Nov. 9, 2001
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Time Is of the Essence for Tiger Volleyball
With four regular season matches left to play, the University of Missouri volleyball team has reached a crossroads in its 2001 season. The Tigers are currently 18-8 overall and 8-8 in the Big 12, tying them with Baylor for fifth place in the Big 12. Mizzou needs at least 20 overall team wins and needs to finish with a better-than .500 conference mark to have a definite shot at post season play. Mizzou looks to reach the 20 win plateau for only the ninth time in school history and could need 20th wins to advance to tournament play. The Tigers went 2-2 during their first trek through the Big 12 against their remaining opponents.
Mizzou has dropped two consecutive regular season matches for only the third time in the past two seasons over the past week. However, recent history is on the Tigers side as they have not lost back to back to back matches since 1999, befor Susan and Wayne Kreklow assumed the head and associate head coaches positions
However, the quest for 20 wins will not be an easy one as the Tigers will be without kills leader Lisa Morris for the second straight match. Morris has been under observation the past week at Columbia Regional Hospital after experiencing a blood clot in her right shoulder shortly after the Kansas match. Morris is now recovering comfortably at home.
Missouri Family Remembers Kent Heitholt
The University of Missouri Department of Athletics offers its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Kent Heitholt, the late Sports Editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune, who was killed last Thursday morning. Kent was truly one of the "Good Guys" in our industry and he will be missed. Not only was Kent a consummate professional, he was a dear friend to those who worked directly with him. The coaches and administration of the University of Missouri are deeply saddened by this tragedy.
Mizzou Volleyball Food Drive Night
Tiger volleyball fans who donate one nonperishable food item at the ticket window will receive a ticket for just $2! All donations benefit the Columbia Food Bank
A Look at the Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns enters Saturday's matchup having lost four of their last five matches. Their last two loses have come at the hands of No. 2 Nebraska and No. 25 Kansas State over the past week. Freshman outside hitter Mira Topic leads the Longhorn onslaught averaging 4.58 kills and 3.28 digs per game. Topic, who is from Kambelovac, Croatia, has also been lethal from the service line and has recorded 37 service aces on the year. Freshman Bethany Howden leads a UT blocking attack that averaged 2.7 stuffs per game with 110 total blocks including 15 block solos.
The Longhorns hold a 8-3 advantage in the all-time series. However, the Tigers have won the last three meetings between the two with the latest win coming on Oct. 13 in Austin.
UT-MU: An Instant Classic
Oct. 13-Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas.- Senior Naaron Branson put down a personal best 21 kills and picked up a career-high 22 digs as the University of Missouri volleyball team battled back from a two-games to one deficit to defeat the University of Texas, 3-2 (25-30, 31-29, 24-30, 30-26, 17-15). The win marks the Tigers third straight over the Longhorns over the past two seasons. The Tigers improve to 14-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12 while Texas falls to 9-5 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12.
The Tigers had been 0-2 so far this season in five gamers, but would take a 10-4 Game 4 deficit and turn it into a five-game win. Mizzou also broke a trend that had been haunting them the past two seasons. The Tigers had dropped 10 straight matches when dropping Game 1 of a match, but were able to buck that trend with the win. The Tigers and Longhorns would play to a 6-6 tie to open Game 1 in Gregory Gymnasium. The Horns would then go on a 7-2 run to take a 13-8 lead. Two kills by junior Christi Myers would pull the Tigers to as close as 25-21 but Texas would hold Mizzou off and take the game, 30-25. Senior Naaron Branson would pace the Tigers in Game 1 putting down six kills while recording seven digs. The Tigers struggled overall offensively in Game 1 registering a .140 hitting percentage to the Longhorns .262 mark.
Mizzou would jump out to a 5-2 lead only to have the Longhorns reel them back in and take a 16-13 advantage. However, Mizzou would battle back and the two squads would find themselves knotted at 29. Senior defensive specialist Rachael Taylor, who had two service aces on the night, would check back in and serve Mizzou to the two straight points they needed and the Tigers would take Game 2, 31-29.
Besides taking a 1-0 lead to open Game 3, the Tigers would trail the Longhorns throughout Game 3 and drop the stanza, 30-25. Mizzou trailed by as many as eight points at 21-13. The Tigers would charge back though on the strength of good serving by sophomore Chrissy Elder down only one at 22-21. The Longhorns would go on a 8-3 run the rest of the way, however, and take the game.
The Tigers found themselves in a hole once again to open Game 4 as the Longhorns took a 10-4 lead. Sophomore Ashlee Johns would come in and provide a huge lift for Mizzou as it would claw back to within one at 10-9. Mizzou would use inspired play from Johns and go on a 21-16 to end Game 4 and even the match at two games apiece.
The Tigers and Longhorns would find themselves tied eight times during the final stanza of the match and for the last time at 15-15. Two straight kills by junior Lisa Morris gave the Tigers a 17-15 game win and a 3-2 match win.
Building a Tradition
2000 Big 12 Coach of the Year Susan Kreklow and her husband, associate head coach Wayne Kreklow, lead the Tigers into action on Saturday against the Longhorns. The Kreklows are in their second year at the helm of the Tigers and sport a 42-15 mark (.737 winning percentage) at MU. They also led Mizzou to one of the best seasons in school history in 2000 at 24-7 and the highest conference finish by a Mizzou squad in school history (2nd).
The Kreklows continued to rewrite the Tiger record books in 2001 as Susan Kreklow won her 550th career match when the Tigers swept Oklahoma. However, the AVCA does not recognize both men's and women's volleyball victories when coaching them at the same time, which Susan did for three years winning 53 matches as the men's co-head coach with Wayne at Columbia College before coming to MU. That being said, Susan needs just two more wins to reach the 500 win plateau coaching women's collegiate volleyball.
Don't Get So Defensive
Senior Defensive specialist Katie Sowers continues to be a quality defensive stopper for the Tigers as they approach the end of the regular season. Since equaling a career-high with 18 digs vs. Texas on Oct. 17, Sowers has averaged 11.11 digs per match and has averaged 0.88 service winners per match. Sowers is currently second on the squad in total digs (269), digs per game (2.89) and is third in service aces (26).
Quick Like a Kat
After recording five service aces and 2.22 digs per game at the Tigers season opening tournament in West Virginia, junior defensive specialist Katherine Wingert (her team mates call her Kat) was sidelined with an injury for over month. Since returning to the Tiger line up on Oct. 22, Wingert had received situational playing time. However, with the injury to Lisa Morris, Wingert will be called upon to rotate into the back row and serve for Mizzou. She executed that role very well on Wednesday night when she picked up a career-high 13 digs against the Buffaloes of Colorado and looks to be a key contributor to the Tigers defense during the ensuing stretch run.
The Termination Association
The fans at the MU volleyball match on Oct. 22 witnessed history as senior Naaron Branson put down her 1,000th career kill to give the Tigers a 15-8 lead in Game 1. After recording her 1,000th career dig in Game 1 at Texas A&M on Oct. 20, Branson became the second MU volleyball player to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. The other Tiger in the 1,000 kill-1,000 dig club is Yvette Buhlig (1988-90, 1992) who is the all-time leader in both categories with 1,478 kills and 1,149 digs for her career.
Branson needs to average 14.5 digs per match during the rest of the season to become the all-time digs leader in MU history. Branson currently leads the squad in digs (316) and digs per game (3.43). She has been en fuego the past nine matches averaging 12.11 kills and 13.88 digs per match while recording a .356 hitting percentage.
MU All-Time Kills List 1. Yvette Buhlig (88-90, 92) 1,478 2. Jodi Maune (95-98) 1,147 3. Renee Rosinski (95-98) 1,049 4. Naaron Branson (98- ) 1,048 5. Sherri Gentry (86, 88-90) 1,030 6. Lisa Morris (99- ) 969 7. Sharon Zaehringer (84-87) 929 8. Gwen Mullens (91-94) 927 8. Christi Myers (99- ) 927 10. Melinda Wrye (90-92) 906
MU All-Time Digs List 1. Yvette Buhlig (88-90, 92) 1,149 2. Gwen Mullens (91-94) 1,103 3. Naaron Branson (98- ) 1,091 4. Margaret Yanics (84-86, 88) 1,038 5. Chandra Hopkins (95-98) 1,033 6. Annette Luyten (97-00) 996 7. Sherri Gentry (86, 88-90) 972 8. Cindy Atteberry (90-93) 920 9. Stacy Harris (84-87) 859 10. Melinda Wrye (90-92) 845