March 14, 2006
COLUMBIA, Mo.--Spring is in the air and so are the volleyballs once again in the Hearnes Center. Last Monday, the 2005 NCAA Regional-finalist Missouri volleyball team began full-team workouts in preparation for the spring season. In addition to traveling to San Diego and Arkansas this April, the Mizzou squad will host China's BeiHang University in a week-long Goodwill visit that will include an exhibition match and youth clinic, and run in conjunction with a Columbia Parks & Recreation volleyball academy.
Mizzou finished the 2005 season, their best in team history, with a No. 8-national ranking reaching the regional-final round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Tigers will return All-Americans Jessica Vander Kooi and Nicole Wilson for their senior campaigns as well as soon-to-be junior, Big 12 Libero of the Year Tatum Ailes.
In the 2006 regular season the Tigers are tentatively set to play a very competitive schedule with tournaments at Notre Dame and Texas which includes opponents such as Final Four finalist Santa Clara and top-10 finisher Penn State before starting league play in a formable Big 12. The conference had seven teams reach the NCAA Tournament in 2005 with Nebraska finishing runner-up to Washington.
China's BeiHang University to Visit Missouri In Late April
From April 22-29, the Tigers will be visited by China's BeiHang University, a team Mizzou visited in May 2005. The week will be full of activities in and around mid-Missouri including school visits, trips to theme parks, baseball games, and, of course, volleyball. The main event of the week will be the teams' Goodwill exhibition match that will take place Wednesday, April 26, at 6:30 p.m., in the Hearnes Center. Before the match, the teams will conduct a youth clinic for those in eighth grade or younger.
More on the visit from BeiHang University will be announced at a later date and complete coverage will be on mutigers.com.
Columbia Parks & Rec Volleyball Academy - No. 3
In what has become a popular community service in mid-Missouri, the Tigers are once again teaming up with Columbia Parks & Recreation to offer the third youth volleyball academy of the year that will begin April 4 in the Hearnes Center. The academy will meet eight times throughout May 4, mostly on Tuesday and Thursdays. On April 25 and 27, academy members will get instruction from both Tiger squad members and from members of BeiHang University's team.
Cost for the academy is $60 for third through fifth graders and $80 for sixth through eighth graders. Limited space and scholarships are available for those interested. Deadline is March 31st. Sign-up through mutigers.com on the volleyball page or by calling (573) 882-6787.
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Spring Schedule
April 8, San Diego University tournament
April 14 or 15, University of Arkansas tournament
April 26, 6:30pm, Goodwill exhibition match, Missouri vs. BeiHang (China) ... with youth clinic before