact, of the 44 games the Tigers played in the Hearnes last year, the Tiger dropped only six. The lone match loss of the year came against Nebraska. The Tigers knocked three then-ranked opponents during the course of 2000.
TTU-Betcha
A Minute with Morris
Junior outside hitter Lisa Morris loves playing Texas Tech. No need for any flowery writing or vivid description and the numbers never lie. The Tiger kills leader averaged 26 kills and 15 digs per match in 2000 against the Red Raiders including a career-high 29 terminations in Lubbock on Sept. 27.
Morris had a great weekend on Sept. 7-8 at the Best Inns Invitational leading the Tigers to the championship. She was named the tournament MVP, averaging 4.29 kills per game and 2.72 digs per game over the course of the weekend. Morris recorded two double-doubles during the weekend, the first against IUPUI (26 kills, 11 digs) and the second coming against Southern Illinois in the Best Inns Invite Championship game (20 kills, 11 digs). She recorded a .354 hitting percentage and also had two service aces.
The Blue Valley Northwest graduate and All-Big 12 first team selection is averaging 4.95 kills and 2.63 digs per game so far in the 2001 season and is boasting a .285 hitting percentage. Morris has put down 13 or more kills in five of the Tigers seven matches so far this season and has registered 20 or more twice.
Explosive Efficiency
Junior middle blocker Christi Myers and senior middle blocker Krista Johnson have become one of the best middle blocker tandems in the Big 12. Both were named to the Best Inns Invitational all-tournament team after recording solid efforts in the Tigers title run.
Myers is currently averaging 2.86 kills per game and is boasting a .380 hitting percentage, tops among Tigers with 100 or more attacks and fifth in the Big 12. Myers is now also the MU all-time leader in career hitting percentage with a mark of .312. She recorded 33 kills on 63 attacks and had only three attack errors on the weekend in Carbondale.
Johnson has been a steady, dependable performer for the Tigers averaging 0.74 blocks per game and .364 hitting percentage on the season. KJ put down 22 kills at the Best Inns Invitational this past weekend including a seasons-best 10 kills on 15 attacks against Western Kentucky.
The Terminator
The "Myth from Fort Smith," senior Naaron Branson, has jumped into the Top 10 in career kills in the early going this season. Branson put down 16 terminations this past weekend and now has 914 career kills. That mark is good enough for seventh on the MU all-time kills list as Branson surpasses Melinda Wyre ('90-'92) on the all-time chart.
She needs just 13 more kills to move into the sixth position and 15 to move into the Top 5. Assuming the Tigers reschedule the two postponed matches from last week, Branson needs to average just 10.13 kills per match to reach the No. 2 spot on the chart.
Branson played her best match of the young season against Akron on Sun., Sept. 2 when she put down 15 kills and picked up a career-high 21 digs in Mizzou's 3-0 sweep of the Zips. For her efforts, she was named to the Mountaineer Invitational all-tournament team. Keep watching the Mizzou weekly volleyball notes to follow Naaron's climb up the career kills list.
MU All-TImes Kills Leaders 1. Yvette Buhlig (88-90, 92) 1,478 2. Jodi Maune (95-98) 1,147 3. Renee Rosinski (95-98) 1,049 4. Sherri Gentry (86, 88-90) 1,030 5. Sharon Zaehringer (84-87) 929 6. Gwen Mullens (91-94) 927 7. Naaron Branson (98- ) 914 8. Melinda Wrye (90-92) 906 9. Margaret Yanics (84-86, 88) 902 10. Annette Luyten (97-00) 896
No Soup for You
Possibly the most overused Seinfeld reference ever, the Tigers truly have embraced the role of the soup Nazi, holding their opponents to a .104 hitting percentage (279 kills, 179 errors on 957 attacks), good enough for second in the Big 12.
The Tigers have been excellent at the net so far, ranking fifth in total team blocks (53.0) and opponents hitting percentage (.104) in the Big 12. Mizzou has also limited its opponents to just 12.13 kills per game.
Five Tiger Volleyball Matches to be Aired on KWWC
KWWC Radio, with the assistance of Premier Marketing Group, has announced the broadcasting of a Missouri women's sports package. Both the MU women's soccer and volleyball teams will receive coverage of four games and tournament play during the 2001 fall season.
Likewise, the Missouri women's volleyball team will also receive live coverage of four home events. The Texas Tech, Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas State games will be aired during the regular season. All NCAA Tournament play by the Tigers will also be picked up.
The Tiger Double-Double Club
With a variable plethora of offensive weapons at the Tigers disposal, look for the Tigers to have several members of the Double-Double Club in 2001. Here is a list of the players that have posted double doubles so far this season
Chrissy Elder- 36 assists, 18 digs vs. WVU, 9/1 35 assists, 11 digs vs. Arkon, 9/2 34 assists, 15 digs vs IUPUI, 9/7 Lisa Morris- 15 kills, 10 digs vs. Akron, 9/2 26 kills, 11 digs vs IUPUI, 9/7 20 kills, 11 digs vs. SIU, 9/7 Naaron Branson- 15 kills, 21 digs vs. Akron, 9/2 10 kills, 12 digs vs. W. Kent, 9/8
The Switzerland Factor Revisited
Much like the country of Switzerland during World War II, the Tigers have had great success on neutral fronts over the last two seasons. Mizzou went 3-1 on impartial floors, picking up a championship at the adidas Hilton Oral Roberts Classic on Sept. 1-2 and the Lathrop and Gage Invitational on Sept. 8-9 of last season and losing only once, that coming in the NCAA Tournament to Utah State, 3-2.
Mizzou went 5-0 on neutral courts this season upping their record to 8-1 in neutral court skirmishes over the last two seasons.
The Name Game-Part 2
If you were a regular reader of Missouri volleyball game notes during the early part of last season (for your health, I hope you weren't), you read of the crazy number of repeat and very similar names that existed on the roster. Not much has changed for the 2001 season, in fact the situation has gotten even worse.
First of all, there is a Krista Johnson (senior middle blocker) and a Kristen Johnson (senior outside hitter) on the Tiger squad, not to mention Christi Myers (junior middle blocker) and Chrissy Elder (sophomore setter). There are now two 'Lisas' on the team as well including 2000 All-Big 12 selection Lisa Morris and freshman Lisa Boyd. With the addition of freshman middle blocker Jenny Duitsman and freshman setter Jenny Bybee the need for nicknames is catastrophic. There are even two Katherines on the team (Wingert and Sowers), but fortunately, Miss Sowers goes by Katie.
Tigers Ranked Fourth in Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll
Dallas, Texas. -The University of Missouri volleyball team picked up a fourth-place preseason Big 12 ranking in a vote by league head coaches released by the conference office on Tues., Aug. 7. The Tigers received 69 votes, tying the Kansas State Wildcats for the fourth of 11 spots. After being picked to finish ninth heading into last season and grabbing a tie for second in the conference, head volleyball coach Susan Kreklow said she is excited about the challenge of continuing the upward swing the program is experiencing.
Defending Big 12 and National Champion Nebraska received 10 of the 11 first place votes while Texas A&M, who was picked to finish second, had one first-place vote. Colorado grabbed the third spot after finishing in a two-way for third in the Big 12 last season while K-State and Mizzou rounded out the top five spots. The polling was based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system with a first-place vote receiving 10 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Rules, Regulations and other Points of Interest
The National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, the official rules-making body for women's collegiate volleyball, has released its "2001-2002 NAGWS Official Rules, Interpretations & Officiating Rulebook." Among the modifications include changes in the scoring format to rally scoring, the let serve and the one toss per serve. The international pursuit rule was added as an experimental rule for the upcoming season.
* The most noticeable difference this season will be the move from sideout volleyball to a rally scoring format where each play will result in a point. The first four games will be scored to 30 points, with the winner holding a two-point lead. The fifth and deciding game will be played to 15 with the winner leading by two points.
*Other significant changes involve the serve. Players must serve the ball within eight seconds after the referee authorizes service and will not be allowed a second toss for service. Further, the collegiate game will mimic the international game with the let serve. A served ball will remain in play if it hits the net and continues its path to the opposition's court. A service ace can be earned if the ball falls to the opposition's side of the court on the serve, despite contact with the net on service.
China, West Virginia and Many Points in Between
After a road trip of astronomical proportions in May (to China) and facing some of the world's top players, Mizzou is ready for its 2001 schedule. The campaign features six teams (Nebraska, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Colorado and SEMO) that qualified for the 2000 NCAA Tournament and seven that are ranked in the AVCA Top 35. Mizzou opened the season at the Mountaineer Invitational and won the Best Inns Invitational last weekend in Carbondale, Ill., defeating IUPUI, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois.
The 2001 Schedule
Following its two opening tournaments, Mizzou will once again take on the tough Big 12 Conference in the double round robin format. The Tigers were 13-1 last season in the home whites and hosted seven of the 10 largest crowds in school history. The usual suspects will be competing for the crown in the Big 12 again this season. Defending National and Big 12 Champion Nebraska returns five of six starters to its lineup while Kansas State and Texas A&M, who both tied with Mizzou for second place in the conference in 2000, each return at least four starters from last season's squads.
You Must Look Back to Go Forward, Grasshopper
Coming off of one of the best seasons in school history, a high level of excitement surrounds the 2001 Missouri volleyball team heading into the upcoming season. 2000 Big 12 Coaches of the year Susan and Wayne Kreklow return five starters from last season's squad that went 24-7 overall (the sixth-most wins in a season in school history) and 14-6 in the Big 12 (the best conference record in school history). The Tigers also achieved a national ranking for the first time since 1982, reaching No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll.
Due to the success of last year's squad, the Tigers developed a new-found following and an atmosphere in the Hearnes Center that makes the friendly confines a difficult place to play for opponents. The Tigers finished 28th in the nation in average attendance last season averaging 875 fans per match, a 171% increase from 1999. With the addition of Point Mizzou, the Tiger's own pep band, and the outstanding level of play that will be on display, the Tigers are developing a tradition that has the Big 12 talking.