Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Tigers Take Perfect Mark to SIU's Best Inns Invitational in Carbondale, Ill.
After claiming the championship of the Mountaineer Invitational last weekend with a spotless 4-0 record, the University of Missouri volleyball team heads to the land of Lincoln, the soil of the Salukis, alma mater of the voice of the Tigers Mike Kelly and KFRU Sports Director Sean Kelley, Southern Illinois University.
Mizzou will take part in the two-day four team extravaganza known as the Best Inns Invitational. The Tigers will open the tournament on Friday against IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis), who they have never faced before. Mizzou will play Western Kentucky and host school Southern Illinois on Saturday.
The Tigers have won three of the last four tournaments they have played in dating back to last season, their lone tournament loss coming in 2000's NCAA Tournament to Utah State. In fact, Missouri has won the last three regular season tournaments they have played, going 33-1 in games during that stretch.
2001 Best Inns Invitational Tournament #2 * Sept. 7-8, 2001 * Carbondale, Ill. Participants: Missouri (4-0 overall, 0-0 in the Big 12 Conf.) IUPUI (1-2 overall, 0-0 in the Mid-Continental Conf.) Southern Illinois (0-3 overall, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conf.) Western Kentucky (2-1 overall, 0-0 in the Sun Belt Conf.) Start Times: Sept. 7 IUPUI match set to start at 4:30 p.m. CST Sept. 8 Western Kentucky match set to start at 2:00 p.m. CST Southern Illinois match set to start at 7:00 p.m. CST Series Info: MU vs. IUPUI, First Meeting MU vs. Western Kentucky-MU leads, 2-1 MU vs. Southern Illinois-SIU leads, 13-5 Via the Web: In-game scoring will be provided at www.mutigers.com. Coaches: Missouri: Susan Kreklow (SW Missouri State '84) 28-7 at MU (2nd season) 537-177 overall (11 seasons)
IUPUI: Steve Payne (Northern Illinois '87) 60-71 at IUPUI (5th season) 60-71 overall (5th season)
S. Ill.: Sonya Locke (SIU '83) 138-162 at SIU (11th season) 173-167 overall (12th season)
W. Kent.: Travis Hudson (WKU '94) 105-96 at WKU (7th season) 105-96 overall (7th season)
Tracking the Tigers
Last Time Out...
Tigers Take WVU Mountaineer Invitational Title
Christi Myers was named tournament MVP and Naaron Branson was named to all-tournament team
Morgantown, W. Va.-The University of Missouri volleyball team claimed the championship of the West Virginia Mountaineer Invitational on Sunday when the Tigers swept the Wagner College Seahawks, 3-0. The Tigers finish the tournament with a 12-0 games record and 4-0 match record. Junior Christi Myers was named the Mountaineer Invitational MVP and senior Naaron Branson was named to the all-tournament team.
The Tigers made quick work of their opponents, not taking longer than one hour and 22 minutes to win a match and averaging an hour and seven minutes per victory.
A Look at the Jaguars
The IUPUI volleyball team split a pair of matches on Sunday to finish in third place in the IUPUI Invitational with a 1-2 record. The Jaguars defeated Jacksonville State 3-1 in their first match of the afternoon and were beaten by North Carolina State 3-0 in the tournament finale.
The Jags finished 2000 with a 18-14 record while winning the Mid-Continental Conference title with a 13-1 conference mark. IUPUI (I would like to buy a consonant, please) and the Tigers will face off for the first time in either school's history on Friday with first serve set for 4:30 p.m. in Carbondale.
A Look at the Lady Toppers
The Western Kentucky volleyball team finished 2-1 in the Clarion Hotel Westgate Rocket Classic after splitting two matches on Saturday. After disposing of Cleveland State in three games Friday evening, the Lady Toppers (2-1) opened Saturday's play with a three-game win over Chicago State (30-17, 30-14, 30-26). In the nightcap, Western dropped three close games to the host Rockets (30-28, 30-27, 30-25).
On the heels of a 25-8 record and a share of the Sun Belt Conference East Division title last year, the Western Kentucky University volleyball team has been picked to repeat as the 2001 SBC East co-champions, according to a preseason poll of the league's coaches. Missouri currently holds the advantage in the all-time series, 2-1. The last meeting between the two schools was on Sept. 5, 1998, in Columbia. The Tigers swept the Lady Toppers, 3-0.
A Look at the Salukis
The Southern Illinois University Carbondale volleyball team (0-3) dropped its final match at the Oregon State Showcase 30-25, 30-15, 30-22 to San Jose State (3-0) on Saturday, September 1, at Gill Coliseum. The loss leaves the Salukis at 0-3 to start the 2001 season.
Kristie Kemner led SIU with 13 kills and 8 digs. Megan Baumstark had 33 assists and 6 digs and Kelly Harman added 8 kills. Tara Cains hit .429 with 7 kills and 1 error in 14 attempts.
The Salukis currently own a 13-5 advantage in the series with Mizzou. The two squads have not faced each other since 1989 and SIU has won nine of the last 10 meetings with the Tigers. The last time MU defeated SIU was in 1984, a 3-0 sweep of the Salukis in Columbia.
Mighty Myers
Junior middle blocker Christi Myers continues to show why she is one of the premiere middles in the Big 12 Conference so far in the 2001 season. Besides grabbing MVP honors at the Mountaineer Invitational last weekend, Myers is currently averaging 1.64 total blocks per game, the second highest mark in the Big 12.
Myers also made some history during the Invitational last weekend. She recorded the most block assists in a three-game match in MU history with her eight BA's against Akron on Sunday morning. Myers has moved into the Top 10 in six catergories in MU history including hitting percentage, boasting a .305 mark, good enough for second.
Naaron Notes
The "Myth from Fort Smith," senior Naaron Branson, jumped into the Top 10 in career kills this past weekend with 25 kills in just nine games. Branson now has 898 career kills and if she averages just 10.3 kills per match this weekend, she could catapult into the No. 5 spot.
Branson played her best match of the young season against Akron last Sunday 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.
Can You Dig It?
After finishing 2000 as one of the worst digging teams in the Big 12 (8th of 11 teams), the Tigers currently find themselves atop the team digs chart in the Big 12. Mizzou is averaging 18.75 digs per game and is led by senior Naaron Branson, who averaging 4.11 dpg which currently ranks second in the Big 12, while sophomore setter Chrissy Elder has pitched in with 3.55 dpg, good enough for sixth place in the league.
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 .038 hitting percentage (129 kills, 110 errors on 502 attacks).
The Tigers have been excellent at the net so far, ranking second in both total team blocks (31.0) and opponents hitting percentage (.038) in the Big 12. Mizzou has also limited its opponents to just 10.8 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 varitable 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 Lisa Morris-15 kills, 10 digs vs. Akron, 9/2 Naaron Branson-15 kills, 21 digs vs. Akron, 9/2 Chrissy Elder-35 assists, 11 digs vs. Arkon, 9/2
Dynamite DS'
Although its not the most glamourous position on the court, the position of defensive specialist is one of the most crucial on the court. The Tigers defensive specialists have stepped up to the plate in a big way so far this season. Senior Katie Sowers has been clutch in the backrow, averaging 3.27 digs per game while also recording two service aces.
Fellow senior Rachael Taylor also had a good tournament, registering 2.42 digs per game while nailing three service aces of her own. Junior Katherine Wingert has also proved invaluable off of the bench for Mizzou in the back row. "Kat" is currently in a tie with Naaron Branson for the team lead in service aces with five and is in ninth place in the Big 12 in service aces per game with a mark of 0.56 service aces.
The Switzerland Factor Revisited
Much like the country of Switzerland during World War II, the Tigers 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 of last season and losing only once, that coming in the NCAA Tournament to Utah State, 3-2.
Mizzou went 3-0 on Sept. 1-2 of this season winning the Mountaineer Invitational upping its record to 6-1 in neutral court skirmishes over the last two season. The Tigers have two more neutral court wars scheduled for the upcoming weekend.
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.
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.
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.
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 travels to the Best Inns Invitational this weekend in Carbondale, Ill., facing 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 open Big 12 play at rival Kansas on Sept. 12 but will then have seven of their next 10 matches in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center. 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.