Oct. 31, 2007

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LINCOLN, Neb. - Jekyll and Hyde-ish. That may be the best way to describe Mizzou volleyball's (13-10, 6-8 Big 12) match with No. 2 Nebraska (20-1, 12-1 Big 12) in Lincoln on Halloween night. Some tricks, some treats. After playing in stellar fashion in taking game number two, 34-32, handing Nebraska their first set loss at home December 1, 2006, the Tigers dropped game three 30-11, and eventually succumbed to the Huskers, 30-19, 32-34, 30-11, 24-30, 15-10, on a very tantalizing night of volleyball.

Ask anyone, the match was really strange. Mizzou dropped the first game without much of a blip on the radar screen, but Mizzou fought back, scoring on 20 kills in the second set to win 34-32. Rolls reversed in game three as the Tigers only scored on only six kills in a 30-11 third-frame loss. The Tigers fought back to win game four 30-24 on a .286 hitting strike. The race to 15 in game five gave Mizzou trouble, as Mizzou hit only .111 in garnering one non-sideout point.

The Tigers were led by Na Yang's 20 kills on the night. Senior Tatum Ailes led Mizzou with 21 digs an even higher total came from "non-stat-sheet-fantastic-plays". Freshman Caitlyn Vann was also a star for the Tigers, adding 16 digs herself.

The match started auspiciously for both squads as unforced errors haunted play early on. The Huskers was able to capitalize on Tiger miscues more than vice versa. A four-run lead early on by Nebraska pushed the score to 8-3. Mizzou played scrappy defense, but was hurt again by unforced errors, leading Nebraska eventually to a 19-12 lead. The Tigers hovered below the zero-mark in hitting percentage in the early going, eventually calculating a .054 strike to close game one. The bright spot for Mizzou in the first frame was Amanda Hantouli, scoring five of the Tigers' nine kills.

Although Mizzou's Yang was held to only one kill in the first stanza, she quickly revitalized her average in the second set, scoring on four of the Tigers' first five points. Nebraska came out to with a 4-0 run to begin the game, but Mizzou would score on four of the next five to come within one at 5-4. Three-straight points by NU was countered by four straight by Mizzou, thanks to a serving run by Lindsey Smith to force an 8-8 tie and a Nebraska timeout. The Tigers would continue to play well, actually grabbing its first lead of the match at 11-10 after a Nebraska attack error. At the time, the Tigers were hitting .385.

A Christina Houghtelling service run gave Nebraska a 5-0 run to pull ahead 15-11, but Mizzou countered with mini-runs, totaling 8-3, that was typified by an ace by Smith to pull the Tigers ahead 20-19. Another 3-0 run by Nebraska pulled Nebraska again to a two point lead at 23-21. A kill by Megan Wilson followed by an ace by Weiwen Wang and Megan Wilson solo block again gave Mizzou the lead. The teams continued with sideouts, but Mizzou still held a 27-26 advantage. A three-point run by Nebraska seemed to clinch the game for the Huskers as a 29-27 lead forced Mizzou's final timeout. But, the Tigers would go on to score on four of the next five to force game point at 31-30.

Things continued to occur strangely as Mizzou's Megan Wilson seemingly scored the set's clincher, but a late call by the second referee, a net violation on Mizzou kept Nebraska alive, tying the score at 31-31. In a rarity, a Sarah Pavan attack was overpassed by Tiger Tatum Ailes, but the Huskers stayed away thinking the ball was flying out. Instead, Ailes' volley touched just inside the sideline, barely on the Husker side of the net to give Mizzou a 32-31 lead. A Pavan kill made the score 32-32, but a Pavan error to follow again gave Mizzou the chance at a game point. Megan Wilson served a beauty, a breaking-ball that sliced enough to touch the Husker endline unattended, allowing the Tiger to clinch the second game.

Yang would total eight kills in the frame as the Tigers hit at a .333 clip.

The Jekyll and Hyde syndrome apparently made its appearance in Lincoln. The Tigers had moments of confusion and downright scrappiness to start game three. The Tigers quickly found themselves down 10-6, railing from a -.222 hitting efficiency. After a Tiger timeout, a six-point service run by Husker setter Rachel Holloway dragged the score to 17-7 as Mizzou was beleaguered by more unforced errors. Another three-point Husker run gave NU a 20-9 advantage and forced Mizzou's final timeout. The game ended so strangely for the Tigers that defensive-specialist Caitlyn Vann even played a bit in the front row.

In the spirit of our Jekyll and Hyde theme, game four started as the complete inverse of game three. The Tigers cooked in the early going, scoring on five of the first six points. Weiwen Wang's third kill of the set gave Mizzou a 6-3 lead. Nebraska used its first timeout after a 3-0 Tiger strike at 9-5. Although NU scored the next two, a Weiwen Wang serving run of five points gave the Tigers a seven-point lead at 14-7 to force the Huskers to use its final timeout. The Tigers used its first timeout after a 5-2 Nebraska run to close within four at 16-12.

Mizzou then really took control of the set, only allowing Nebraska only to two non-sideout points the rest of the way, winning 30-24. A setting error by NU's Holloway was one of the nails in the Husker's set coffin. At 28-24, a joust won by Weiwen Wang placed an exclamation point on the oddity that was games three and four.

The Tigers will have a quick turnaround, having to play Baylor Friday night in the Hearnes Center. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. The first 400 through the gates will receive a free 2007 Missouri Volleyball Yearbook.