Aug. 30, 2008
PROVO, Utah - Missouri sophomore Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) scored 23 kills Saturday morning in the Tigers' (2-0) four-set, 20-25, 25-19, 25-20, 26-24, win over Utah State (0-2) to start the final day of the BYU Molten Classic in Provo, Utah. Mizzou will play for the tournament championship Saturday evening versus No. 20 BYU.
Klein (Keota, Iowa) announced pretty early in the match that she's at full strength, ending the match with the 23 kills, just three off her career best, notching the third 20-kill match of her career.
Junior setter Lei Wang (Shanghai, China) collected five service aces, a career-high, to go along with 45 assists, 12 digs and four blocks for her 23rd career double-double.
Sophomore libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) tallied a career-high 29 digs in an overall fantastic defensive showing by the Tigers. Megan Wilson also tallied double-digits in the dig category with 10.
Freshman Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.) had the gym abuzz with 10 kills, on .333 hitting, and six blocks.
The Tigers were again strong at the net. After collecting 20 blocks in the season opener Friday, Mizzou added 17 today, nine coming from MU leader Amanda Hantouli.
Utah State was led by Melissa Osterloh's 16 kills.
In the first set, the Tigers were plagued in the early going by unforced errors and struggled to recover. Mizzou was down as much as 17-10 before the Tigers tried to stage a comeback, going on a 10-6 run that was exclaimed by an ace by Lei Wang to pull the score within three at 23-20. But, the Aggies completed the set with a 25-20 win, hitting .375 in the frame. Mizzou's Klein had five kills, three of which came in the first four points.
Mizzou surged to an eight-point lead, 11-3, spurred by four quick kills by Klein. The Aggies responded with five-straight as part of a 8-1 run to close within one at 12-11. Mizzou fired back with an 11-3 run to spread the lead to nine at 23-14. Utah State scored on the next five rallies, but the Tigers were able to win the set 25-19, ending with an Amanda Hantouli block. Klein scored eight of the Tigers' 14 kills in the frame, totaling 13 in the first two stanzas.
Klein again fired up the Tigers to begin the third set, scoring two of the game's first kills in the first three points. The two squads basically went point-for-point, but Mizzou was able to spread the lead to six as 19-13. The Tigers were able to maintain their lead, and on Lei Wang's third ace of the set and her fourth of the match, it made the score 22-16, forcing Utah State into a timeout and sealing the deal, as Mizzou would go on to win the frame, 25-20. Klein would total seven kills in the game, bringing her total to 20.
The match was devoid of any ties or lead changes until the fourth set where 11 ties and two lead changes eventually gave the Tigers the 26-24 win. Facing 24-24, Brimmage provided a kill in the donut that was followed by the match winner, a double-block by Lei Wang and Weiwen Wang.
The Tigers will play again Saturday, taking on No. 20 BYU in the finale of the BYU Molten Classic. First serve is slated for 7:30 p.m., mountain.
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