Sept. 6, 2006
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COLUMBIA, Mo.--The 15th-ranked Missouri Volleyball team (6-1) will face No. 2 Penn State (6-0) and No. 4 Santa Clara (5-0) this Thursday and Friday, respectively in the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational in Austin, Texas. Mizzou will face back-to-back top-five teams for the first time since 1997 and will have faced three ranked teams consecutively once the weekend as concluded. Mizzou is on a roll, having won five straight overall and 15 straight in the month of September.
No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 2 Penn State
Thursday, September 7, 4 p.m. (CT)
Live Stats: TexasSports.com
Coaches: Missouri (6-1) - Wayne Kreklow (Drake '80) ...
298-35 overall (8th season), 31-6 at Mizzou (2nd season), 140-52 with wife at Mizzou (7th season)
Penn State (6-0) - Russ Rose ... 865-154 (28th season) at Penn State and overall
Series Matchup: Penn State leads all-time series, 4-0
No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 4 Santa Clara
Friday, September 8, 3 p.m. (CT)
Live Stats: TexasSports.com
Coaches: Santa Clara (5-0) - Jon Wallace ... 161-58 (8th season) at Santa Clara and overall
Series Matchup: first meeting
What a Tournament! ...
The Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational features four teams within the nation's top 15. Although the Tigers do not play the No. 7 Texas Longhorns while in Austin, facing No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 Santa Clara is no easy chore. Penn State, Santa Clara, and Missouri have the reigning, respective conference's players of the week, plus Texas' Michelle Moriarty was the Big 12 and AVCA National Player of the Week two weeks ago. It is one stacked field.
A Win Would Be a First ...
... against a top-five team. The highest-ranked team a Missouri squad has ever defeated is then-No. 6 Hawaii a year ago in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinal. Mizzou is 0-10 all-time against teams ranked in the top five, but have come close several times to posting an upset.
The Tigers are playing three top-25 ranked teams in a seven-day period, doing so for the first time since 1999. Mizzou will face two top-five teams on back-to-back days, having done the same thing in 1997. Ironically, Mizzou faced then-No. 3 Stanford and then-No. 1 Penn State on September 5 and 6, 1997, in Storrs, Conn., and was swept by both.
Scouting Penn State ...
The No. 2 Nittany Lions come into the Texas Invitational with a 6-0 record, having recently swept the week against Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, and Duke. Penn State had the biggest trouble of the season so far with LSU, having to take that match to five.
Sophomore OH Nicole Fawcett leads the teams with 4.15 kills per game on an impressive .374 hitting percentage. Fawcett, last year's AVCA National and Big Ten Freshman of the Year, was named this past week's Big Ten Player of the Week.
As a team, PSU is hitting .339, having employed multiple setters into the tandem. Freshman Alisha Glass has had the most playing time and averages 9.47 assists per game. Listed as an OH, junior Kate Price leads the team with 4.07 digs per game, although she appears to have taken a DS type role. Penn State is averaging 4.22 blocks per game with junior Melissa Walbridge leading the team with 2.00 blocks per game.
Penn State is coached by Russ Rose who is in his 28th season with the Nittany Lions. In his time in Happy Valley, Rose has accumulated 865 wins and an over-.850 winning percentage. His squad won the NCAA title in 1999 and has won the last three Big Ten titles dating back to 2003.
The Tigers have lost all four meetings (and all 12 games) with the Nittany Lions, playing Penn State in 1997, 1987, 1986, 1984. When the two last meet in Storrs, Conn., on September 6, 1997, PSU was ranked No. 1 in the country. In every instance, each meeting was held in a different state (Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky).
Scouting Santa Clara ...
No. 4 Santa Clara comes to Texas for their third-straight weekend away from home, having played and won all of their five matches of the year away from their campus, winning all of their matches in sweeps. Most notably, Santa Clara swept Kansas State (23, 30, 23) in Fresno to start the season and swept then-No. 21 Notre Dame last Sunday (18, 23, 23).
From the Broncos 2005 squad that went to the Final Four, head coach Jon Wallace returns two All-Americans and two more that made the All-WCC team last year. Junior Crystal Matich is the team's setter having already racked 13.87 apg, adding 1.67 dpg and 0.73 bpg so far this season, leading the team to 17.60 kills per game and a .360 hitting percentage. Matich was named West Coast Conference Player of the Week for her play against Valparaiso and Notre Dame.
Senior OH Kim McGiven leads the team with 5.15 kills per game with junior MB Anna Cmayio adding 4.07 kpg on an amazing .625 hitting percentage, adding 1.27 bpg.
The Tigers and Broncos have never met. As stated below, Mizzou is 4-8 all-time against teams from California, having never played a team from the state more than once.
A Week in the Life of Jessica Vander Kooi ... Big 12 Player of the Week ...
Senior Jessica Vander Kooi performed phenomenally in the Tigers' four-match week and as a result was named the Big 12 Player of the Week, earning the honor for the first time in her career.
In defeating UALR, Idaho, Valparaiso, and No. 21 Notre Dame, Vander Kooi scored an average of 6.00 points per game (90 total) on 5.00 kills per game (75 total), 0.87 aces per game (13 total), and 1.33 blocks per game (20 total), adding 4.40 digs per game (66 total) in what was one of the best all-around individual week-long performances in Mizzou history.
In addition, Vander Kooi became the eighth player in Tiger volleyball history to tackle the 1,000-career dig milestone, doing so in the Valparaiso match. Vander Kooi is now only the fourth Tiger to accumulate over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. The others are Shen Danru, Yvette Buhlig, and Naaron Branson. Starting the week at eighth on the all-time list (1,074), Vander Kooi also moved to fourth all-time at Mizzou in kills now standing at 1,149. Also, Vander Kooi became only the fifth Tiger to eclipse the 300-block mark for a career, now sitting at 305 after the Notre Dame match.
Vander Kooi, a 2005 AVCA honorable mention All-American, was named MVP of the Shamrock Invitational, held in South Bend, Ind., with her outstanding play in helping the Tigers to a tournament championship.
In what was the eventual championship match with the No. 21 Irish, Vander Kooi captured the third 20-20 of her career with 30 kills and 25 digs, both career bests in their respective categories. Her 30 kills, the third-highest single-match kill total for a Tiger all-time and the most by a Tiger since 1996, came on a career-high 71 attempts and equaled a .254 hitting percentage. In addition, Vander Kooi scored on eight blocks against the Irish and added a service ace to produce 34.5 points in the match, the second-highest scoring total for a Tiger in school history (35, Yvette Buhlig, October 1, 1992). Statistically, there has been only one other performance in Mizzou history, Yvette Buhlig's 34 kill, 30 dig match against Washington in 1989, that produced more kills and digs than what Vander Kooi posted against the Irish.
Earlier in the week, Vander Kooi nearly became the first Tiger to earn a 20-20 in only three games, scoring 20 kills and adding 19 digs to an awe-inspiring performance against UALR.
More from the Past Week ...
A lot of other records, milestones, and career performances were captured by more Tigers other than Vander Kooi in a busy four-match week. Let's look at them:
* Tatum Ailes (Jr., L): In the four-match stretch, Ailes racked an unfathomable 105 digs, that's 7.00 digs per game! As a result of the statistically-stacked week, Ailes became the ninth player at Mizzou (Vander Kooi the eighth, above) to tabulate over 1,000 digs in a career (now at 1,005) ... initially, Ailes smashed her previous career-high of 26 digs, set at last season's NCAA Regional semifinal over Hawaii, with a 31-dig effort against Valpo ... later in the same day, Ailes topped that mark with a 33-dig effort against No. 21 Notre Dame ... also in the Irish match, Ailes successfully fielded 44 of 45 serve receptions ... Ailes was also named to the Shamrock Invitational All-Tournament team.
* Lei Wang (RS Fr., S): In the Shamrock Invitational Championship match, Wang paced Mizzou by dishing a career-high 69 assists, a performance that will go into the top-10 single-match performances in Mizzou's history, leading an offense that saw four Tigers with double-digit kill total ... Wang also grabbed 12 kills for the Tigers in the week, an impressive total for a setter ... also against the Irish, Wang grabbed the first double-double of her career, scooping 14 digs ... Wang was also named to the Shamrock Invitational All-Tournament team.
* Julianna Klein (RS Fr., OH): Klein's performance has improved with every match played ... against the Irish, she scored on a career-high 19 kills, tabulating a .280 hitting percentage ... her maturity continued to blossom as the five-game match against Notre Dame unrolled ... for example, by scoring the first point of game five on a big kill against the Irish, she continues to show her ability to not be intimidated by the opponent on the other side of the net.
Approaching No. 300 ...
Head Coach Wayne Kreklow's record as a collegiate women's volleyball head or co-head coach stands at 298-35, two wins away from win No. 300. Of course, the previous five years at Mizzou as associate head coach does count towards the 298.
Kreklows to be inducted in Columbia College Athletic Hall of Fame ...
Columbia College announced that Tiger coaches Susan and Wayne Kreklow will be inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame on October 6.
Susan and Wayne Kreklow began their coaching careers at Columbia College at different times, but they shared the enjoyment of leading the college's Cougar Volleyball team to its first national championship in 1998, with a repeat performance in 1999. Susan Kreklow joined Columbia College in 1990 as volleyball coach. During the next four seasons, she led the Cougars to four straight conference championships and an overall record of 189-57 (.768). Wayne Kreklow joined her in 1994 as co-head coach of the women's volleyball team and head coach of the newly created men's volleyball team. The following six seasons "Team Kreklow" saw unmatched success at Columbia College with six more conference championships, back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1998 and 1999, two NAIA National Championships and an overall record of 267-29 (.902). They were six-time Conference Coaches of the Year, five-time Region Coaches of the Year and two-time NAIA Coaches of the Year. The Kreklows coached nine NAIA All-Americans, two NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes, five NAIA Players of the Week and one NAIA Player of the Year.
Time Travelers ...
In a three-week period, the Missouri squad, natives of the Central time zone will have traveled to each time zone in the contiguous United States. Visiting Long Beach (Pacific), Notre Dame (Eastern, for now), and next week Colorado (Mountain), the Tigers have had to bout some serious jet lag.
Nine of the Tigers' first 10 matches will be away from the comfort of the Hearnes Center. The crowd that ranked sixth-nationally in 2005 will have to wait for their Mizzou squad as all three weekend tournaments will be on the road. In addition, Mizzou opens the Big 12 season on the road with a Wednesday matchup at Colorado. At least the SID is happy, as his frequent flyer miles will accumulate quickly.
New Polling Numbers ...
In the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll, Mizzou dropped two spots to No. 15 from the preseason No. 13 ranking.
Tigers Picked Third in Big 12 Preseason Poll ...
The coaches of the Big 12 picked Mizzou third in the preseason poll behind Nebraska and Texas. The Tigers finished the 2005 season third, behind Nebraska (19-1) and Texas (17-3) in the Big 12 with a 16-4 record (a new school record in conference wins). Nebraska was dealt with bad news to start the '06 campaign when their 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery in the off season. Texas, ranked No. 8 in the national-preseason poll, return everyone from their '05 squad, adding Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year Ashley Engle and NCAA high-jump Champion Destinee Hooker.
Mizzou was picked 13th in the AVCA Preseason Coaches' Top 25, earning the program's highest preseason ranking all-time. Last season, the Tigers were picked 21st and finished eighth in the final poll.
Suddenly Seniors ...
All of the sudden, Tigers Jessica Vander Kooi, Nicole Wilson, and Abbie Booth are seniors. The trio has already accumulated quite a resume together and would like to add a successful 2006 run to it. Wilson earned AVCA honorable mention All-America honors a year ago for her amazing play at MB. In 2005, Wilson averaged 3.16 kpg on a .415 hitting percentage, setting a new Big 12 record in the category, adding 1.26 bpg. Wilson was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team and was named AVCA National Player of the Week during the 2005 season.
Vander Kooi has been an amazing all-around player for the Tigers, as she earned honorable mention All-America honors as well a year ago. Statistically, Vander Kooi was in the Big 12's top 15 in four categories including kills per game (3.36, 13th), aces per game (0.31, t8th), digs per game (2.62, 14th), and points per game (4.16, 10th). Vander Kooi has now started in each of the Tigers' 96 matches in her four years on campus. Vander Kooi's real strong suit comes from her game-changing play based on the situation. Against Kansas State a year ago on the road, she helped the Tigers comeback from two games down, capping the fifth game with three-consecutive blocks. At Nebraska, she scored 23 kills adding 22 digs for the squad's only 20-20 of the season. Against Hawaii in the NCAA Tournament semifinal, she was more of a defensive threat, grabbing 20 digs adding six blocks.
The New Crop ...
To replace three Tigers that had a large impact on the team, Mizzou will have five freshman in 2006 season, three of which redshirted in 2005. Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) has positioned herself to take over as Missouri's new setter, replacing first-team All-American Lindsey Hunter (who now is on the USA National Team). Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) has been impressive in spring and early fall workouts and will likely see some playing time in the replacement of Lisa Boyd. Megan Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) has been equally impressive and will likely take on an all-around role on the Tiger side. True freshman Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) has shown her strength this fall, having delivered some shattering cross-court shots from the left side and raising some eyebrows with her jump serves. Brittney Herzog (Boonville, Mo.) has also shown a lot to the Tiger coaching staff at the MB position, and just like Wang, Wilson, and Hantouli, will like have a year to refine her skills as she is tentatively slated to redshirt.
Tatum Libre-o ...
As a sophomore she won Big 12 Libero of the Year honors. This year, junior Tatum Ailes will be looking for more as an encore. Leading the conference a year ago with 4.12 digs per game, Ailes has found a knack to be at the right place at the right time. With amazing dives and accurate passes Ailes is not only a physical force for the Tigers, but also an emotional and vocal leader on the floor. In addition, her play in last year's NCAA Tournament played a vital role in the Tigers' run to the Elite Eight as she wiped the floor averaging 5.00 dpg in the four matches. In the regional rounds alone, she scooped 26 against Hawaii and 22 against Tennessee.
Remarking on 2005 ...
We can't go without mentioning the greatest season in Tiger volleyball history (so far). In 2005, Mizzou reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen for the first time in school history, then beating Hawaii to reach its first-ever NCAA Regional Final. Making their sixth-consecutive NCAA Tournament, the Tigers went 7-4 against teams in the top 25, and took down four top-10 teams adding sweeps against then-No. 9 Tennessee and then-No. 9 Wisconsin. The Tigers had the winningest record in school history with a 25-5 mark. Mizzou hosted first-and-second rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year, having the largest attended early rounds of the 16 sites. In addition, Mizzou ranked sixth in national attendance, attracting an average of over 2,600 fans a match.
The Odd Factors ... Just SID Banter, Nothing too Exciting
ALL MY EX's LIVE IN TEXAS: Up to this weekend, Mizzou has played 50 matches in the state of Texas, going 21-29 overall and are winners of five of their last six in the Lone Star State. The Tigers are 3-7 all-time in Austin with all previous meetings only against the U. of Texas.
BIG TEN & WEST COAST: The Tigers are a non-impressive 12-37 all-time against Big Ten teams all-time, however a Kreklow-coached team is 3-2 against the conference winning three-of-their-last four. A win over Northwestern in 2002 in the NCAA Tournament broke Mizzou's 14-match losing streak to the conference's teams. Missouri hasn't played a home match against any of the conference's teams since 1986 when Iowa came to Columbia.
Mizzou is 3-0 against the West Coast Conference, defeating San Francisco in 1983, San Diego in 1989, and St. Mary's in 1994.
PA & CA: Against teams from Pennsylvania, Mizzou is 4-6. Obviously four of those loses came from Penn State. Mizzou does hold a three-match winning streak against the state, having defeated Lehigh (1998), Temple (2001), and Villanova (Aug 2006).
The Tigers are 4-8 and have a two-match losing streak against teams from California, having never met Santa Clara. In fact, all 12 Tiger matches have been against 12 different schools from the state, having not played a school from the state more than once. They are: San Francisco (1983), San Diego (1989), CS-Fullerton (1991), Sacramento State (1991), Cal Poly (1991), St. Mary's (1994), San Jose State (1994), UC-Santa Barbara (1995), Stanford (1997), San Diego State (2002), UC-Irvine (2003, Long Beach State (Aug 2006).
SERENDIPITOUS SEPTEMBER [Part 2]: (Ok, spell check was needed, and then I used the wrong word ... serendipity actually is defined as "The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident", not a happy feeling like I was going for ... but, then again the word serendipity actually goes well with the note topic since a lot of these records and streaks happen by accident and not necessary because we purposely have a winning streak in September because it just happens to be September) Being that as it may, the Tigers NOW have a 15-match winning streak in the month. On September 7s, Mizzou has won three straight and is 5-4 overall.
NEUTRAL, HA!: The Tigers are 3-10 all-time against ranked opponents at a neutral site, however, Mizzou is 2-1 when also ranked in the occurrence.
CRAZY EIGHTS: Mizzou has won six-straight matches No. 8. Huh? Yes, in the eighth match of the season, Mizzou has won six straight (in all years of the Kreklow era). Last year's match No. 8 was a monumental win for the Tigers as they defeated Texas A&M in College Station for the first time in school history. Maybe there is some karma here. Keep in mind also, in 1999, the year before the Kreklows came to Mizzou, Mizzou lost match No. 8 in a sweep from New Hampshire. Hummm. Also, an FYI, Mizzou has won four-straight match No. 9s, and are 21-9 overall in the category, how does that happen?
MORE CRAZYNESS: The Tigers have won four-straight in matches that they enter 6-1 on the season, having last lost in the scenario in 1978. Mizzou has also won four-straight when four-matches above .500. Ok, that's enough.
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