University of Missouri
Texas
Volleyball Falls To No. 6 Texas
10/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 20, 2007
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tiger volleyball team (12-8, 5-6 Big 12) endured another heartbreaking loss in game one that turned into a disappointing three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Longhorns (14-3, 10-1 Big 12). The Tigers fell in the match 29-31, 17-30, 22-30 for their second consecutive loss, both against ranked opponents, since getting back to .500 in conference play earlier in the month. The win was the tenth straight for Texas, a season high for the squad. It was also the first win at the Hearnes Center for the Longhorns since 1999, breaking a seven-game losing streak in Columbia.
The Longhorns had five girls who recorded nine kills or more, including 11 from Ashley Engle and 20 from Juliann Faucette. Engle also notched 12 digs for a double-double. The Longhorns recorded 23 blocks between six players, with Lauren Paolini leading the way with six.
For Missouri, Na Yang (Shan Dong, China) had an impressive night with 19 kills and five digs, while Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) threw down 10 kills of her own. Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) finished the night with 28 assists and nine digs, one short of a double-double. Amanda Hantouli (Omaha, Neb.) led the Tigers defensively with five blocks to go along with her five kills.
The final result of game one might've looked eerily similar to Wednesday's game one against Nebraska to many of the fans in attendance. Wednesday night, the Tigers had game point in the first frame against the Cornhuskers before giving up the next three points to drop the game 31-29. This game against the Longhorns saw the Tigers jump out to an early lead thanks to a 7-2 run to put Missouri up 12-8 at that point. The Tigers kept pushing forward, holding their lead late by the score of 27-24. Out of a Longhorns timeout, however, Texas rallied off five of the next seven, including two in a row after Missouri took over game point at 29-27, and knotted the game up at 29 apiece. The Tigers were able to make it 30-29 after a Texas error, one of eight in the game for the Longhorns, but Texas proved to be too much, scoring the next three points to secure the game one victory 32-30. The Tigers struggled with consistency, hitting just .157 while committing nine errors. Na Yang had an impressive game for Missouri, throwing down eight kills, while the defense contributed with eight blocks between four girls, including three by Amanda Hantouli.
The Longhorns showed why they are the No. 6 ranked team in the nation in the second set, coming out of the gate red-hot and not even giving Missouri a chance to close the gap, taking the game by a score of 30-17. The Longhorns rode an astounding .552 hitting percentage while playing stifling defense to keep the Mizzou attack at a minimum. The Tigers recorded a measly .026 hitting percentage and committed another nine errors in the game, limiting themselves offensively. Na Yang added another five kills in the game, while Weiwen Wang contributed with three.
The Tigers were able to regroup and hang with the Longhorns for most of the third game, but Texas proved to be too dominating in the long run, securing the game and match with a 30-22 victory. The Tigers struck early, taking a lead by the score of 10-9. Unfortunately, it was the last lead the Tigers would see for the game, as Texas used a 7-3 run to set the tone for the rest of the game. Mizzou tried their best to get back into it, cutting the lead down to 22-21 late in the game, but Texas' offensive attack was once again too strong, as they used an 8-1 run to finish off the Tigers and the match. Missouri's offensive hitting woes continued, as they hit just .122 in the stanza. Na Yang led all Missouri scorers in the game with six kills.
Missouri will look to bounce back and get back into the win column on Wednesday in the third game of a three-game home stand as they take on the Kansas State Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. CT at the Hearnes Center.
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