Sept. 28, 2009
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Match Info
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 30
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Waco, Texas
Arena: Ferrell
All-Access Radio (fee): www.MUTigers.com
Gametracker: www.MUTigers.com
Series Information: Mizzou leads the all-time series with the Bears, 15-11, but lost both meetings between the two programs last season.
What You Need to Know
• The Tigers are now 10-4 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, knotting them in a tie for fourth-place overall. The Tigers have won six of their last eight matches.
• The Tigers look to improve to 3-1 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2006.
• Mizzou is off to its best home start since 2003 with its 6-0 mark at Hearnes Center this season. The Tigers won both of their matches at home last week. Mizzou started the 2003 season 8-0 at home before falling to Texas.
• Julianna Klein set a school record with 78 total attacks against Texas A&M on Saturday. She also posted her 1,000th point as a Tiger in that match, the most of any active players on the Tiger roster.
• Trailing 2-0 to Texas A&M Saturday, Mizzou rallied to win the match, 3-2, marking the first time that the team has come back from a 2-0 deficit since Oct. 1, 2005.
• Junior libero Caitlyn Vann posted a season-best 29 digs in the Tigers' win over Texas A&M on Saturday. With her 29 digs, Vann moved into seventh-place all-time at Mizzou with 1,092 and now needs only 12 to claim the No. 6 spot.
• In Saturday's win over Texas A&M, Mizzou posted a season-high 18.0 total blocks, their best since sending back 14.5 against Texas State in the 2009 opener. The 18.0 total blocks are the second-best mark in the Big 12 this season, trailing only Texas who posted 20.0 in a four-set win over Cal.
• The Tigers currently lead the Big 12 in serving with 75 aces on the season. Their 1.50 per set are also tops in the league.
This Week
The Tigers will hit the road for a pair of matches against ranked opponents this week with the first stop coming in Waco, Texas, to take on the No. 19 Baylor Bears. Mizzou leads the all-time series with the Bears, 15-11, but lost both meetings between the two programs last season. The match is the Tigers' second Big 12 road contest and their fourth true road match of the season. The Tigers currently sit at 2-1 in the Big 12, ranking them in a tie for fourth place overall. Baylor is one of two teams in the league at 3-1 and in a tie for second place.
Last Week
The Tigers went 2-0 after topping UMKC and Texas A&M during a two-match homestand to improve to 10-4 on the season. The Tigers earned their fifth sweep of the season when knocking off UMKC on Wednesday. In that match, Mizzou limited UMKC to only 39 total points, their best mark of the season, and limited the `Roos to -.065 hitting, their best mark since holding Alabama State to -.250 hitting in the 2006 season-opener.
Mizzou then played maybe its most competitive match of the season on Saturday when it came back from down 2-0 to top the Aggies, 3-2, in its first five-set match of 2009. The win marked he first time since Oct. 1, 2005, that the Tigers have come back from a 2-0 deficit in a five-set match. The Tigers also limited Texas A&M to .111 hitting. The Aggies entered the match hitting a Big 12-best .301. The .111 hitting percentage for the Aggies was their worst of the season. Overall, Mizzou held it opponents to .055 hitting last week.
But Wait, There's More
There were plenty of additional notable stat lines in the Tigers' win over A&M as well. Both Julianna Klein and Paola Ampudia posted a team season-high 19 kills in the match. Klein also posted her fourth double-double of the season as she pitched 13 in digs to go along with her 19 kills. Senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco also posted a double-double and finished just four blocks shy of a triple-double with 50 assists, a season-best 17 digs and six blocks.
The Tiger back row shined in the five-set win as well, pulling in a season-best 96 digs, highlighted by a season-best 29 from libero Caitlyn Vann. Sophomore Priscilla Armendariz posted 21 in the match as well as the pair combined for 50 of the Tigers' 96 digs.
Home, Sweet Hearnes
With the Tigers' two wins at home last week, Mizzou is now 6-0 inside the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center to start the 2009 season. The 6-0 mark is the best home start to a season since 2003, when Mizzou opened 8-0 at Hearnes before falling to Texas.
Career Night for Klein
Tiger outside hitter Julianna Klein posted the 1,000th point of her career in the Tigers' win over Texas A&M on Saturday on her final kill of the match. Klein has the most points among active Tigers and with 266.0 more, she will crack the all-time top 10 career point list at Mizzou. Klein also posted a school-record 78 total attacks in Saturday's match, which is the second-most by a Big 12 attacker this season. Klein set season-highs in six statistical categories in the match.
Return to Sender
In Saturday's win over Texas A&M, Mizzou posted a season-high 18.0 total blocks, their best since sending back 14.5 against Texas State in the 2009 opener. The 18.0 total blocks are the second-best mark in the Big 12 this season, trailing only Texas who posted 20.0 in a four-set win over Cal. Senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco led the Tigers with a season-best six total blocks in the match while Catie Wilson, Weiwen Wang and Rosa Medrano each accounted for five in match.
She's Vann-Tastic
Junior libero Caitlyn Vann pulled in a season-best 29 digs in Saturday's win over Texas A&M. Her 29 digs were part of a team season-high 96 in the match and moved Vann into seventh-place all-time at Mizzou with 1,092 career digs. Vann needs only 12 digs against Baylor to move into sixth-place all-time. The Tiger libero ranked seventh in the Big 12 in digs per set last week, but with her 42 last week now ranks fourth in the league with 4.32 per frame. Vann has now led the Tigers in digs in seven-straight matches and 11 of the last 12.
Holding `em In Check
The Tigers had their best defensive match of the season last Saturday against Texas A&M. The Aggies came in leading the Big 12 in hitting at .301 and the Tigers - due in large part to 18.0 total blocks and 96 digs - limited A&M to .111 hitting, its worst output of the season. After holding opponents to below .200 hitting only five times in the first 11 matches, the Tigers have now done so in three straight. Mizzou is 9-0 this season when hitting at a better percentage than its opponents. Last week, Mizzou held UMKC and Texas A&M to a combined .055 hitting percentage, highlighted by a -.065 clip by the `Roos last Wednesday. That was the Tigers' best opponent hitting percentage since holding Alabama State to -.250 hitting in the 2006 season-opener.
Pocket Aces
Mizzou currently leads the Big 12 in serving and has posted 75 total aces in their 14 matches. The 75 total are the most by any team in the Big 12 this season while their 1.50 per set ranks first as well. Mizzou posted 11 service aces in its win over UMKC last Wednesday, highlighted by six from Caitlyn Vann, marking the first time that a Tiger has served that many aces in three-set match since Julianna Klein served seven against Villanova on Aug. 26, 2006.
Vann leads the Tigers with 21 aces this season, a mark that is tops in the Big 12, while her 0.42 per frame ranks second.
Big Night for Pip
Sophomore defensive specialist Priscilla Armendariz posted a career-best 21 digs in the Tigers' win over Texas A&M last Saturday. The 21-dig effort marked only the third time that a Tiger has hit the 20-dig mark this season. Armendariz teamed with Caitlyn Vann to pull in 50 digs between the pair, marking the first time this season that two Tigers have hit the 20-dig mark during the same match.
Tough on the Outside
Tiger outside hitters Julianna Klein and Paola Ampudia each posted 19 kills in the Tigers' win over Texas A&M last Saturday. The 19 kills are the most by any Tiger in a single match this season and are a career-best for Ampudia and a season-best for Klein.
Ampudia and Klein have been the Tigers' top hitters since Big 12 play began. In those four matches - including against UMKC - Ampudia (51) and Klein (53) have combined for 104 total kills, 18 blocks six service aces and 120.0 of the team's 263.0 total points in that span. Ampudia has 115 kills on the season and nearly half have come in the last four matches.
Scouting Baylor
The No. 19-ranked Bears exploded out of the gate this season by winning 11 straight matches, earning three tournament titles in the process. Since beginning Big 12 play, the team has dropped only one match and that came to No. 2 Texas in Austin. But, Baylor is undefeated at home and has swept every team but one, bringing their record to 14-1 on the year.
Baylor has the three-headed attack of Katie Sanders, Ashlie Christenson and Anna Breyfogle, who have combine for 428 of Baylor's 708 kills. Breyfogle also set a school record in blocks with 23 in the University of Houston tournament earlier this year, earning her Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors. Not to be outdone is setter Taylor Barnes, who's triple-double against Iowa State last Saturday (10 kills, 11 digs, 38 assists) earned her Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors this week. The team is third in the conference in hitting percentage at .263 and first in opponent hitting percentage at .127. The Tigers lead the series, 15-11, and look to break a two-game losing streak to the bears.
Rookie of the Week Part Deux
Junior Paola Ampudia was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second-consecutive week last week. Ampudia is the first Tiger ever to take home back-to-back Big 12 weekly honors.
Ampudia continued her fine play last week with nine kills and four blocks, both team-highs against UMKC and pitched in a career-best 19 kills against Texas A&M on Saturday while adding four digs and a block to account for 19.5 total points. In her last eight matches, Ampudia has 85 kills of her 115 kills, 19 blocks, 36 digs and two service aces.
A Full-Team Effort
In last Wednesday's win over UMKC, every student-athlete on the Tigers' 14-player roster saw action. That was the first time this season that that has happened as two Tigers - Marissa Ferri and Lindsey Petrick - saw their first action in a regular season match this year. Ferri posted her first career dig in the third frame while Petrick entered late in the set and earned her first career solo block and registered three total attacks. Freshman setter Kate Harris also played in her 13th set as a Tiger and handed out eight helpers after starting the final frame.
Hey, Ms. Wilson!
Junior middle hitter Catie Wilson has been arguably the Tigers' most consistent player this season as she has 107 kills, a team-best 39 blocks (eight solo, 31 assists), 35 digs, 10 service aces and a .316 hitting percentage. Wilson hit .500 with 12 kills last Wednesday against Kansas which, at the time, was the top mark in a Big 12 match this season; it currently ranks second in the league. Wilson also hit .857 with six kills earlier this season against Ole Miss.
The Tiger junior has hit better than .300 in eight of 14 matches and has been better than .400 four times. She is also averaging 2.43 kills per set and has posted a season-best 12 kills on two separate occasions with the most recent coming against Kansas.
The 700-Club
Team Kreklow (Wayne and Susan together) earned its 700th career win after topping UMKC on Wednesday. The 700 combined wins dates back to their time as the head coaching tandem at Columbia College, where they mentored both the men's and women's programs. The pair has won 192 matches in their 10 seasons at Mizzou.
Milestone for Wang-Francisco
Senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco has passed out 487 assists this season, moving her into sole possession of third-place on the all-time career assist list at Mizzou. She now has 4,164 in her career, which passed former Tiger Cindy Atteberry. She now needs 840 assists to tie Michelle Gerber for second place. If she stays at her average of 34.79 assists per match, she would need 24 matches to do so. With only 18 matches left this season, it is a record to keep an eye on. Passing that mark would also rank her in the Big 12 all-time top five.
Following in her Footsteps?
As Wang-Francisco's time winds down at Mizzou, freshman setter Kate Harris seems up to the task of taking over for her in the future. Harris has seen her playing time increase as of late, highlighted by the Tigers' match with Fairfield at the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge. After Wang-Francisco quarterbacked the offense in the first set, Harris came on and passed out 28 helpers in the final two sets, averaging 14.00 per frame, a career-high total. Harris started her first set since that match against UMKC on Wednesday, passing out eight helpers in the final frame. The freshman also pulled in four digs in the match, moving her season total to nine. She now has 65 assists on the season and has gained plenty of valuable experience after coming off of the bench.
...It's Wendy's!
Tiger junior Weiwen Wang currently ranks eighth in the Big 12 with a .342 hitting percentage this season. Wang has committed only eight errors on the season while posting 48 kills. At the Michigan/Pepsi Challenge, Wang hit .435 with 12 kills to pace the Tigers in the middle and hit .286 with six kills against Kansas. Wang is averaging 1.71 kills per set this season.
Mr. 400
With the Tigers' win over Fairfield earlier this season, head coach Wayne Kreklow earned his 400th victory as a head coach. Dating back to his time at Columbia College, where he coached both the men's and women's teams, Kreklow has compiled a 403-106 record as a head coach, including a 350-82 mark coaching women's volleyball. 83 of his 350 wins in women's volleyball have come during his time at Mizzou. For a complete list of Kreklow's coaching records, see page 17.
A Well-Spread Attack
For the second time this season, Mizzou had four players hit the double-digit kill mark against Kansas. Julianna Klein, Paola Ampudia, Catie Wilson and Rosa Medrano all finished with 10 or more kills, totalling 16, 15, 12 and 10 respectively, and accounted for 53 of the team's 64 kills. The only other time Mizzou had four players in double-digits was against Utah Valley, when Mizzou posted 70 kills in its four-set win, the second-best kill total by a Big 12 team this season. The 64 kills against KU ranks 10th in the Big 12 this season. Those two marks - 70 and 64 - are the only of the Big 12 top 10 single-match kill totals that came in four sets this season; the other eight were all done in five sets.
An Efficient Attack
Mizzou hit .354 in its four-set win over Utah Valley last weekend, its best hitting efficiency of the season in a single match. That mark currently ranks as the second-best team hitting-percentage in a three-set match this season. Six Tigers hit better than .300 in the match while two - Paola Ampudia and Weiwen Wang - hit better than .400. Additionally, in the Tigers' three-set sweep of Ole Miss at the Tiger Invitational, the team hit .333. Five of the Tigers' top six attackers in the match hit better than .286 while Catie Wilson had six kills on seven attacks, hitting at a career-best clip of .857. Mizzou hit better than .333 just twice last season - .337 at Texas Tech (10/4) and .427 against Texas Tech at home (11/1).
Shutting `Em Down
Mizzou held its opponents to a .135 hitting percentage during the Tiger Invitational, including holding Texas State to a clip of .061. The Tigers also held BYU to a .130 hitting percentage, due in large part to 63 digs and 11.0 blocks. MU also held Morehead State to a .075 hitting percentage.
Big Night for Brit
Tiger sophomore Brittney Brimmage tallied 13 kills with only one error on 20 swings in the Tigers' four-set loss to No. 17 Utah. That stat line gave Brimmage a .600 hitting percentage in the match, which is the fourth-best single match mark in the Big 12 this season. The .600 clip is also a career-best for Brimmage as she becomes one of only 26 athletes in school history to post a .600 hitting percentage with more than 10 kills.
Ninth Time in Ten Seasons?
Since the Kreklows took over the Mizzou program in 2000, the Tigers have appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments and have ranked amongst the Big 12 and national elite. This season will mark Wayne and Susan Kreklow's 10th year at the helm as they will look to make it nine out of 10 in 2009. The Tigers' best NCAA Tournament run came back in 2005 when they advanced to the NCAA Regional Final after topping Hawaii in the round of 16.
From Colombia to Columbia
Junior transfer Paola Ampudia joins the 2009 Tiger roster after spending two years at Miami Dade Community College. Ampudia, a Cali, Colombia, native, was dubbed Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year by the Big 12's coaches earlier this month. In 2007, Ampudia led Miami Dade to the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) national title game and helped the Sharks to a 30-0 regular season record that season. For her efforts, Ampudia was named NJCAA National Player of the Year as she ranked in the nation's top 10 in both hitting efficiency (.578) and kills per set (3.85).
All-Access Video and Radio
Be sure to follow the Tiger volleyball program all season long on www.mutigers.com. The matches will be streamed live on Mizzou All-Access and KCOU, Mizzou's student radio station, will provide play-by-play of each home match over the video. Also, all Big 12 road matches will be available for radio streaming on www.mutigers.com.
Tigers on Television
Mizzou will play in three matches that will be televised this season - at home against Colorado on Oct. 7, at Kansas State on Oct. 14 and at Nebraska on Nov. 4. Mizzou's match with Colorado will air on the Mizzou Sports Network with Beau Baehman and Craig Sherman providing the play-by-play and color analysis. The match against Kansas State will air on FSN-Kansas City. The Tigers' match with Nebraska will air in Lincoln, Neb., on Nebraska Education Television.
Next Up
Mizzou will play its second-consecutive match against a top-25 opponents as they head to Ames, Iowa, for a showdown with No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.