Tigers Look for Road Win at Texas A&M
10/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2010
Match Info: Mizzou (11-7, 3-5 Big 12) at Texas A&M (9-8, 3-4 Big 12)
Date: Oct. 13
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: College Station, Texas
Arena: Reed Arena
Radio: Mizzou All-Access (P: Ross Taylor, C: Lindsey Hunter)
Live Stats:Gametracker
Internet Streaming: Mizzou All-Access
Game Notes: Complete Release in PDF Format 
What's Inside? - A Quick Look at the Notes
• Mizzou's defense shined at OU, setting season-bests in blocks and digs as five players pulled in at least 10 digs.
• Three Tigers posted double-doubles at OU. The three are the most in a single match since Oct. 3, 2007.
• Mizzou has played in just one five-set match in its last 52 contests, a Big 12-low.
• Mizzou suffered its first loss when holding an opponent to under .200 hitting at OU on Saturday.
• A win Wednesday would be Mizzou's eighth away from Hearnes in 2010. Mizzou had only seven in 2009.
• Paola Ampudia posted a Big 12 and team-high 29 kills at Oklahoma and has 63 in her last three matches.
• Ampudia leads all Big 12 attackers with 4.38 kills per set in league play. She ranks first in points per set too.
• Ampudia is averaging 21 kills per match over her last three and 6.30 kills per set in that span.
• The Tigers lead the Big 12 in aces per set during Big 12 play at 1.21.
• Molly Kreklow continues to pace the Big 12 in assists per set (11.77) and ranks 10th nationally.
• Kreklow has at least 40 assists in five of her last six matches.
• Brittney Brimmage needs just six kills to pass her kill total from her first two seasons combined.
• Brimmage posted a career-best eight blocks at Oklahoma. She has led Mizzou in blocks 11 times this season.
The Opening Serve - What You Need to Know
• Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia posted a Big 12 and team high 29 kills at Oklahoma last Saturday. She now has 63 kills over her last three matches (21 per match and 6.30 per set) and is hitting .270 in that span. She ranks first in the Big 12 during league play in kills per set (4.38) and points per set (4.83).
• Mizzou ranks first among Big 12 schools in aces per set at 1.21 in their eight matches this season. Both Julianna Klein and Caitlyn Vann are averaging 0.34 aces per set in league play this season, a mark that leads the Big 12.
• Freshman setter Molly Kreklow ranks first in the Big 12 in assists per set this season at 11.77. She has dished 40 or more assists in five of the Tigers' last six matches, including 49 at Oklahoma last Saturday.
• Mizzou's defense played well in the loss at Oklahoma as it set season-bests in digs (74), blocks (13) and block assists (20). Five players finished with double-digit dig totals as well, marking the first time that the Tigers have done so in the 25-point set era.
• Three Tigers, highlighted by Ampudia's 29 kills and 11 digs, posted double-doubles in last Saturday's match at OU, marking the first time since Oct. 3, 2007, since that has happened. Julianna Klein and Molly Kreklow were the other two players to post double-doubles in the match.
Tigers Headed to Texas A&M
The Mizzou volleyball team will resume Big 12 play this Wednesday (Oct. 13) at Texas A&M as the Aggies will host the Tigers in a 6:30 match at Reed Arena. The Tigers are coming off of a tough loss at Oklahoma, but the Aggies have lost three straight matches as both teams will look to get back on track Wednesday. Mizzou All-Access will be broadcasting the match live with Ross Taylor and Lindsey Hunter providing the call. MUTigers.com will also offer a live blog of the match.
The Matchup
Mizzou and Texas A&M split the season series in 2009 while the Aggies lead the overall series, 22-9. Before sweeping the Tigers in their final match of 2010, the previous four meetings between the two teams had all gone four sets or longer, including two five setters, one of which was a comeback by the Tigers at the Hearnes Center in which they rallied after trailing, 2-0. The Aggies have won four of the last five meetings.
Last Time Out
Mizzou set season-highs in attacks (184), total blocks (13.0), block assists (20), digs (74) and double-doubles (three) but dropped a four-set match at Oklahoma. The match was the Tigers' longest of the season as two sets went beyond the 25-point plateau, highlighted by the fourth, which saw the Sooners win, 32-20. Senior Paola Ampudia led Mizzou with 29 kills in the match, which are a team high in 2010 and a Big 12 high as well. Also, five players posted double-digit dig total and three players, including Ampudia, posted double-doubles in the match. Despite improved defensive play, unforced errors doomed the Tigers in the match as they committed 53 in the match, 36 of which were attack errors.
She's Heating Up!
With her 29 kills in the Tigers' loss at Oklahoma last Saturday, senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia now has 63 kills in her last three matches, good for 21 per match and 6.30 per set. She is now first overall in the Big 12 in kills per set (4.38) and points per set (4.83) during league play and ranks second in both of those categories overall. She has hit the 20-kill mark in two of her last three matches and has hit .270 in that span, a team-best over those three matches.
Scary Good in October
As mentioned above, Ampudia leads the Tigers and the Big 12 with 63 kills in the month of October. In her career at Mizzou, Ampudia has played in 13 matches in the month of October and is averaging more than 17 kills per match in those contests. Last year, Ampudia posted 159 kills in 10 matches in October as she began a stretch of 16 matches where no Big 12 attacker had more kills than her. She has posted more than 16 kills in seven of those matches and more than 20 in four of those, highlighted by her 35 at Kansas last season.
Double Vision
Ampudia was one of three Tigers to post a double-double at Oklahoma on Saturday, marking the first time since Oct. 3, 2007, against Colorado that Mizzou has had three players post double-doubles. Joining Ampudia with double-doubles were Julianna Klein (11 kills, 13 digs) and Molly Kreklow (49 assists, 13 digs).
Tiger Back Row Back to Form
Mizzou's defense saw marked improvement on Saturday as the back row corralled a season-best 74 digs in the match, helping limit the Sooners to .191 hitting. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it was their first loss when limiting opponents to under .200 hitting this season. Five Tigers pulled in at least 10 digs, highlighted by 21 from senior libero Caitlyn Vann, marking the first time in the 25-point set era that Mizzou has seen five players post double-digit dig totals in a match. Kreklow added a career-best 13 digs as did Klein. Ampudia pulled in 11 digs while defensive specialist Priscilla Armendariz pulled in a season-best 12 in the match. Vann was the best of the bunch for the Tigers on Saturday as she was also perfect on 29 service receptions to go along with her 21 digs. She did have one overpass in the match off of a serve, but that ended up a kill as it found the floor on the Sooners' side.
A Block Party
Staying on the topic of defense, the Tiger block was arguably the best that it has been all season at Oklahoma as Mizzou posted a season-best 13 total blocks and a season-best 20 block assists. Junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage posted eight total blocks in the match (one solo, seven assists), a career-best and the best by any Tiger in 2010. Mizzou raised its season average from 1.84 blocks per set to 1.94 in just Saturday's match alone.
An Ace in the Hole
In Big 12 play, the Tigers rank first in aces per set with 1.21 per frame in the seven matches. Both Julianna Klein and Caitlyn Vann are tied atop the league standings during Big 12 play as they are both averaging 0.34 per set and have 10 in the Tigers' eight Big 12 matches. Vann has six aces in her last three matches as well. Klein also ranks fourth overall among Big 12 players with her 0.29 aces per set in all 18 of the Tigers' contests in 2010.
Tigers Getting Offensive
Mizzou's offense continues to rank among the Big 12's best as it ranks in the top four in each of the major three offensive categories (kills, assists, hitting). Mizzou ranks second among Big 12 teams with 13.40 assists per set and kills per set with 14.11 while ranking fourth in hitting at .244.
Where Have All the Five-Setters Gone?
In the Tigers' last 52 matches, they have played in just one five-set match and that was a comeback win over Texas A&M at the Hearnes Center last season. Mizzou rallied from being down two sets in that match to win in the fifth. But that is the only five-set match for the Tigers since Nov. 22, 2008, when the Tigers lost to Baylor in five. Mizzou had seven five-set matches alone that season. Mizzou is the only team in the Big 12 to play in that few five-set matches during that span and is also the only team to not play in a five-setter this season. Iowa State is the only team to have played in just one; every other team has at least two five-set matches just this season.
Success on the Road
After going just 4-7 on the road and 3-3 at neutral sites last year, Mizzou has already seen a drastic improvement in its play away from Hearnes Center this season. Mizzou went 4-1 in neutral site non-conference matches in 2010 and is 3-3 in true road matches this season already, giving the Tigers a 7-4 record away from Hearnes Center in 2010. A win on Wednesday would give the Tigers their eighth win away from Hearnes this season, more than they had all of last season.
A Tough Road at Home
Despite the Tigers fast start away from Hearnes this season, Mizzou has struggled in its home arena in 2010, compiling just a 4-3 overall record. Mizzou won its first eight home matches last season, its best start at home since 2003, making the struggles at home uncharacteristic. In all fairness, the Tigers won their first three at home but have faced three AVCA Top-12 teams in their first four Big 12 home matches this season, explaining why the home record stands at 4-3.
Kreklow Remains On Top
Molly Kreklow passed out 49 assists in the Tigers' loss at Oklahoma on Saturday, just three off of her season best in 2010. Kreklow is now averaging 11.77 assists per set in 2010, a mark that leads the Big 12, just ahead of second-place Alison Landwehr of Iowa State, who is averaging 11.33. Since the start of Big 12 play, Kreklow's numbers have actually increased as she is averaging a Big 12-best 11.90 per set. She has dished more than 40 assists in five of her last six matches.
Aside from her ranking in the Big 12, Kreklow stands at No. 10 nationally and is the second freshman on the list as arguably no freshman in the nation has had a greater impact on their team than Kreklow.
Could be a Big Day for Brimmage
With 163 kills already this season, junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage needs just five kills on Wednesday to surpass her kill total from her first two seasons combined. The Tiger junior is hitting .330 this season as well, a clip that ranks sixth in the Big 12 this season.
Are You Experienced?
Tiger middle hitter Catie Wilson is. In fact, should she play in Wednesday's match (she has started all 18 contests this season, making it highly likely) she will play in her 100th match as a Tiger. Only Julianna Klein and Caitlyn Vann have played in 100 matches among active players at Mizzou. Wilson is sixth all-time in career hitting at .281. Classmate Weiwen Wang is also one match shy of playing in her 100th match as a Tiger as she has played in 12 matches this season.
The Crown "Jules"
Through the first six matches this season Julianna Klein posted 46 kills (7.67 per match), which ranked fourth on the team. Since that time, Klein has posted 130 kills (10.83 per match) and pulled in 106 digs with 14 aces. During that span, she has moved from fourth on the team in kills to second. Klein also eclipsed the 100-ace plateau in her career this season, making her only the third player under the direction of Wayne and Susan Kreklow to have more than 1,200 kills, 700 digs and 100 service aces in her career. The other two were Jessica Vander Kooi and Shen Danru. Klein now has 1,297 kills, 739 digs and 107 aces. She also ranks seventh all time with 1,506 career points.
Pip's Been Consistent
After possibly her worst match of the season against Virginia Tech when she pulled in just two digs, junior defensive specialist Priscilla Armendariz has been a very steady option for the Tigers in the last eight matches (all Big 12 contests). She has pulled in at least seven digs in each of those eight contests and has hit double-digits in four of those, highlighted by a season-best 12 at Oklahoma last Saturday. She has 76 digs in her last eight matches and is averaging 2.62 per set, the second-best mark on the team in that span.
Armendariz has also boasted a .969 serve receive percentage with just two errors on 46 chances in those matches. In fact, the Tiger junior was perfect on 18 attempts at Oklahoma on Saturday and is perfect in her last five matches on 37 total chances. She has also tallied eight of her 11 service aces on the season in that span and ranks seventh in the Big 12 in that department during league play.
Winning, it's as simple as...
...Holding your opponents to under .200 hitting. Mizzou is 6-1 when limiting its opponents to below .200 hitting, but Mizzou is just 5-6 when opponents hit better than .200. The Tigers are 1-5 this season when allowing teams to hit above .300 as well. The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season when limiting a team to under .200 hitting on Saturday at Oklahoma.
Petrick and Bodenstab Contribute
Sophomore Lindsey Petrick and freshman Ashton Bodenstab have been steady forces off the bench for the Tigers this season and both played in Saturday's match at OU. Petrick also played at Kansas and severed to spark a key Tiger run in that match. Bodenstab saw her most playing time against Virginia Tech and was nearly perfect on 19 service reception chances, committing just one error.
Scouting Texas A&M
The Aggies come into Wednesday's match at 9-8 overall and have lost each of their last three matches and nearly lost four in a row after squeaking by Colorado in five sets. However, the Aggies do boast a very quality win in league play over Texas, who was ranked No. 8 at the time. In fact, Texas A&M swept the Longhorns to open Big 12 play.
Kelsey Black leads the Aggies as she is averaging 4.10 kills per set and has 254 total this season. The next-best attacker for A&M is Lindsey Miller, who has 125 and is averaging 2.02 per set. No regular Aggie attacker is hitting better than .248 this season. Texas A&M ranks third in the Big 12 with 1.37 aces per set but is averaging just 0.89 in Big 12 play. They have also committed 141 service errors in 2010. Mizzou trails the all-time series with A&M, 22-9, while the Aggies have won four of the last five meetings between the two.
Continuing to Set the Table
A three-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 11.77. She has anchored an offense that features four hitters with at least 100 kills on the year. She has assisted on 730 of the Tigers' 875 kills (83.4-percent) and has the Tigers hitting .244 on the season. She also ranks third on the team in digs with 142 total and leads the team with five 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 at Western Kentucky and tallied six aces. She blocked with two hands for the first time at Texas Tech as well. She has taken home Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors three times this season, more than any other player in the Big 12.
Kreklow Cracks Century Mark
Mizzou head coach Wayne Kreklow, currently in his sixth season at the helm of the program, tallied his 100th win as the Tiger head coach at Texas Tech. He is now 102-69 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 211-115 at Mizzou. Coincidentally, their 200th career win at Mizzou came in Lubbock last season.
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.
Vann Takes Her Spot in Record Book
Senior libero Caitlyn Vann has already earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors and been named to the Tiger Invitational All-Tournament team, but it is her total number of digs that this season that has her climbing the record books. With 289 digs this season, she has moved her career total to 1,649, 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 146 kills on the season - fourth-best on the team. 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 with her 12 against Maryland and 13 on .444 hitting against Nevada. She is also the only athlete to do so under the direction of Wayne and Susan Kreklow at Mizzou.
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 18 matches of the season, Mizzou currently ranks 15th nationally in average attendance after averaging 1,989 fans per match. A season-high 2,558 fans watched the Tigers face No. 3 Nebraska last Wednesday. 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. Those numbers should see an increase on Wednesday as fans always pack the house when Nebraska comes to town. In fact, Mizzou set its program attendance record against Nebraska back in 2005 when 7,298 fans packed into the Hearnes Center.
Kreklow Earns Preseason 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 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.
Henning Guides Club to Junior Nationals
Freshman Lisa Henning led her KC Extreme Club Team to a Junior Olympic Northeast Qualifier title after winning 10 matches in Baltimore, Md. The title secured her club a spot in the Junior National Championships. Henning 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 recently tried out for the USA Volleyball National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo., and participated with some of the nation's elite talent.
"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.
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. Check back all season for updates, video and pictures. Also, be sure to follow Mizzou Athletics' official twitter account at http://twitter.com/mutigersdotcom as it will also be updated with volleyball related content.
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. 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 return home to face Baylor at the Hearnes Center on Saturday (Oct. 16) before heading into its first bye of Big 12 play. Mizzou All-Access will have the call from the Hearnes Center on Saturday.
