Nov. 23, 2010
Match Info: Mizzou (20-9, 12-7 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma (20-9, 12-6 Big 12)
Date: Nov. 24
Time: 6:30 p.m. (CT)
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Arena: Hearnes Center
Live Streaming: Mizzou All-Access
Live Stats: Gametracker
Game Notes: Complete Release in PDF Format 
The Opening Serve - What You Need to Know
• Mizzou and Oklahoma have split the last seven meetings as neither team has won on the road in that span. The winner of Wednesday's match will have an inside track at a third-place finish in the league. A loss for the Tigers would guarantee a fifth-place finish in the Big 12. If OU loses on Wednesday, it could still finish third.
• Mizzou has 20 wins so far in 2010, its most since the 2005 season. The 20-win campaign is the Tigers' fifth under the direction of Wayne and Susan Kreklow. The Tigers' 12 wins in league play are their most since 2005 as well.
• After winning its final road match of the season at Baylor on Saturday, Mizzou finishes the regular season with 11 wins away from the Hearnes Center in 2010. Mizzou had only seven all of last season. Mizzou also went 6-4 in road matches during league play and has two wins over RPI top 50 teams on the road this season.
• The Tigers, highlighted by 25 digs from libero Caitlyn Vann, posted a season-best 83 digs in their win at Baylor on Saturday. Five players finished with double-digit dig totals (marking the fourth time that that has happened this season) as they out-dug the league leader in digs per set for the second time in 2010.
• Mizzou continues to pace the league in aces per set (1.20) during Big 12 play. Senior Julianna Klein ranks first in the league (0.34) during league play while Caitlyn Vann is second (0.29).
What's Inside? - A Quick Look at the Notes
• Mizzou has won nine of its last 11 matches with its only losses coming against top 10 teams in that span.
• The Tigers won their 20th match of 2010 at Baylor, marking their first 20-win season since 2005.
• A win over Oklahoma would be the Tigers' 13th Big 12 win, which would be their most since 2005.
• Mizzou finished the regular season with 11 wins away from home. It had only seven all of last season.
• At 12-7 in Big 12 play, a win over OU would give the Tigers a chance to finish as high as third in the Big 12.
• Mizzou and Oklahoma have split the last seven meetings as neither team has won on the road in that span.
• The Tigers posted a season-best 83 digs in their win at Baylor, a three-set program record (rally scoring era).
• Libero Caitlyn Vann now leads the Big 12 in digs per set with 5.35 per frame during league play.
• Vann was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row and fifth time this season.
• Mizzou continues to lead the league in service aces during Big 12 play with 1.20 per set.
• Julianna Klein leads the Big 12 in service aces per set (0.34) during league play while Vann is second (0.29).
• Klein is now the most experienced Tiger in program history after playing in her 126th match and 455 sets.
• Freshman Lisa Henning is hitting .278 with 39 kills over her last four matches.
• Priscilla Armendariz has not committed a reception error in 16 straight matches (166 chances).
• Paola Ampudia has posted double-doubles in five of six matches as she now leads the team with 11.
Tigers Wrap Up Regular Season Against Oklahoma
At 20-9 and 12-7 in Big 12 play, the Mizzou volleyball team will look to shore up its NCAA Tournament hopes as Oklahoma will make its way to the Hearnes Center for a 6:30 match on Wednesday. Prior to the match, the Tigers will honor their five seniors in the annual senior day festivities. Fans unable to attend the match can check in on Mizzou All-Access.
The Matchup
Wednesday's match pits two teams with identical overall records as both will be looking for another key win to add to their NCAA Tournament résumé. OU leads the all-time series with Mizzou, 37-32, but the teams have split the last seven meetings as neither team has won on the road in that span. A win on Wednesday gives the winner an inside track at a possible third-place finish in the league while a loss guarantees the Tigers fifth place in the league. OU could still finish third with a loss on Wednesday.
Last Time Out
Mizzou strengthened its NCAA Tournament hopes with a sweep of Baylor, marking its 11th win away from home in 2010 and its 20th overall. The Tiger back row was the highlight of the match as it posted a season-best 83 digs in just three sets, marking the second time that Mizzou has out-dug Baylor this season despite the Bears leading the league in that department. Mizzou also got at least eight kills from five different players in the win, highlighted by 10 from Paola Ampudia. Senior Weiwen Wang posted eight kills on .571 hitting as well.
Padding the NCAA Tournament Résumé
The Tigers enter Wednesday's match at No. 42 in the RPI, 20-9 overall and 12-7 in Big 12 play, which is just a half match back of third place in the league. In fact, Mizzou has made a charge in the last six weeks by winning nine of its last 11 matches. Mizzou has also gone 11-6 away from home this season, including seven wins in true road matches. Two of those road wins have come against RPI top 51 teams, highlighted by a win over No. 12 Iowa State, which stands at 19th in this week's RPI rankings. Mizzou also went 8-2 in non-conference matches this season and received 10 votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 poll, ranking 36th nationally.
Best Since 2005?
At 20-9 overall and 12-7 in Big 12 play, Mizzou is having its best season since 2005 in terms of wins and losses. In fact, Mizzou's 20 wins are its most since posting 25 in 2005 while the 12 wins in league play are also the most by a Tiger team since 2005. A win on Wednesday would give the Tigers an inside track to a top-three finish in the league, which would also be the best by a Tiger team since 2005.
Peaking at the Right Time
Six weeks ago, Mizzou stood at just 3-5 in Big 12 play and 11-7 overall, making an NCAA Tournament bid seem like a far-fetched possibility. But since that time, Mizzou has won nine of its last 11 matches with its only two losses in that span coming on the road against top 10 opponents Nebraska and Texas. Now, the Tigers appear to be on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Aside from both Nebraska and Texas, Mizzou is arguably the hottest team in the Big 12.
Honoring the Seniors
Wednesday's match will mark the final home match for five Tiger seniors as each senior will be honored before the match. The five seniors are Paola Ampudia, Julianna Klein, Caitlyn Vann, Weiwen Wang and Catie Wilson. Four of the five seniors have played in at least 100 career matches while the other - Ampudia - has played in every match during her two-year career at Mizzou. All five will likely leave the program ranked in the top 10 in at least one career statistical category.
Big Day for the Back Row
In Saturday's win at Baylor, Mizzou pulled in a season-best 83 digs in just three sets (27.67 per frame) as five players finished with double-digit dig totals. The 83 digs are the program's top three-set mark during the rally scoring era while it marks the fourth time this season that Mizzou has had five players with at least 10 digs. The Tigers had not had five players with double-digit digs in the 25-point set era before the four times this season. Mizzou's back row was also strong on serve receive at Baylor as it was not aced in the match, marking the first time this season that Mizzou has not been aced in a match.
Vann Regains First Place
Senior libero Caitlyn Vann posted 25 digs in the Tigers' win at Baylor on Saturday which moves her back atop the league standings in digs per set during Big 12 play. In fact, she is averaging 5.35 per frame in the Tigers' 19 league contests, which ranks her just ahead of Iowa State's Ashley Mass (5.22). Vann was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts. It marks the second-straight week that she has earned the award and fifth time this season.
Kreklow Remains Second
Freshman setter Molly Kreklow continues to rank second in the Big 12 in assists per set after her performance last week. She is now averaging 11.66 per set this season, just behind ISU's Alison Landwehr (11.73). She also sits as the nation's No. 13 ranked setter and is the No. 2 freshman on the list. Kreklow has spread at least 40 assists in 11 of her last 17 matches. She was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the fifth time last week, more than any other player in the Big 12 this season.
An Ace in the Hole
After serving five aces at Baylor on Saturday, Mizzou continues to rank first in the league in aces per set during Big 12 play at 1.20. A pair of Tigers also sit atop the individual serving ranks during league play as well. Julianna Klein is currently leading the league with 0.34 aces per set while libero Caitlyn Vann, due in large part to her two aces at Baylor, has moved to second on the list with 0.29 aces per set. Klein has 23 aces during Big 12 play while Vann is just behind her with 20.
Are You Experienced?
Not only has Julianna Klein been serving the ball well lately, but she has been climbing the Mizzou record books and now ranks as the most experienced Tiger in program history after Saturday's match at Baylor. Klein played in her 126th career match, which ties her for the most in program history. She also currently occupies the top spot in career sets played (455) in her career at Mizzou.
Rewriting the Record Books
Aside from her aforementioned first-place ranking in career sets and matches played, Klein also ranks second in career attacks (4,248), sixth in career kills (1,416), sixth in points (1,648), ninth in solo blocks (54), 10th in kills per set (3.11) and is eighth in career service aces (120) as well. She is also only the third Tiger during the rally scoring era to have at least 1,400 kills, 800 digs and 100 service aces in her career.
Paola Among League Leaders
Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia continues to rank among the Big 12 elite in kills per set and points per set. In fact, Ampudia ranks fourth in the Big 12 in kills per set (4.03) and points per set (4.49) overall this season. During Big 12 play, Ampudia ranks fifth in kills per set at 4.12 in league play and in points per set at 4.49. She is 32nd nationally in kills per set as well.
Double-Double Trouble for Ampudia
Already leading the team with 407 kills this season, Ampudia has begun to show off her complete game over the past three weeks. In fact, Ampudia has posted double-doubles in five of her last six matches, giving her a team-high 11 this season. She has also been nearly perfect on serve receive in that span, committing just two errors on 49 chances.
More Big 12 Weekly Honors
Mizzou has claimed 13 Big 12 weekly honors this season, a league-best. Molly Kreklow has been honored as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week five times while Caitlyn Vann has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week five times as well. Also, Paola Ampudia has been named Big 12 Player of the Week twice and junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage also earned her first career Big 12 Player of the Week honor this season.
Lisa Lights `Em Up
Freshman Lisa Henning has been one of the Tigers' best attackers over the last four matches, starting with the match against Texas Tech (Nov. 10). Over her last four, Henning is hitting .278 with 39 kills, which ranks third-best on the team in that span. Henning began that streak by posting a career-best 15 kills against Texas Tech. She followed that outing with seven kills on .462 hitting against Texas A&M. Most recently, she tallied seven kills on a team-best .292 hitting at Texas and followed that with nine kills on .200 hitting at Baylor.
Send `Em Back, Brit!
Junior middle blocker Brittney Brimmage continues to pace the Tigers in blocks this season as she added four to her ledger at Baylor. She has 105 blocks on the season and is averaging 1.04 per set. Her blocking numbers have improved from those marks over her last eight matches. In that span, she is averaging 1.37 blocks per set with 37 total (seven solo, 30 assists). In fact, Brimmage now ranks 10th in the Big 12 with her 1.04 blocks per set this season and is ranked ninth in league play at 1.09 as well.
She's Also a Pretty Good Hitter
Aside from her blocking numbers as of late, Brimmage has also hit pretty well. In fact, she ranks fifth in the Big 12 in hitting at .321 and is ninth during league play with a .284 clip. Brimmage, following her performance against both Kansas and K-State, earned Big 12 Player of the Week (Nov. 1) honors for the first time in her career.
Pip's Been Consistent
Junior Priscilla Armendariz has been steady in the back row during Big 12 play. In fact, she has not committed a reception error in 16 straight matches (166 chances) and has just two during Big 12 play. She leads the team with a .979 serve reception percentage this season and has seen that mark improve to .990 in league play. After committing four reception errors on 94 chances in non-conference play (.957), she has committed just two on 193 chances in Big 12 play.
Armendariz has also been a steady option defensively as she has posted double-digit digs in 10 of the Tigers' Big 12 matches and is averaging 2.54 digs per set during Big 12 play. She tallied a season-best 14 digs while converting all 19 serve receptions at Colorado and pulled in 13 at No. 12 Iowa State while converting 18 serve receptions.
Where Have All the Five-Setters Gone?
In the Tigers' last 63 matches, they have played in just two five-set matches, both of which came against Texas A&M. Mizzou is the only team in the Big 12 to play in that few five-set matches during that span and joins Iowa State as the only teams to have played in just one in 2010.
Winning, it's as simple as...
...Holding your opponents to under .200 hitting. Mizzou is 12-1 when limiting its opponents to below .200 hitting, but Mizzou is just 8-8 when opponents hit better than .200. The Tigers limited Baylor to .154 hitting on Saturday.
Scouting Oklahoma
The Sooners enter Wednesday's match with a 20-7 overall mark while sitting at 12-6 in Big 12 play, giving them nearly an identical record as the Tigers in 2010.
OU has a flare for the dramatic as its has played in just 10 three-set matches this season, going 6-4 in those contests. However, the Sooners have played in 19 matches that have went at least four or five sets, going 14-5 in those matches, including 4-0 in five-setters.
Outside hitter Suzy Boulavsky has been the Sooner's best attacker this season as she is averaging 3.49 kills per set on .277 hitting. Freshman Sallie McLaurin has also put together a fine freshman season with 226 kills on .314 hitting. Sarah Freudenrich has been a force at the net with 188 kills on .317 hitting as well.
Single Season Record Watch
Caitlyn Vann, Molly Kreklow and Paola Ampudia are all on pace to finish the season with top-10 single season marks in Mizzou history in certain statistical categories. With 524 digs this season, Vann is on pace to pull in 542 this season, which would be the fourth-best mark in Mizzou history. Kreklow has 1,139 assists on the season and is on pace to spread 1,218 assists, which would rank 10th all-time and the best mark during the 25-point set era. Lastly, with 407 kills this season, Ampudia is on pace to finish with 421 and 4.03 kills per set, which would rank eighth all-time at Mizzou should she finish the season with that average.
National Recognition for Ampudia
Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia took home Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week honors on Nov. 9 for her efforts in a pair of wins at Colorado and at No. 12 Iowa State. She became only the fourth Tiger to take home the award in program history and the first to do so since 2006. Ampudia totaled 43 kills (5.36 per set) on .265 hitting that week while helping Mizzou claim back-to-back road wins and its first win over a top-15 team since 2006.
Tigers Ink Seven to National Letters of Intent
The Mizzou volleyball program inked seven players to National Letters of Intent last Wednesday (Nov. 10), marking the largest recruiting class for Wayne and Susan Kreklow while at Mizzou. Among the seven players, four rank on the PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces list, which ranks the nation's top seniors.
Mizzou signed Jade Hayes (6-0, L/OH, Ozark, Mo.), Whittney Little (6-3, MB, Keller, Texas), Katie O'Brien (6-0, OH, Dallas, Texas), Emily Wilson (6-2, MB/OH, Omaha, Neb.), Melissa Hartsel (6-2, MB, Concordia, Kan.), Sarah Meister (5-7, DS, San Diego, Calif.) and Niki Collier (6-0, OH/DS, Manhattan Beach, Calif./Columbia, Mo.).
Wilson, Hayes, Little and O'Brien all appeared on the Senior Aces list. Wilson leads the way, ranking No. 69 while Hayes checks in just behind her at No. 78. Little is ranked No. 82 on the list while O'Brien ranks as one of the top 15 players not ranked in the top 100. Collier and Hartsel each landed on the Under Armour/AVCA High School All-American Watch List as well. Meister was a member of the USA Volleyball High Performance Select Team.
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 111-71 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 220-117 at Mizzou. Coincidentally, their 200th career win at Mizzou came in Lubbock last season.
Vann Takes Her Spot in Record Book
Senior libero Caitlyn Vann has already earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors four times this season but it is her total number of digs that this season that has her climbing the record books. With 524 digs this season, she has moved her career total to 1,884, trailing only former Tiger Tatum Ailes for first all-time. Vann also ranks fourth among Big 12 players all-time with her 1,884 career digs. Vann is one of four active players on the list, but she holds a comfortable lead over fifth-place Lauren Matthewson of K-State.
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.
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 197 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
Through 29 matches of the season, Mizzou currently ranks 16th nationally in average attendance after averaging 2,000 fans per match. A season-high 2,651 fans watched the Tigers face KU 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.
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.
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 to earn the tournament title.
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.
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 await its NCAA Tournament fate as Wednesday's match is its final contest of the regular season. The NCAA Tournament selection show will air live on ESPNews between 2 and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 28). Mizzou will host a watch party while the details of the watch party are still being discussed and likely finalized following Wednesday's match with the Sooners.