Middle Blocker
The Tigers have a solid core of middles heading into the 2002 season. Senior All-Big 12 selection Christi Myers anchors the talented group that averages 6-2" ? across the board. Myers had an oustanding 2001 season recording 11 double doubles and a triple double against Texas A&M in Columbia (18 kills-15 digs-11 total blocks). The talented two-sport athlete, who has qualfied for the NCAA Outdoor track and field championships in the high jump the last two years, had possibly her best outing of the season in the Tigers' NCAA Tournament match against Illinois as she put down a career-best 22 kills while picking up nine digs.
Sophomore Jenny Duitsman will replace Krista Johnson as the other middle in the Tiger's rotation. Duitsman made the most of her opportunities to play in 2001. She recorded a .417 hitting percentage in 24 games played while also stuffing nine total blocks. Duitsman received the first starting nod of her career in Mizzou's final regular season match in '01 at Baylor. She played in all five games putting down nine kills and four total blocks.
Talented red-shirt freshmen Lisa Boyd and Lindsey Noll will also see a lot of time in the middle and on the right side. Both players stayed in Columbia this past summer and have had excellent workouts. Boyd, who checks in at 6-2, and Noll, who is the tallest Tiger in school history at 6-5, will provide two very athletic and versatile options in the Tiger lineup. Boyd is definitely one of the best athletes on the Tiger roster while Noll brings a high level of fire and enthusiam to the court and will be one of the Tigers' young leaders.
Outside Hitter
While the monocur of young and experienced may sound like a bit of an oxymoron, it may be the best way to describe Mizzou's group of outside hitters. Back from season-ending shoulder surgery is senior All-Big 12 selection Lisa Morris, who led the Tigers in kills per game (4.10) and was second in service aces (35) despite playing only 88 games in '01. Morris needs just 31 kills to become only the sixth Tiger in school history to reach the 1,000 kill plateau in a career. She is also knocking on the kills per game mark sitting currently in second with a 3.64 kpg average. Morris will provide great leadership for the outside hitter corps and brings great passion and desire to the court.
After having a great debut as a Tiger last season, junior Mary Lauren Smith looks to have break-out campaign in '02. The finalist for Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in '01 averaged 2.85 kills per game and showed great potential as a sophomore recording 20 kills in a match four times last season while reaching that plateau in three of the Tiger's last five matches.
Redshirt freshman and Chinese product Shen Danru will finally make her much awaited Tiger debut in '02. Danru will be one of the Tigers' top all-around skill players and plays with tremendous feel and enthusiasm. Boyd, Noll and talented sophomore Loretta McGovern wrap up the line up at outside hitter, which features a senior, a junior, a sophomore and three redshirt freshmen, who will all contribute a great deal to the Tiger cause in '02.
Setter
Mizzou brings two high quality setters into the 2002 campaign. Junior Chrissy Elder, who ran the controls for the Tigers last season, recorded 12 double-doubles last season and is a tremendous athlete. Besides her expertise in running the offense, Elder showed great ability on defense averaging 2.35 digs per game and launching 30 service aces. She recorded double digits for digs in 12 matches and eclipsed the 60-assist mark in four matches last season. Lindsey Hunter, who is the only freshman on the Tiger roster, will join Elder at the setter position. Hunter, who is a native of Papillion, Neb., brings some impressive ability and credentials to the table for MU. She was the Nebraska Volleyball Gatorade player of the year in '01 and was tabbed a high school All-American by Student Sports Magazine and Volleyball Magazine after her senior year. She was also ranked as a Fab 50 Recruit by Volleyball Magazine after last season and will solidify the setter position for MU.
Defensive Specialist
While the Tigers took a major hit to their supply of outstanding defensive specialists last season with the graduation of Big 12 DS of the Year Katie Sowers, Rachael Taylor (team-best 38 service aces) and Nikki Myhra, Mizzou is still able to boast one of the best DS corps in the Big 12.
Back is spark plug and senior Katherine Wingert from the 2001 squad. Wingert averaged 2.24 digs per game and recorded six service aces in 37 games played after returning from injury early in the season. She recorded a career-best 13 digs when the Tigers traveled to her home state of Colorado on Nov. 7 and recorded nine or more digs in five matches.
New additions to the DS crew at Mizzou include junior Juliana Godoi and sophomore Sara Parks. Godoi comes to MU from Columbia College after sitting the 2001 season out. While at Columbia College, she was named first team All-Conference and All-Region in 2000. She also earned third team All-American and was named to the All-National Tournament Team. She was a member of 1999 NAIA National Championship team and was the only Cougar to play in all 121 games.
Parks averaged 1.55 digs and had three services aces last season in 77 games for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. She played in both matches and six of the seven games the Tigers and Huskers played last season. She had a good outing when the Huskers came to Columbia on Oct. 24, picking up nine digs while handing out three assists. She is a graduate of Papillion-LaVista High School in Omaha, Neb., where she was a three-sport athlete. Parks was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball and a letterwinner in basketball and track. She led the Monarchs to the 2000 Nebraska Class A volleyball state championship with 35 digs and nine kills in the title match.
Schedule
Mizzou begins its quest for a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance on August 30-31 when they travel to the OSU Volleyball Showcase in Corvallis, Ore. Mizzou will face Idaho State and Idaho before taking on host-school and 2001 NCAA Tournament qualifier Oregon State on Saturday night. Mizzou will then take the air again traveling to the Crimson Tide Tourney the following weekend. The Tigers will get a little closer to home the following Wednesday as they travel to in-state rival UMKC before hosting their first home action of the season, the 2002 Tiger Invitational. Mizzou faces North Carolina State on Friday morning to open its schedule in the tourney which features three NCAA Tournament participants (San Diego State, Eastern Illinois and Missouri) and wraps up its pre-Big 12 schedule against EIU on Saturday night in the Hearnes Center. Mizzou's pre-conference schedule has played a huge role in its success the last two seasons having registered a 20-2 mark against non-conference opponents.
As usual, the Big 12 will feature a guantlet of teams for the Tigers to pass through. A remarkable eight squads qualified for the Big Dance last season from the Big 12 and those same squads will be challenging for the Big 12 title. Five of Mizzou's first six conference opponents qualified for post-season play last season and four of Mizzou's last six matches are at home.