Oct. 17, 2001
Columbia, Mo..- The University of Missouri volleyball team used eight service aces and 12 total team blocks to upset No. 20 Colorado, 3-1 (30-26, 18-30, 30-23, 30-22) in Columbia on Wednesday night in the Hearnes Center. The Tigers have now won four straight matches and six of their last eight. The win is also the Tigers first over a Top 25 team this season. The Tigers improve to 15-4 overall and 6-4 in the Big 12 conference while CU falls to 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12.
The Tigers and Buffaloes would open Game 1 in a 12-12 tie. Tough serving from Lisa Morris and Rachael Taylor would spark an 8-2 Mizzou run forcing a Colorado timeout. Mizzou would go on to lead by as many as seven, 26-19, and hold off a late CU charge taking the game, 30-26. Morris would record six of her 14 kills on the night in the game and recorded a .444 hitting percentage. The Buffaloes would absolutely dominate Game 2, however hitting .586 and limiting MU to a .152 percentage taking the game, 30-18. CU would lead by as many as 12 points in the game and were sparked by middle blocker Monique Gerlach, who put down nine of her 14 kills in the game.
Mizzou looked destine to experience the same fate in Game 3 as it had in Game 2. CU would take an early 2-6 lead prompting a MU timeout. However, the Tigers would then go on a 15-5 run to take a 17-11 lead. The Buffs would battle back to as close as 17-14, but the Tigers continued to hold the Buffaloes in check and would go on a huge 13-9 run to end the game at 30-23.
The two squads would be tied 14 times in Game 4 and for the last time at 19-19. The Tigers were then sparked by the gutsy play of Morris who put down a big kill at 22-19 and a big dig at 23-19 going on a 6-1 run to take a 26-20 lead. Mizzou would go on to take the stanza, 30-22 and the match, 3-1.
Head coach Susan Kreklow said the way the Tigers responded after struggling again in Game 2 was very good to see.
"We were very please with how the team responded being up against the ropes once again with a nationally competitive team," Kreklow said. "This was a very solid overall team effort and everyone contributed which is very good to see."
Senior Naaron Branson continued her sparkling play on Wednesday putting down 22 kills, which equals a career-high, and picked up seven digs on the evening. Branson now needs just 18 kills and five digs to become only the second Tiger in school history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs over the course of her career. Branson committed only four errors on 33 attacks good for a .545 hitting percentage while also recording four block assists. Over the past three matches, she has averaged 16.67 kills per match. Morris recorded her eighth double-double of the season with her 14 kills and 10 digs while setter Chrissy Elder handed out 48 assists, picked up six digs and stuffed a career-best five block assists in the win. Myers also had a solid night putting down 13 kills, picking up eight digs and recording an impressive seven total blocks
The Tigers improve to 6-2 in the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center and have won two of the last three matches against CU. Mizzou now travels to College Station, Texas, on Saturday to take on the No. 17 Aggies. The Tigers dropped a heartbreaker A&M earlier this season in Columbia, 3-2. The Tigers then return home for back-to-back matches against Southern Illinois on Monday night and No. 2 Nebraska on Wednesday. For ticket information, call 1 800 CAT PAWS or 884-PAWS in Columbia.