Sept. 16, 2010
Date: Sept. 18
Time: 3 p.m.
Location:Columbia, Mo.
Arena: Hearnes Center
Live Stats(all matches):Gametracker
Game Notes: Complete Release in PDF Format 
What You Need to Know
• The Tigers will face their first ranked opponent of the season when No. 11 Iowa State comes to the Hearnes Center. Mizzou has played a pair of teams that were receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Poll (Pepperdine and Rice) but Iowa State is the first Tiger opponent to boast a national ranking.
• Head coach Wayne Kreklow earned his 100th win as the Tiger head coach at Texas Tech on Wednesday (Sept. 15). Coincidentally, Lubbock was the same spot that Team Kreklow (Wanye and Susan combined) earned its 200th victory at Mizzou last season. Overall, Kreklow is 367-93 in 12 seasons as a head coach.
• Mizzou will return to the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center for the first time since Aug. 28. Mizzou has played eight straight matches on the road and compiled a 6-2 record in those contests.
• Freshman setter Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) dished 43 assists at Texas Tech on Wednesday as she took back first place in the Big 12 with her 11.89 assists per set this season. She passed ISU's Allison Landwehr, who had 44 in a four-set loss to Nebraska. Kreklow has led the league in assists per set nearly all season.
• Mizzou and Iowa State both rank in the Big 12's top three in all three of the major offensive categories (kills, hitting, assists). Mizzou ranks first in assists (13.78 per set) and comes in at second in both hitting (.283) and kills (13.78). ISU paces the league in hitting (.286) and is third in assists (13.58) and kills (14.55).
Battle Between two of the Big 12's Top Offenses
The Tigers will square off against No. 11 Iowa State on Saturday at the Hearnes Center. The match begins at 3 p.m. and admission is free to the public. This will mark the first time this season that the Tigers will face a nationally ranked team. The match up is intriguing because it pits two of the league's top offenses against each other. Both the Tigers and Cyclones rank in the top three in each of the league's major offensive categories (kills, hitting, assists). Live audio/video of the match will be available at MUTigers.com along with live stats.
Road Warriors
The Tiger volleyball team has not competed at home since Aug. 28 when it claimed the Tiger Invitational title with wins over Maryland, Nevada and Utah Valley. After three weeks on the road, Mizzou will return to the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center to face ISU on Saturday. Mizzou put together a 4-1 neutral site record in that time and won two of three road matches. That is a drastic improvement for a team that netted just four road wins and three neutral site wins a season ago.
Last Time Out
Mizzou head coach Wayne Kreklow won his 100th match as the Tigers' head coach as Mizzou swept Texas Tech in Lubbock on Wednesday. The win was the Tigers' ninth of the season as they stand at 9-2 entering Saturday's match. Eight of the Tigers' nine wins in 2010 have come via the sweep. Senior outside hitter Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) was the best player on the floor Wednesday as she posted her first double-double of 2010 with a team-high 15 kills and 11 digs. She set season highs in kills (15), hitting (.400), points (18), aces (two) and assists (one). Three Tigers hit better than .400 in the win as freshman setter Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) spread 43 assists in the win.
Offense Still Ranks Among Big 12's Best
Mizzou's offense shined in the win over Texas Tech on Wednesday as three attackers finished with hitting percentages better than .400 while Molly Kreklow spread 43 assists in three set, helping the Tigers hit .315 on the night. The .315 clip marked the eighth time in 11 matches that Mizzou has hit better than .250 and the Tigers are 7-1 in those matches. Mizzou posted an eye-popping 20 kills in the final set of the match and hit .351 and .349 in the final two sets of the match, respectively.
The win got the Tigers' offense back on track after struggling by its standards in Western Kentucky. As of Thursday (Sept. 16), Mizzou ranks first in assists (13.78) and second in kills (14.69) and hitting (.283). Molly Kreklow is pacing the league in assists per set (11.89) while Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.) is the league's second-most efficient hitter at .403 this season. Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) also ranks fourth in the league in kills per set at 3.78.
Battle at the Setting Position
Saturday's match will pit the top two setters in the league against each other as Mizzou's Molly Kreklow and ISU's Allison Landwehr rank 1-2 in the league in assists per set this season. Kreklow actually passed Landwehr Wednesday night with her 43 helpers in the Tigers' win over Texas Tech. Landwehr passed out 44 in a four-set loss to No. 4 Nebraska, helping Kreklow leap into the first-place spot. Kreklow is currently averaging 11.89 per set while Landwehr checks in at 11.61.
Plenty of Firepower on Both Sides of the Net
Saturday's match will be more than a battle of the two best setters in the league as it will be a showcase of two of the best offenses in the Big 12. The two teams both rank in the top three in each of the major offensive categories (hitting, kills, assists) and are neck-and-neck in each category. Mizzou owns the edge over ISU in kills per set (14.69 vs. 14.55) and assists per set (13.78 vs. 13.58) while ISU holds a slight advantage in hitting (.286 vs. 283). The major difference in the two offenses appears to be distribution. Mizzou has three hitters with more than 100 kills while a fourth, Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) has 98. All-American Victoria Henson is the only Cyclone with more than 100 kills (132).
Two of the Best at the Libero Position
The digs per set numbers between the Tigers and Cyclones are similar as well. ISU owns a slight edge at 15.19 per set over Mizzou's 15.14 per set, but the marquee match up will be Mizzou's Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) and ISU's Ashley Mass, who are two of the Big 12's best liberos. Vann is currently averaging 4.83 digs per set while Mass checks in at 3.97. Mass has gotten off to somewhat of a slow start by her standards, which can somewhat ne attributed to a stout ISU block, but she is a two-time Big 12 Libero of the Year and a two-time All-American. Watching Vann and Mass on Saturday should mark one of the finest duels in the Big 12 this season.
Wayne Kreklow Nets Win No. 100 at Mizzou
Mizzou head coach Wayne Kreklow, currently in his sixth season at the helm of the program, tallied his 100th career win as the Tiger head coach on Wednesday at Texas Tech. He is now 100-64 in his time as the head coach of the program while Wayne and Susan Kreklow - now in their 11th season at Mizzou - are a combined 209-110 at Mizzou. Coincidentally, their 200th career win at Mizzou came in Lubbock last season.
Klein Moves up the Ranks
Senior outside hitter Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) put together maybe her finest all-around match in Lubbock on Wednesday as she posted her first double-double of 2010 with 15 kills and 11 digs. She also set season highs in points (18) aces and assists in the match. The 18 points in the match moved her career total to 1,274, which now ranks 10th all-time. Klein also ranks in the all-time top 10 at Mizzou in total kills with 1,101, placing her ninth all time. She sits juts 19 back of Naaron Branson for eighth all time.
Molly Kreklow Continues to Impress
Already a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, freshman Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) has been a big reason for the Tigers' fast start in 2010. In fact, she ranks first in the Big 12 in assists per set this season at 11.89. She has anchored an offense that features three hitters with at least 100 kills while the fourth - Lisa Henning - has 98 on the year. She has assisted on 428 of the Tigers' 529 kills (80.1-percent) and has the Tigers hitting .283 on the season. She also ranks third on the team in digs with 79 total and leads the team with a pair of double-doubles in 2010 as well. Kreklow has done this with one hand in a splint after dislocating her pinkie in preseason camp. She served overhand for the first time last weekend and tallied six aces. She blocked with two hands for the first time at Texas Tech on Wednesday as well
Tiger Middle Hitters - Best 1-2 Punch in the Big 12?
The Tiger middle hitting duo of Brittney Brimmage (East St. Louis, Ill.) and Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) is arguably the best 1-2 punch in the Big 12 this season at the position. Both players rank in the league's top five in hitting at second (.403) and fifth (.375), respectively this season. Brimmage ranks second on the team in kills with 102 and leads the team with 32 blocks. Wilson has 58 kills and 21 total blocks on the season and she has a team-low 13 attack errors. Brimmage and Wilson's combined stat line is 148 kills on .394 hitting with 52 total blocks. They have combined to score 198.0 total points for Mizzou this season.
More on Brimmage
One could argue that Brimmage has been the Tigers' most consistent offensive weapon this season as she is second on the team with 102 kills and ranks first in hitting at .403 Despite hitting just .158 in the season-opener against Maryland, Brimmage has hit at least .273 in each of the nine matches since that time and has eclipsed .400 in seven of those matches and has been better than .500 in three of those. Also, her 102 total kills through 10 matches are just four back from her kill total all of last season. She has posted double-digit kill totals in six matches and reset her career highs in kills (14) and attacks (27) this season.
Wendy Cracks All-Time Top 10 at Mizzou
Weiwen Wang (Nanjing, China) cracked the all-time top 10 in block assists with her two over the weekend at the Western Kentucky Invitational. She now has 218 over her four-year career at Mizzou and sits just four back of former Tiger All-American setter Lindsey Hunter.
Another Milestone
Senior libero Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) also set a milestone of her own. Her start at libero against Texas Tech was her 100th consecutive start, dating back to the 2008 season. She has started every match since 2008 and also started 27 of 30 matches in her freshman season, playing behind former Big 12 Libero of the Year Tatum Ailes that season.
A New Role for Jules?
Once the Tigers' go-to hitter as she is the active leader in attacks, senior Julianna Klein has seen somewhat of a changed role this season as her back-row play this season has been paramount in the Tigers' success. She has pulled in 98 digs (second on the team) and has committed just nine reception errors on 174 service chances, making her a steady option in the back row. She has also been an offensive weapon this season out of the back row, totaling 100 kills on .280 hitting. She had a season-best 14 against Utah Valley this season.
Vann Takes Her Spot in Record Book
Senior libero Caitlyn Vann finished the Tiger Invitational with 45 digs (5.00 per set), earning her All-Tournament honors. She then came back to tally 62 total digs (6.20 per set) at Pepperdine, earning her Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, and posted 53 last weekend. She added 14 at Texas Tech on Wednesday giving her 174 digs this season have moved her career total to 1,534, trailing only former Tiger Tatum Ailes for first all-time. Ailes played all four of her years in the 30-point scoring era while Vann has played in 25-point sets since 2008. Had she played in 30-point sets, we could be looking at Mizzou's all-time career digs leader.
Another Fab Frosh
Molly Kreklow isn't the only Tiger freshman who is putting together a fine first season in Black and Gold. Classmate Lisa Henning is turning heads with her powerful arm as she has 98 kills on the season - fourth-best on the team - on .288 hitting. Her .288 clip is a team-best for attacker with more than 200 attempts in 2010. After the first weekend of play, she became the first true freshman to lead the Tigers in kills during each of her first two matches during the rally scoring era. She is also the only athlete to do so under the direction of Wayne and Susan Kreklow at Mizzou.
Wilson Hits Her Way Into Record Books
Heading into the season, senior middle hitter Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) ranked sixth on the all-time hitting percentage list at Mizzou. But after the first three weekends, Wilson has climbed to fifth after hitting .375 thus far, moving her career clip from .279 to .288. She has a ways to go to crack the top four (Diane Berg, .308), but it is certainly not out of reach for the Tiger senior.
A Clean Sweep
After its fine performance in Malibu at the Pepperdine Asics Challenge, the Mizzou volleyball team swept the Big 12 Weekly awards last week, marking only the second time in league history that one school has swept all three awards in the same week. Paola Ampudia was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time in her career after leading the team with 50 kills on .261 hitting. She paced Mizzou in kills in all three matches and posted a season-best 19 in the Tigers' four-set win over Pepperdine.
Molly Kreklow was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week after anchoring the league's top offense. She averaged 13.60 assists per set and notched a new career-best with her 52 against Pepperdine. She also passed out 47 against Rice, a Mizzou record for assists in a three-set match during the 25-point era. Caitlyn Vann claimed her fourth Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor after pacing the league in digs at 6.20 per set. She had 18 or more digs in each of the three matches, including a season-best 25 against Pepperdine.
Support From Tiger Nation
After the first two weeks of play, Mizzou currently ranks 17th overall in average attendance after averaging 1,633 fans per match at the Tiger Invitational. A season-high 1,872 fans watched the Tigers top Utah Valley. Not only that, but the Tigers' student group, the VolleyZOU, came in numbers as well with more than 300 VolleyZOU members showing up for each match, showing unrivaled support from Tiger nation. In fact, few schools have ranked as highly as Mizzou in average attendance since 2000. In each season since the Kreklows took over, Mizzou has ranked in at least the top 20 in average attendance.
Scouting Iowa State
Coming off a loss No. 4 Nebraska in their Big 12 opener on Wednesday, No. 11 Cyclones are 7-2, with wins over two ranked opponents in Kentucky and Northern Iowa. Heading into Saturday's match in Columbia, Iowa State is hitting .286 as a team, just .003 ahead of Mizzou. The Cyclones also rank in the top three in the conference on defense, allowing opponents to hit just .141. ISU ranks second in the Big 12 to Nebraska in both assists and kills (Mizzou stands third in each category).
Individually, senior Victoria Henson leads the league in kills at 4.26 per set on .319 hitting. Sophomore setter Allison Landwehr ranks second to Mizzou's Molly Kreklow in the assists department, averaging 11.61 per set to Kreklow's 11.89. On defense, sophomore Jamie Straube leads the Cyclones with 1.29 per set, while senior Ashley Mass averages 3.97 digs per frame.
Mizzou leads the all-time series with ISU, 34-31, but has lost the last three, including both meetings last season. In fact, Mizzou has lost five of the last seven, but both wins have come in Columbia. Four of the last seven matches between the two teams have gone either four or five sets as this has been one of the most competitive rivalries in the Big 12 in the past five years.
Kreklow Earns Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Freshman setter Molly Kreklow (Delano, Minn.) brought with her plenty of accolades when she arrived on campus in January, but she added another in the preseason as the Big 12 coaches named Kreklow the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. Expected to take over the starting setting role this season, Kreklow is a two-time AAU All-American, an AVCA/Under Armour All-American and a three-time AAU National Champion with Mizuno Northern Lights. What is impressive about her nod is that a pair of Texas signees - Ashley Bannister (No. 12) and Hannah Allison (No. 9) - ranked ahead of Kreklow (No. 20) on the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list.
2010 Freshman Class Earns Praise
Despite having five seniors and two juniors on the 2010 roster, the Mizzou volleyball program will have plenty of fresh faces on the floor in 2010. Aside from Kreklow, who comes to Mizzou as the No. 20 overall prospect in the nation, the Tigers add Lisa Henning (Blue Springs, Mo.), Paige Buchanan (Manchester, Mo.) and Ashton Bodenstab (Blue Springs, Mo.). Henning is the No. 50 overall national recruit and will likely make an immediate impact at the outside hitter position. Buchanan and Bodenstab will also bolster the back row as both are defensive specialists. The four freshmen comprised the No. 14 overall recruiting class according the PrepVolleyball.com. The only Big 12 team to rank ahead of Mizzou in the PrepVolleyball.com rankings was Texas.
Klein Plays in Brazil
Senior outside hitter Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa) spent 10 days of her summer playing with the Bring-It Promotions/USA Developmental Volleyball tour in Brazil. She, along with 11 of the top collegiate players in the nation, played against some of Brazil's top national teams while taking in the sights that the country has to offer. The program helps line up professional careers for volleyball players after college by providing international experience. It also serves as a pipeline for USA Volleyball and all of those who may be interested in playing for Team USA after college.
Kreklow Sets for Junior National Team
Klein wasn't the only Tiger to spend a portion of her summer south of the American border. Kreklow spent a week in Tijuana, Mexico, as a member of the USA Volleyball Junior National Team at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NORCECA) Continental Championships. Kreklow was the team's starting setter and helped Team USA to a perfect 5-0 record while starting four of the five matches. She also dished out a team-high 61 assists in the tournament. The spot on the Junior National Team was her second stint with USA Volleyball as she also set for the Youth National Team last summer. Kreklow was the only player on the roster to boast collegiate experience after enrolling in classes back in January.
Henning Guides Club to Junior Nationals
Freshman Lisa Henning (Blue Springs, Mo.) led her KC Extreme Club Team to a Junior Olympic Northeast Qualifier title after winning 10 matches during Easter weekend in Baltimore, Md. The title secured her club a spot in the Junior National Championships. Henning, a 6-1 outside hitter, was KC Extreme's go-to player throughout the tournament as her play was paramount in guiding the team to a National Championship berth. What was even more impressive is that the team had already secured a bid to the tournament, but battled back to beat a very talented Encinitas Wave - a club team based out of San Diego, Calif. - to earn the tournament title. The Wave, led by UCLA signee Kelly Reeves, claimed the first set in the match, but Henning and KC Extreme won each of the final two sets to win top honors at the tournament.
Vann Tries Out for US National Team
Caitlyn Vann (Muncie, Ind.) recently tried out for the USA Volleyball National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo., and participated with some of the nation's elite talent. On hand were national team coaches Hugh McCutcheon and Karch Kiraly along with the entire USA Volleyball staff, making it a great experience for the tiger libero.
"I thought it would be a good opportunity and I wanted to see where I stood nationally for my position. And it's good for networking I'm looking to go pro after college and it's already really difficult for my position, so knowing the national team coach and talking to all the different coaches is good networking."
Bodenstab Makes the Transition
Last season, freshman Ashton Bodenstab (Blue Springs, Mo.) competed with the Mizzou track and field program before making the transition to volleyball this season. Bodenstab was training in the combined events under Mizzou assistant coach Dan Lefever. But she specialized in volleyball during high school and when the opportunity presented itself to walk onto Mizzou's team, she did just that. She was an All-State, All-District and All-Area selection in 2008 before coming to Mizzou in 2009.
Tigers Build New Team Room
The Tigers got a surprise when they came to the team's first official practice as the coaching staff spent the summer designing a new team room. The room, which sits across the hall from the current volleyball locker room in the old Hearnes Center interview room, features a sitting area with leather couches, work space for student-athletes to study and a brand new home entertainment center.
Volleyball - Tiger Cup Winners
After spending countless hours in the community last season, the Mizzou volleyball team was awarded the Tiger Cup Trophy. The Tiger Cup recognizes the Mizzou team that earned the most overall points in the team competition. Points were awarded for achievement in academics, athletics and for community involvement. Awarded a prize of $3,000, the volleyball players stayed true to their commitment to the community and immediately donated their entire prize to the Mid-Missouri Susan G. Komen Foundation, which raises funds for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Undisputed Success
In the 10 seasons that Wayne and Susan Kreklow have been at the helm of the Mizzou program, the Tigers have seen an unprecedented level of success. In fact, Mizzou has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in eight of the past 10 seasons, making them one of only 16 teams nationally to accomplish that feat. The Kreklows won their 200th game at Mizzou last season after defeating Texas Tech, 3-0, in Lubbock. That is good for an average of 20 wins per season, a bench mark that usually results in a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Follow Mizzou on Twitter
Mizzou volleyball has started its own Twitter page. Be sure to follow the Tigers all season long at http://twitter.com/MU_Volleyball. The site will be updated all year long with updates on the team and special insight into what it is like to be a member of the Mizzou volleyball team. Check back all season for updates.
Tiger Volleyball on the Radio
The Mizzou volleyball team will have each of its home and its Big 12 road matches live on the radio at MUTigers.com all season long. At home, the live broadcasts will be streamed with live video on Mizzou All-Access. Also, video updates and highlights from the Tigers' road trips will be posted on MUTigers.com all season long. Ross Taylor of Mizzou All-Access will serve as the voice of the Tigers while former Tiger All-American setter Lindsey Hunter will provide play-by-play.
Up Next
Mizzou will host another nationally ranked opponent when No. 8 Texas comes to the Hearnes Center on Sept. 22. Mizzou will then hit the road for another tough match against Kansas State in Manhattan. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com.