Nov. 23, 2005
COLUMBIA, Mo.--It won't be turkey on the dinner plates of the No. 10 Missouri women's volleyball team Wednesday evening, but for the Tigers, they hope to serve-up Jayhawk instead, in the season's second match of the Mizzou-Kansas Border Showdown, Presented by Midwest Ford Dealers. Missouri (20-4, 14-4 Big 12) travels to Lawrence after sweeping then-No. 10 Texas on Sunday in front of 4,012 fans in the Hearnes Center. Kansas (15-12, 7-11) sets eighth in the conference and still has an outside shot of gaining an NCAA Tournament bid, defeating the Tigers on Senior Night would help their case.
Scouting Kansas ...
The Jayhawks are coming off of a five-game loss at Texas A&M last Wednesday, but prior to that match they had won three in-a-row.
Kansas upset then-No. 24 Kansas State in Manhattan on November 5, winning in four games after coming off of an eight-match losing streak that was mainly result of key injuries.
They are led statistically by sophomore Emily Brown, who averages 3.51 kills per game in Big 12 battles, but most of their offense is spread amongst four main hitters. The quarterback of their offense is senior setter Andi Rozum who is fourth in the league in assists per game at 12.43 in conference match-ups.
The Border Showdown, Presented By Midwest Ford Dealers
Kansas currently leads the 2005-06 all-sport challenge between the schools, 8½ to 2½. Missouri has gained points in the showdown in only volleyball (1½ point) and women's cross country (1 point). Wednesday's matchup is once again worth 1½ points. Kansas has won head-to-head matchups against Mizzou this year in women's soccer, women's swimming, and football, and finished higher than the Tigers in the Big 12 Men's Cross Country Championship (3rd).
Watch, Listen, Cheer: TV, Radio, and the Web
There are several ways for fans to watch, listen, and cheer for their respective teams from literally anywhere in the world.
LIVE Broadcasts (7:00 p.m., central):
* Jayhawk All-Access ... http://allaccess.cstv.com/media/school.jsp?sid=1600&gSportId=32&ngSportId=all&ngDates=all&
* LIVE Stats ... kuathletics.com
All-Time Series
Mizzou leads the all-time series 41-31 and has won the last three straight ... the Kreklows are 9-2 against Kansas ... the Tigers last loss in Lawrence was in 2003 when KU defeated MU in a five-game thriller.
Last Time Out ... A Cornucopia of Accomplishments From the Tigers in Hooking the No. 10 `Horns
In front of the second-largest crowd in Mizzou history of 4,012, sophomore Na Yang tied a career-high with 21 kills in 11th-ranked Missouri's three-game sweep (30-28, 30-22, 30-28) over No. 10 Texas (21-4, 15-3 Big 12) in women's volleyball on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers of Mizzou (20-4, 14-4) recorded their third sweep on the season and their third all-time over a top-10 school. The Tigers' hitting percentage of .349 and seven service aces paced the squad to their 20th win of the season, marking the team's fifth 20-win season in six years.
Mizzou's 14th Big 12 win also ties a team all-time high. Texas, who had won 15-of-their-last-16 prior to today, had their nine-match winning streak snapped as the Tigers won their sixth-straight over the Longhorns at home.
Senior Lindsey Hunter spread 53 assists on the day, as the Tigers hit .349 as a team, recording no less than a .300 hitting percentage in a frame. Senior Shen Danru was second on the team in kills on the afternoon, scoring with 14 kills, adding a service ace. Yang scored seven kills in each
The Tigers' tough serving put Mizzou in a great position to start each rally. The Tigers recorded seven service aces, three from Abbie Booth to throw Texas off of their quick offensive attack.
In game one, the teams traded scores several times, tying the score 18 separate times. At 20-20, Mizzou went on a 5-1 run, culminating on a Danru ace to force a Texas timeout. The Longhorns took the lead with the score at 28-27 after a 6-2 run, forcing a Mizzou timeout. The Tigers' Nicole Wilson scored on a kill, and forced a Texas hitting error to give the Tigers a 29-28 lead. Booth then put Texas away with an ace that dropped between to UT defenders to capture the Tigers' game one win.
The Tigers dominated game two, going up by eight early at 17-9 off the serving of Lindsey Hunter, the efficient hitting of Jessica Vander Kooi, and the defense of the Tiger back row. The Tigers held their lead throughout to take the 30-22 win. Mizzou hit .319 in the frame, holding Texas to .184.
Game three was an offensive battle, as both teams hit over .370. The Tigers were down 18-12 before a Vander Kooi six-point serving run that put the Tigers tied with Texas at 20-20. The Tigers battled to 28-28, with a Danru kill bring the Tigers the sweep
Flashback ... October 15 ... Tigers Shred the Jayhawks
For the No. 7 Mizzou's women's volleyball team a two-match losing streak from the hands of two top-15 teams was enough as the Tigers (13-2, 7-2 Big 12) swept the Kansas Jayhawks (12-6, 4-5), 30-23, 30-21, and 30-11, Saturday night in the Hearnes Center. The season's first contest in the Missouri-Kansas Border Showdown, presented by Midwest Ford Dealers, drew 3,699 fans to the Hearnes Center, a total fan-base that was the second-largest in school history.
Senior Lindsey Hunter (Papillion, Neb.) led the Tigers with a season-high five service aces as part of a nine ace, Tiger serving night. In addition, Hunter recorded 35 assists, nine digs, and three blocks. Three Tigers, Lisa Boyd, Na Yang, and Nicole Wilson, recorded six block assists apiece to lead the team as part of 13 total blocks. For Yang, her six blocks were a career-high, topping her old mark of three. In addition, Wilson recorded a match-high 13 kills, added with Jessica Vander Kooi's 12, and Yang's 11 kills. Sophomore Tatum Ailes had 16 digs on the evening.
In game one, the teams stood tied at 10-10 before Mizzou rattled off six points straight off the serving of Ailes. Added with the six points, was a run that went 14-2 in the Tigers' advantage, to give Mizzou the lead at 24-12. Within the run, Nicole Wilson was part of four blocks, adding two kills. With MU up 28-16, the Jayhawks scored five straight to come within seven at 28-21, but Mizzou closed the book with another kill by Wilson. In the frame, Mizzou tallied 20 kills, but still had eight attack errors, with six that were unforced, leading to only a .235 hitting percentage. But, Mizzou held KU to .047 in the frame as a result of six total blocks by the Tigers.
In game two, the teams battled back and forth with KU holding an 18-16 before Mizzou went on a four-point run, to lead 20-18 after two of Hunter's service aces. After a Kansas kill, Mizzou scored 10-of-the-next-12 points, to win 30-21, ending on a Jessica Vander Kooi ace. Mizzou hit .400 in the stanza, holding KU to .257. In total, in the first part of the game, there were 13 ties between the teams.
For the third game, Mizzou made quick, quick work of Kansas, winning 30-11. After Kansas initially led at 3-1, Mizzou scored on 20-of-the-next 24 rallies, to go up 25-10. Shen Danru served seven consecutive points within the run. With 18 kills in the frame, Mizzou only committed one unforced error, leading to a .485 hitting percentage. The Tigers also had stellar defense, holding KU to -.071 hitting in the frame.
Sweeping the Top-10s
So, after not ever sweeping a top-10 team in the history of Mizzou Volleyball, this 2005 squad decided to change that. It started with the second match of the season, as a No. 21 Tiger team swept then-No. 9 Tennessee in Columbia on Sunday, September 4, immediately gaining attention on the national scene. So much attention in fact that the pollsters pushed the Tigers to a No. 14 ranking the next day. But, another top-10 opponent in then-No. 9 Wisconsin was on the week's docket, as the Tigers traveled to Bozeman, Mont., to take on the Badgers on that next Saturday. The Tigers swept Wisconsin and moved to the top 10 themselves for the first time in school history.
On November 20, No. 10 Texas came to town and the then-No. 11 Tigers took care of business in straight sets, and a result bounced back into the top 10.
In those three matches, some Tigers have emerged as immediate stars to the Tigers' hit parade. The Tigers averaged 19.2 kills per game in those sweeps on a .307 hitting percentage. A huge part of that was because of the immaculate setting by senior Lindsey Hunter who has averaged 16.56 assists per game in the team's sweeps. Offensively, Na Yang has averaged an insane 5.11 kills per game in those matches with a .323 hitting percentage to boot. Senior Lisa Boyd has averaged 1.33 blocks per game in those sweeps.
National Statistical Rankings
As of November 13
Notable Big 12 teams and individuals on the tops of the NCAA Statistical Rankings - out of 317 teams (released each Tuesday)
TEAM
Assists Per Game: Missouri, 2nd, 16.16 apg ... Nebraska, 7th, 15.78 apg
Blocks Per Game: Nebraska, 1st, 4.24 bpg
Hitting Percentage: Nebraska, 4th, .323 ... Missouri, 9th, .298 ... Texas, 17th, .278
Kills Per Game: Missouri, 3rd, 17.22 ... Nebraska, 5th, 17.17
INDIVIDUAL
Assists Per Game: Lindsey Hunter, Missouri, 5th, 14.04 apg ... Michelle Moriarty, Texas, 9th, 13.41
Blocks Per Game: Melissa Elmer, Nebraska, 1st, 2.27 bpg
Hitting Percentage: Nicole Wilson, Missouri, 5th, .424 ... Melissa Elmer, Nebraska, .416
Kills Per Game: Laura Jones, Texas A&M, 1st, 5.95
Milestones Achieved and Yet to Go
Done
* Lindsey Hunter played in the 400th game of her career versus Colorado on October 29
* Hunter eclipsed the 5,500-career assist mark versus Colorado on October 29
* Hunter had her 100th-career 40-plus assist match at Oklahoma on November 5
* Hunter also had her 40th-career double-double with 47 assists and 12 digs at Oklahoma on November 5
* Jessica Vander Kooi became the eighth Tiger all-time to record 250 blocks in a career
* Lisa Boyd played in the 100th match of her career at No. 1 Nebraska on November 13
What 2 Watch 4
* 5,873 total career assists will put Hunter in the top 25 all-time in NCAA history in the category
* With 15 digs, Hunter will be only the seventh Tiger all-time to reach the 1,000 dig mark
* Also can reach 1,000 career kills by end of the season ... has 974 currently
* Both are close to scoring their 300th blocks of their career, only two other Tigers all-time have reached that plateau
Plenty to be Thankful For ... An Early Lookback at 2005
Sure, we haven't completed the season, but this is a good time to set back and reflect a little on the season that has already unfolded with many, many storylines.
Team Streaks/Trends
* Mizzou went unscathed in non-conference play, winning all six matches in sweeps, going 18-0 in games, including in wins over then-No. 9 Tennessee and then-No. 9 Wisconsin.
* The Tigers won 21 consecutive games to start the season, the longest-such streak since 2000 (won 24 games consecutive)
* Mizzou also won 12 consecutive matches to begin the season (ending with a four-game loss to No. 1 Nebraska), marking the team's longest winning stretch and best season start since 1982.
* The Tigers set a new school record, winning six-consecutive conference matches (during the start of conference season)
* Mizzou also went on a five-match road winning streak during the season, tying the team's record set in 1982.
* Mizzou has currently went 6-3 against top 25 teams, capturing a new school record in wins over top-25 teams in a season (old record was 4 in 2004)
* For the fifth time in six years the Tigers reached the 20-win mark, capturing No. 20 in a sweep at home over then-No. 10 Texas on November 20.
* The Tigers in 20 wins have swept 16 matches in three games
* With 14 conference wins, the Tigers have tied a team record in that category
Monumental Wins
* On September 4, the Tigers swept then-No. 9 Tennessee at home, recording their first sweep over a top-10 team in school history, winning only their second all-time over a top-10 team
* In Bozeman, Mont., the Tigers defeated then-No. 9 Wisconsin, marking the Tigers' second sweep over a top-10 team in a week's time
* On September 16, Mizzou defeated Texas A&M in College Station for the first time in school history, the first in 10 tries.
* Kansas State had won nine-consecutive matches over the Tigers coming into this season, and that streak was snapped on September 24 as Mizzou won at home in a three-game sweep.
* For the first time since 1993, Mizzou also defeated then-No. 24 K-State in Manhattan, winning in five games, coming back from a two-game deficit ... the match win was also only the Tigers fifth road win all-time versus a top-25 team ... the K-State match ended with junior Jessica Vander Kooi scoring on three consecutive blocks.
* On November 20, Mizzou recorded their third sweep of the season and third all-time over a top-10 team with a three-game smashing over then-No. 10 Texas in front of 4,012 Tiger fans ... in addition, Texas has won 15-of-16 entering the match, and the Tigers stopped a nine-match Longhorn winning streak, but extended Mizzou's home winning-streak over Texas at home to six.
The Close Calls
* On November 13, Mizzou visited No. 1 Nebraska ... in front of the Huskers 67th-consecutive sellout, Missouri took games one and two, marking the first time in the all-time series that Tigers have went up 2-0 ... but, Nebraska won the last three games, winning only their second match all-time when coming back from two games behind
Team Statistical Dealings
* On September 21, the Tigers held host Colorado to zero blocks in a three-game sweep, conversely the Tigers recorded a season-high 18 blocks on the night ... in the same match, the Tigers went the entire third game with committing a hitting error, hitting a season-high .654 in the frame
* At home versus Baylor the Tigers hit a season high .486 in the match, conversely the Bears had a Tiger-opponent season-high percentage of .337
* In the sweep at home of Texas on November 20 the Tigers hit over .300 in each game
Crowding the Hearnes Center
* On October 5, 7,298 Tiger fans came to the Hearnes Center to watch the then-No. 7 Tigers take on No. 1 Nebraska.
* Mizzou has also grew their average season attendance by 55% from 2004's 1,460 average ... the Tigers drew 4,012 fans in an November 20 match versus Texas, 3,699 fans in an October 15 match against Kansas, 2,571 fans in a October 29 match against Colorado, and 2,438 fans in a September 24 match against Kansas State
* Five of Mizzou's top-six all-time crowds have now come from the 2005 season.
Other Firsts
* The October 5 match versus No. 1 Nebraska was the first all-time televised from the Hearnes Center ... the Missouri Sports Network aired the match on a tape-delay basis on local UPN station KZOU and televised the match live in Kansas City on MetroSports, who also produced the broadcast.
* For the first time in Mizzou volleyball history, the team was ranked in the national top 10, starting on September 12 and remaining there for seven-consecutive weeks ... the team peaked at No. 7 in the country and was at that spot for three weeks (October 3, 10, 17 polls) ... the teams' previous all-time-high ranking before 2005 was 18th, occurring in 2003 ... the Tigers re-entered the top 10 after sweeping then-No. 10 Texas on November 22
* Also for the first time in Tiger volleyball history, the team ranked in the top 10 in attendance, peaking on October 31 with a sixth-place national ranking.
* The team also reached the top five for the first time in school history in the RPI. Their previous high was the 2004 final index when the team placed 24th.
Records Broken
* Lindsey Hunter broke Mizzou's all-time assist record previously held by Heather Gerber (4,954) on September 16 at then-No. 15 Texas A&M
* Hunter also became the first Tiger to jump over the 5,000-assist mark, doing so at Colorado on September 21.
* Shen Danru became the Tigers' all-time digs leader, topping Narron Branson (1,149) at Texas Tech on October 1.
* Danru jumped over Buhlig (163) on October 5 versus No. 1 Nebraska in the all-time service aces category.
* Danru became Mizzou's all-time kills leader, jumping over Yvette Buhlig (1,478) on October 12 at then-No. 18 Texas
* Danru also became Mizzou's all-time scorer over Christi Myers (1,814) at Oklahoma on November 5.
* Nicole Wilson became the current Tiger all-time leader in hitting percentage
* Wilson also became the current Tiger all-time leader in blocks per game (1.08 - as of November 22)
Individual Feats
* On September 5, Lindsey Hunter was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in her career after recording a 100-assist week in sweeps over Utah and then-No. 9 Tennessee.
* Hunter was also named Tournament MVP for both the Tiger Invitational and the Holiday Inn Classic
* Hunter nearly record a triple-double twice in the season ... on October 22 at Iowa State she recorded 54 assists, 10 digs and eight kills ... on October 29 versus Colorado, tallied 59 assists, 13 digs, and eight kills.
* Jessica Vander Kooi has recorded three double-doubles over top-25 teams ... she nearly recorded a quadruple-double when playing at No. 24 Kansas State on October 26, recording 14 kills, 21 digs, eight assists, and nine blocks
* Vander Kooi racked up 23 kills (the team's season high) along with 22 digs in the five-game loss at No. 1 Nebraska ... her 23 were the most by a Husker opponent for the season ... marked the second 20-20 match all-time of Vander Kooi's career
* Abbie Booth began Big 12 play with 12 service aces in four three-game sweeps, averaging one per game.
* Shen Danru recorded 17 kills on .326 hitting, adding 19 digs and four blocks at Kansas State on October 26.
* Lisa Boyd - at Colorado on September 21, recorded 11 kills with only one error (.556) in road sweep, also tallying eight blocks in the match ... against No. 1 Nebraska on October 5, went 12-2-20 (.500) and recorded five blocks ... at Iowa State on October 22, nearly went errorless going 13-1-26 (.462), adding five blocks.
* Tatum Ailes - recorded 12 digs in each of the Tiger sweeps over then-No. 9 Wisconsin and then-No. 9 Tennessee ... had 41 serve receptions against No. 1 Nebraska, committing only one error, even after severely jamming elbow in game four
* Na Yang has scored a career-high 21 kills three times this season (October 1 at Texas Tech, October 26 at Kansas State, and November 20 versus Texas) ... has recorded career highs in blocks (6) versus Kansas on October 15 and October 29 versus Colorado.
* The Texas 21 kill total from Yang was only in three games (7.00 kpg), accompanied by a .372 hitting percentage
* Nicole Wilson was named Big 12 & National Player of the Week on September 26 after recording a week of errorless play in sweeps at Colorado and at home versus then-No. 17 Kansas State, hitting .719 over the stretch with 17 kills (3.83 kpg), 5.25 ppg, 2.83 bpg, and 0.67 dpg ... in the K-State match on September 24, Wilson record 11 kills on 13 attempts (also having nine blocks), recording a conference-season high hitting percentage of .846 ... went three matches in a row without committing an error in late September going 34-of-53 (.642) over the stretch
Awards & Honors
* Lindsey Hunter and Jessica Vander Kooi were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team
* Lindsey Hunter was named Big 12 Player of the Week on September 5.
* Nicole Wilson was named Big 12 Player of the Week followed by being named AVCA National Player of the Week on on September 26th (details above)
* The following were named members of the Academic All-Big 12 Team: FIRST TEAM: Abbie Booth, Lisa Boyd, Shen Danru, Jessica Vander Kooi, and Na Yang; SECOND TEAM: Lindsey Hunter
Double-Checking That Record Book
Sorry about this gaff. After investigating the record book and talking with some people in the NCAA, it appears that Mizzou's records for blocks and blocks per game were a little deceiving and needed to be changed. The method of calculating blocks in 1983 was such that every block, even those that are returned, termed "zero blocks" were counted. Obviously, that is not the case these days, as in order to be credited with a solo block or block assist, the block action must fall for a point for the blocking team. That is the reason why Mizzou's blocking records seemed way out of reach. Unfortunately, those records effect Tiger alumni Dianne Berg and Dina Herzog whose blocking prowess was felt by opposing teams in the mid-80s. But, without knowing exactly which blocks fell for points, those statistics for that year have to be kept out of the record books.
The Comeback at K-State (October 26) ... A Vander Kooi Cooling
It was a volleyball match that resembled a Rocky movie on October 26, as the No. 8 Tigers won in Manhattan over No. 24 K-State for the first time since 1993, coming back, from two games down to win the match.
Not to mention game five, when each team went "punch"-for-"punch", like the Round 11 montage in Rocky IV, tying the score a match-high eight times in frame, ultimately tying for the last time at 11-11. That's when the "Eye of the Tiger", in this case, junior Jessica Vander Kooi stepped in. After throwing down a kill off a block, giving the Tigers a side-out and the 12-11 lead, Vander Kooi proceed to build a wall at the net that lasted the remainder of the match. Wildcat Sandy Werner, who had 16 kills up-to-that-point, tried to bust through the wall on three successive rallies, and was stopped each time by Vander Kooi in a block assist or solo block.
Here's point-by-point how the end of that match went:
Score: 11-11
K-State serve (Rita Lilliom), kill by Vander Kooi (assist by Lindsey Hunter) ... score MU 12-11, MU side-out
MU serve (Nicole Wilson), block by Lisa Boyd and Jessica Vander Kooi (attack error by Sandy Werner) ... score MU 13-11
TIMEOUT K-STATE
MU serve (Nicole Wilson), solo block by Vander Kooi (attack error by Sandy Werner) ... score MU 14-11, Mizzou match point
MU serve (Nicole Wilson), block by Lisa Boyd and Vander Kooi (attack error by Sandy Werner) ... score MU 15-11 ... Mizzou wins match
Vander Kooi (Hinton, Iowa) grabbed her eighth double-double of the season, and her fourth over a ranked opponent, notching 14 kills and 21 digs, adding nine total blocks (three on the final three points alone) to tie a career-high in the category. Vander Kooi nearly had a quadruple-double as she also had eight assists on the evening.
Columbia, Lovin' The Volleyball ... Mizzou Eighth Nationally in Attendance
By the looks of the Hearnes Center on October 5th versus Nebraska, with the Tiger crowd of 7,298 roaring to its loudest volume seen at a volleyball match, Columbia, Mo. - the middle-sized town in the middle of the middle-west, may well become a volleyball town in the near future. With a steady increase of average attendance since the Kreklows' arrival in 2000, the 2005 crowd average may well skyrocket. Earlier in the season, Mizzou hosted K-State and 2,438 fans watched that match, the then-second largest crowd in team history.
The 7,298 crowd nearly tripled Mizzou's previous attendance record of 2,638 set last year in a win over Texas A&M. In fact, Mizzou's total attendance through five home matches prior to the Nebraska match was around 6,208. The October 5 crowd overly doubled that figure.
The Tigers now are averaging 2,265 fans per home contest, ranking eighth in the country.
In 2004, Mizzou reached its highest national-attendance ranking before '05, ranking 19th in the country with a 1,460 average.
The Monkey Off Thy Back
While wins over Texas A&M in College Station and an early-conference-season sweep over Kansas State may have seemed like normal occurrences in the Tigers' fast start to the season, they actually were victories that were a long-time coming. Mizzou had never won in College Station in nine previous tries before the Tigers four-game win over Texas A&M. Kansas State had the Tigers' number previous to their meeting on September 24, as K-State had won nine straight over Mizzou before the three-game Tiger sweep. Another monkey was thrown from the train when the Tigers defeated K-State for the second time this season in a five-game thriller in Manhattan. The win was the Tigers first in the "Little Apple" since 1993.
The stubborn monkey of the bunch is of the Cornhusker variety. Mizzou has lost 50 of the last 51 meetings with Nebraska dating back to 1982. Mizzou's lone win in the stretch came in 2003 when the Tigers stunned then-No. 8 NU in Lincoln, winning in a five-game thriller after losing games one and two.
The RPI in the RKPI ... Mizzou No. 8 in the Country in Index
The RichKern.com RKPI is a lot like the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) used in men's and women's basketball (among others) to measure all of the nation's teams based on their winning percentage, strength of schedule, and road- and quality-wins. The formula, among other things, is used by the NCAA Women's Volleyball committee in formulating the 64-team post-season NCAA Championship Tournament field. By on the way, volleyball's "Selection Sunday" is November 27, aired on ESPNews.
Missouri currently ranks seventh in the projected RPI. The highest in school history was the Tigers fifth-place ranking that went for the past previous five weeks.
Ailes Out-Digging The Conference
Through 17 matches of the Big 12 season, sophomore Tiger Tatum Ailes is leading the league with 4.23 digs per conference game. Ailes, who set Mizzou's season records in digs and digs per game her freshman year, has 233 digs in 54 conference games.
After having a successful career at Bellevue West High School in Bellevue, Nebraska, Tatum Ailes has brought that success to Mizzou. Last year as a freshman, she not only set school records for digs in a season with 432 and digs per game in a season with 4.19 but also set the mark for digs per game in a career. The latter record broke the old record by over 15 percent proving her dominance defensively last season. Ailes also had at least two aces three times in a game including her personal-best six aces against Kansas.
Not the Exception, The Rule ... Wilson Shows Deadly Efficiency
Junior Tiger Nicole Wilson has had a phenomenal start to 2005 campaign, as she has become very, very hard to stop. Through 23 matches, Wilson is hitting .424 for the season, ranking fifth in the nation in the category.
Wilson was named AVCA National & Big 12 Player of the Week (see more below), in part because of a 11-of-13, errorless performance against then-No. 17 Kansas State. Her .846 hitting in that match became a new Missouri school record.
What is mostly amazing is that Wilson has already had nine matches in which she has hit over .500. In 2004, she only had four such matches. She's also hit over .600 four times in '05, and over .700 twice.
The (Multi-)Talented Miss Vander Kooi
Junior Jessica Vander Kooi almost scored a quadruple-double at then-No. 24 Kansas State on October 26, when she scored 14 kills for the Tigers, on 21 digs, nine blocks, and dished eight assists. The Tigers came back from two games behind to win in five and win for the first time in Manhattan since 1993. What was even more incredible, was Vander Kooi clinched the Tiger victory, scoring on three-consecutive blocks to score the matches' final three points.
Whenever a team may feel they are starting to get an advantage over Missouri, here comes junior Jessica Vander Kooi. In several instances so far this season, Vander Kooi would come up with outstanding plays in the form of body-crushing slams for the kill, well-planned blocks, or point-saving digs, to demoralize the opponent. No. 9 Tennessee had kept the Tigers on their toes in the game one of the Sunday Tiger sweep, but whenever the Lady Vols saw an opening to game, it was quickly closed by Vander Kooi. In that game alone, Jess had six kills, ending up with 12 overall. In addition to the kill total, Vander Kooi had 11 digs to record her 30th career double-double. Against No. 9 Wisconsin, it was more of the same. More tip shots, more slams to the corner of the court, more block-shattering hits. In game one against the Badgers, Vander Kooi recorded five kills always in the most opportune times. For each match, but one, this season so far, Vander Kooi has at least recorded 10 kills.
At then-No. 15 Texas A&M, Vander Kooi recorded her third double-double over a top-15 team, clutching the Aggies with 18 kills and 17 digs, adding four blocks. At No. 1 Nebraska, Vander Kooi nearly burned down the NU Coliseum, scoring 23 kills and 22 digs for her second-career 20-20 match. In the Tigers' fast start of winning the first two games in Lincoln, Vander Kooi had 15 kills and 11 digs alone.
If You're Goin' To Play (well, anywhere) ... You've Got to Have A Good SETTER on Hand
Hunter Becomes Mizzou's All-Time Assists Leader ... Also joins 5,000-assist club
At the end of game three in the Tigers' 3-1 win over No. 15 Texas A&M in College Station, Missouri setter Lindsey Hunter had exactly 44 assists on the night, putting her at 4,958 in her career. At that point, Hunter became Mizzou's all-time assist leader, passing Heather Gerber (1997-2000).
Adding 47 assists in last the September 21 sweep of Colorado in Boulder, Hunter became the first Tiger in the 5,000-assist club, standing at 5,015.
Hunter's name will be prominent in the NCAA record book once the season is done, and one thing that Hunter is getting closer and closer to doing is cracking the top five all-time in NCAA history in assists per game. Here's a list of the current standings:
Career Assists Per Game - NCAA Division I all-time
1) Kelly Campbell, Colorado (96-99) ... 14.45 apg ... 431 games, 6,228 assists
2) Erika Selsor, UCLA (98-01) ... 14.01 apg ... 445 games, 6,234 assists
3) Roz Pelayo, Santa Clara (97-00) ... 14.01apg ... 409 games, 5,732 assists
4) Emily Sallee, Ball State (97-00) ... 13.84 apg ... 463 games, 6,408 assists
5) Kele Eveland, Georgia Tech (00-03) ... 13.83 apg ... 483 games, 6,464 assists
6) Lindsey Hunter, Missouri (02-05) ... 13.69 apg ... 413 games, 5,654 assists
Takin' Care Of Business...
The Tigers lost game one at No. 15 Texas A&M 31-29 in mid-September, marking the first game-loss for Mizzou after seven-straight match sweeps. Winning 21 games straight, the Tigers swept through all seven non-conference opponents including then-No. 9 Tennessee and No. 9 Wisconsin. Mizzou's team-record for consecutive games won is 24, set in 2000. In this year's stretch was two sweeps over top-10 teams in Tennessee and Wisconsin, marking the first Tiger sweeps over top-10 teams.
It's Baby Time!
The Tiger volleyball family has a new member. Assistant coach Deng Yang delivered a 7 lb., 14 oz., baby boy on Wednesday (August 31st) at 5:15 p.m. Yang, and husband, Chen Feng, named the new Tiger, Logan Chen.
The Ol' Switcheroo
In their sixth season as coaches of the University of Missouri Women's Volleyball Team, Wayne and Susan Kreklow are swapping positions. After five seasons working as Associate Head Coach of the Missouri Women's volleyball team, Wayne Kreklow will take on the title of Head Coach while his wife Susan will assume the position of Associate Head Coach to the team. The Kreklow's have been very successful in their previous seasons at Missouri, turning the Missouri Women's Volleyball team into a force in the Big 12. Before coming to Missouri, the Kreklows were co-head coaches at Columbia College for both the men's and women's teams.
Since Missouri does not proclaim the Kreklows as co-head coaches, the NCAA will consider their win-loss records separately. Susan's win-loss record stands at 109-46 through five seasons. The .703 winning percentage is the best in school history for a coach's career. Prior to Missouri, Susan was head coach of Columbia College's women's team from 1990 to 1993 and co-head coach with Wayne from 1994 to 1999. As a women's coach, Susan accumulated a winning record of 565-132 (.811) over 15 seasons. Susan was also co-head coach with Wayne for Columbia College's men from 1997 to 1999, giving Susan an overall record of 618-156 (.798).
Wayne brings to Missouri a 267-29 (.902) women's head coaching record from his days with Susan at Columbia College which will stand as his NCAA-official coaches' record through six seasons. Added to a 53-24 (.688) record from coaching Columbia College's men's team, Wayne is 320-53 (.858) overall as a head coach. Prior to joining his wife at Columbia College in 1994 as co-head coach, Kreklow was an assistant coach at Missouri under Craig Sherman for five years.
The Kreklow Revolution
In their previous five seasons at Missouri, Wayne and Susan Kreklow have revolutionized Tiger Volleyball. In their first season at Missouri in 2000, the Tigers jumped from ranking ninth in the Big 12 to second and Susan Kreklow was named the 2000 Big 12 Coach of the Year. In 2002, the Tigers finished No. 20 in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll, the highest year ending ranking in Missouri history. Through the Kreklows' leadership, Missouri has been to five consecutive NCAA tournaments, certainly a different look from the years of winning only four to five conference games a season.
Super Seniors
For three seasons, they have dominated the Big 12 conference with their abilities to hit, assist, and kill and as Lisa Boyd, Shen Danru, and Lindsey Hunter enter their final season at Missouri, they show no signs of slowing down on or off the court. Since coming to Missouri, Lisa Boyd has been a two-time Academic All-Big 12. In 2004, she was the Big 12 leader in hitting percentage and took over the Missouri record for hitting percentage with an astounding .384. Shen Danru has also left her mark on Missouri, being named, in each of her three seasons, to the Academic All-Big 12 and the All-Big 12 teams. She is not only the school record holder in career kills per game and attacks but last season moved into second on the all-time list of service aces. Not to be outdone by her senior counterparts, Lindsey Hunter has added her own touch to Missouri Volleyball as a two-time USA National A2 team member and a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection. Hunter has led the Big 12 in \assists since joining the Tigers and in 2004, was named Academic All-Big 12. Already in 2005, Hunter has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. No doubt the 2005 season holds many more accomplishments for the three super seniors as they prepare to say goodbye to the Tigers and as Missouri prepares to say goodbye to three of its volleyball legends.
Spanning the Globe
In 2001, Missouri added its first ever Eastern Hemisphere player with Shen Danru, a freshman out of Shanghai Sports School who had been part of China's Junior National Team in 1999. Since beginning her career at Missouri, Danru has set a new school record in career kills per game and attacks. Following in Danru's footsteps is Na Yang, a sophomore from Shan Dong, China who played with Danru on the 1998 Chinese World Teenage Championship Team. A promising player, Yang started in 12 games as a freshman and had double-doubles in kills and digs last year in four matches. In 2005, Missouri adds two more China natives to its team in Lei Wang and Yi Zhang. Wang played twice with the Chinese Junior National team and attended Shanghai Sports School. Zhang was named MVP of the Chinese Youth Volleyball team in 2000 and in her first semester at Missouri in the winter of 2005 had a GPA over 3.7 and topped over 300 students to be at the top of her math section. For 10 days in May 2005, the Missouri Volleyball team visited China, playing matches against Bei Hang University and Beijing University.
Yep, They're Smart Too
In 2004, seven members of the Missouri Volleyball Team were Academic All-Big 12 Honorees and in 2005, the team will welcome back six of those seven. 2004 was the first time senior Lindsey Hunter, juniors Jessica Vander Kooi, Abbie Booth and Nicole Wilson were named Academic All-Big 12 along with two and three-time honorees, seniors Lisa Boyd and Shen Danru. Boyd was an honoree in 2003, Danru in 2002 and 2003. In the winter semester of 2005, the Tigers set a new team record with a team term GPA of 3.29, beating out the previous semester's record of 3.27.