Dec. 8, 2010
Match Info: Mizzou (22-10, 12-8 Big 12) at No. 12 Duke (26-6, 16-4 ACC)
Date: Dec. 10
Time: 4 p.m. (CT)
Location: University Park, Pa.
Arena: Rec Hall
Live Streaming: Mizzou All-Access
Live Stats:
Game Notes: Complete Release in PDF Format 
The Opening Serve - What You Need to Know
• The Tigers are playing in their second Sweet 16 in program history and their first since 2005. Coincidentally, the last time the Tigers played in the Sweet 16, the regional just happened to be played at Penn State. Mizzou defeated Hawaii in the regional semifinal that season before falling to Tennessee in the regional final.
• Mizzou has won 11 of its last 14 matches and has claimed 13 wins away from home this season, matching its total from the last two seasons combined. Mizzou's win at Northern Iowa last Friday was the biggest first-round upset since the NCAA began seeding teams in 2000.
• Senior libero Caitlyn Vann is leading all players in the NCAA Tournament with 59 digs over her first two matches of the tournament. She pulled in 35, the second-best total of her career, against UNI and came back with 24 against Northwestern. Over her last 15 matches, Vann is averaging 6.19 dps and is averaging 6.56 dps during the NCAA Tournament.
•Three Tigers - Paola Ampudia, Molly Kreklow and Caitlyn Vann - earned AVCA All-Central Region honors this week. Ampudia was named All-Region first team while Kreklow was named Central Region Freshman of the Year. Vann, due in large part to her torrid pace in the second half of the season, was named All-Central Region honorable mention as well.
What's Inside? - A Quick Look at the Notes
• Mizzou is making its second Sweet 16 appearance in program history. The last was in 2005, also at Penn St.
• Mizzou pulled the biggest first-round upset in NCAA Tournament history by defeating fifth-seed UNI.
• After a pair of victories last weekend, Mizzou is now 8-8 all-time in nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Mizzou and Duke have two common foes in 2010. Mizzou went 1-1 in those contests while Duke was 2-2.
• Mizzou has won 11 of its last 14 matches as it prepares to face Duke.
• Mizzou won 13 matches away from home in 2010, matching its total from the last two seasons combined.
• Six Mizzou opponents have qualified for the NCAA Tournament while three have advanced the Sweet 16.
• Paola Ampudia is a first-team AVCA All-Central Region honoree and was a unanimous All-Big 12 selection.
• Ampudia led Mizzou with 39 kills on .275 hitting last weekend while averaging 2.56 digs per set.
• Molly Kreklow was named AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year by the region's coaches.
• Senior libero Caitlyn Vann leads all players in the NCAA Tournament with 59 digs through two matches.
• Vann was named AVCA All-Central Region honorable mention, averaging 6.19 dps over her last 15 matches.
• She is the first Tiger with 600 digs in a season and she is 19 shy of being the second Tiger with 2,000 in a career.
• Lisa Henning is the first freshman to lead MU in kills during an NCAA Tournament match since 2003.
• Henning set career-bests with 18 kills and .556 hitting against Northwestern in the second round.
My Super Sweet 16
After winning its first and second round matchups in Cedar Falls, Iowa, last weekend, the Mizzou volleyball team is onto the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history. Coincidentally, the last time Mizzou advanced to the Sweet 16 was at Penn State back in 2005. The Tigers' won their Sweet 16 match over Hawaii before falling to Tennessee in the Regional Final. Overall, Mizzou is 8-8 overall in NCAA Tournament matches, including a record of 1-1 in the second weekend of play (Sweet 16 and Elite Eight).
How Mizzou Got This Far
Mizzou pulled the biggest first round upset in the history of the NCAA Tournament after defeating Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls last Friday. Mizzou needed five sets to do so, claiming its first-ever five-set win during the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou had been 0-5 in such contests before Friday. Following a match that head coach Wayne Kreklow described as `epic' in his press conference, the Tigers had to turn around and play Northwestern just 17 hours later. Mizzou topped Northwestern in four sets behind an offense that hit .359, its second-best mark of the season. Freshman Lisa Henning led Mizzou with 18 kills on .556 hitting, both career-bests.
Common Opponents
Mizzou and Duke share a pair of common opponents, Maryland and Virginia Tech. Mizzou swept Maryland at home back in August while Duke split its two with the Terps. Mizzou lost to the Hokies in four at the Western Kentucky Invite while Duke split both of its meetings with Virginia Tech. Mizzou and Duke have never met.
Big 12 Awards
The Mizzou volleyball program saw three of its student-athletes earn spots on various All-Big 12 teams, as announced by the league office following the season. Senior outside hitter Paola Ampudia highlighted the selections as she was a unanimous pick to the All-Big 12 first team for the second straight season. Molly Kreklow was an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick while she and classmate Lisa Henning each landed on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
AVCA Awards
Mizzou saw three of its players earn AVCA All-Central Region honors this week as well. Ampudia was named to the All-Region First Team, marking the first time that she has been named to the All-Region team. She is also the Tigers' first All-Central Region honoree since 2006 when Jessica Vander Kooi was honored. Kreklow was named AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year, marking the first time a Tiger has taken home that award since 2002 - Vander Kooi was also the last to take home that honor as well. Caitlyn Vann was honored as an All-Central Region honorable mention selection as well.
A Quick Look at Mizzou
Make it Nine of the last 11 - Mizzou's at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament is its ninth overall, all nine of which have come under the direction of Wayne and Susan Kreklow, now in their 11th year at the helm of the program. Overall Mizzou is 8-8 in NCAA Tournament action and 1-1 regional semifinal/final matches.
Deja Vu - The NCAA Regional Semifinals appearance will have a familiar feeling for the Tigers. In fact, the last time Mizzou qualified for the regional semifinals was 2005, which coincidentally, was also played in State College, Pa., at Penn State. Mizzou bested Hawaii that season in the Sweet 16 before falling to Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
Streaking - The Tigers have won 11 of their last 14 matches after winning its pair of NCAA Tournament matches last weekend. Mizzou went just 3-5 in its first eight Big 12 matches but ran off six straight and eight of nine at one point. Two of Mizzou's three losses in that span came against AVCA Top 10 opponents in Nebraska and Texas and both matches were played on the road. The other came against Oklahoma, who like Nebraska and Texas, will be playing in the Sweet 16 this weekend.
Best Since 2005 - Mizzou's 22 wins this year are its most since 2005, its last NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Also, the Tigers' won 12 matches in Big 12 play, marking its most league wins since 2005. The 12 wins were good enough for a fifth-place nod in the league, also its best finish since 2005.
Upset City - Mizzou's win over fifth-seeded Northern Iowa on Friday marked the biggest first-round upset in NCAA Tournament history. Before this season, seeded teams were 160-0 in the first round and Mizzou joined Tulsa as the first two teams to knock off a seeded team in the first round. Tulsa beat No. 13 LSU on Friday as well. But Mizzou's win over No. 5 UNI is the biggest upset, seed-wise, in the first round of the tournament in NCAA history.
Road Warriors - Mizzou has won 13 matches away from home this season after its pair of wins last weekend. The 13 wins matches Mizzou's win total away from home in the previous two seasons combined. Mizzou has also defeated two ranked teams on the road this season and topped Pepperdine in its first true road match of the season.
Five-Set Drama - Mizzou's five-set win over Northern Iowa marked the first time in history that it had won a five-set match in the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou had been 0-5 in such matches prior to its win over UNI. Also, Mizzou set season-bests in kills (71) and digs (96) in the match. It was also the Tigers' second road win over a ranked opponent this season. Mizzou had not accomplished that feat since 2006 before topping Iowa State in Ames earlier this season.
Best of the Big 12 - The Tigers claimed 14 Big 12 Weekly awards this season, a 2010 league best. Mizzou also saw Paola Ampudia earn AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Nov. 9 as well. Mizzou libero Caitlyn Vann earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors six times this season, a Big 12 best, while Molly Kreklow earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week five times.
Quick Sets - Talking Points on the Impact Tigers
Paola Ampudia • Named to the AVCA All-Central Region First Team ... Led Mizzou with 39 kills on .275 while averaging 2.56 digs per set in the first and second rounds ... One of six unanimous selections to the 14-player All-Big 12 first team ... Leads the team with 472 kills (4.10 per set) and needs 28 kills to become the third Tiger with more than 500 kills in a single season ... Sits just seven attacks shy of setting the single season school record as well ... Named Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season and was honored as the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Nov. 9 for her efforts in a pair of road wins at Colorado and Iowa State ... Has 12 double-doubles this season ... Has accounted for nearly 30-percent of the Tigers' kills in 2010.
Caitlyn Vann • Currently leads all players with 59 total digs (6.56 per set) during NCAA Tournament play ... Her 35 digs against UNI are the second-most by a Tiger in NCAA Tournament history ... Named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week six times in 2010, including in each of the final three weeks of the season ... Her current 621 digs and 5.40 digs per set average are single season program records at Mizzou ... Her 1,981 career digs are the second-best career total in Big 12 history and rank her second in the Mizzou annals ... With 19 more digs, she will become only the second Tiger with 2,000 career digs ... Has started at libero in 94 straight matches ... Has led Mizzou in digs in all 32 contests this season ... Led the Big 12 in digs per set in all matches (5.40) and in Big 12 matches (5.51) this season ... Ranked second in the Big 12 in service aces per set (0.29) during league play.
Molly Kreklow • AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year in 2010 ... Named to the All-Big 12 honorable mention team and was selected to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team as well ... Finished the season ranked second in the Big 12 in assists per set (11.70) and was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week five times, more than any other Big 12 athlete ... Leads the team with 12 double-doubles in 2010 as she reset her career-best with 18 vs. UNI in the first round ... Posted a career-best 62 assists in the Tigers' last regular season match against Oklahoma ... Dubbed the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and was rated as the nation's No. 20 overall prospect by PrepVolleyball.com ... She is the No. 2 ranked freshman on the national assists per set list and is No. 13 overall.
Julianna Klein • Is only the third Tiger in program history to have at least 1,400 career kills, 800 digs and 100 service aces during the rally scoring era ... She has played in more career matches (129) and more sets (469) than any Tiger before her ... Led the Big 12 in service aces per set (0.32) during league play and is eighth all-time at Mizzou with 120 ... She ranks in the all-time career top 10 in eight different statistical categories, including kills (1,452) and attacks (4,384) ... Has nine double-doubles this season as she ranks second on the team in both kills (332) and digs (287) ... Senior captain as well.
Brittney Brimmage • Currently leading the team in hitting .332 and blocks (112 total and 0.97 per set) ... Named to the Cobra Magazine All-Region team and was the Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in her career on Nov. 1 ... Ranked sixth in the Big 12 in hitting (.324) and is third on the team with 285 kills, 117 more than her first two seasons as a Tiger combined ... Ranked 10th among all Big 12 players in blocks per set (1.01) during league play ... Can touch over 11 feet with her vertical leap, a Mizzou program-best ... Is currently the program's fifth-most efficient hitter with a .290 career clip.
Lisa Henning • Became the first Tiger freshman to lead Mizzou in kills during an NCAA Tournament match since Jessica Vander Kooi did so in 2003 ... She had 18 kills on .556 hitting in the match, both career-bests ... Named to the All-Big Freshman team after posting 260 kills on .234 hitting so far this season ... Became the first true freshman under Wayne and Susan Kreklow to lead Mizzou in kills in each of her first two matches as a Tiger ... Was the nation's No. 50 overall recruit according to PrepVolleyball.com and was a key reason why the Tigers' freshman class was rated No. 14 by PrepVolleyball.com ... Has 78 kills on .296 hitting in her last five matches.
Priscilla Armendariz • Defensive specialist that will play only in back-row rotations ... Posted a .990 service reception percentage during Big 12 play, a team-best, and did committed a reception error in her final 17 regular season matches (182 chances) ... Ranks third on the team in digs with 273 this season as well ... Has 13 matches in which she posted double-digit dig totals ... Is fifth on the team with 16 service aces as well.
Catie Wilson • Three-year starter that is a .279 career hitter with 165 kills this season ... Is tied for seventh in career hitting at Mizzou with her .279 career clip ... Led the Tigers in blocks last season and is currently third on the team in total blocks this season ... Ranks ninth all-time at Mizzou with 220 career block assists ... Has 21 service aces as well and 67 digs this season ... Has four double-digit kill efforts in 2010.
Offensive Explosion
In Mizzou's win over Northwestern in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Mizzou hit .359 as a team, its second-best mark of the season. That clip came against a team that had limited it opponents to .193 hitting heading into the match. Mizzou posted 62 kills in the match with just 15 errors as its top four attackers all finished with percentages higher than .333, highlighted by a .556 mark from freshman Lisa Henning.
With 18 kills on just 27 swings, Henning's .556 clip and 18 kills were both career bests and she became the first true freshman to lead Mizzou in kills and hitting in the same NCAA Tournament match. She is also the first true freshman to lead Mizzou in kills in an NCAA Tournament match since Jessica Vander Kooi did so against UC Irvine in 2003.
Approaching Records
Several Tigers are approaching records as they prepare for this weekend. Caitlyn Vann already holds the single season records with her 621 digs and 5.40 dig per set average this season, but she needs just 19 more to become only the second Tiger with 2,000 career digs. She is also just 36 back of the all-time career record (2,017), held by Tatum Ailes. Paola Ampudia needs just seven attacks to set the single season record for attacks in a single season as she has 1,329 in 2010. She needs 28 kills to become the third Tiger with 500 kills in a single season as well.
The Matchup with Duke
Mizzou and Duke have never met as the Sweet 16 matchup marks the first meeting between the schools. As the No. 12 national seed, Duke boasts some impressive numbers as its stats are very similar to Mizzou's. The only glaring difference is that Duke has limited its opponents to .168 hitting this season. Mizzou has hit .231 this season and is coming off of a .359 outing against Northwestern, so that will be the matchup to watch in the contest.
Scouting Duke
Duke, just like Mizzou's first round opponent Northern Iowa, boasts one of the nation's most well-balanced attacks as five players have at least 260 kills this season, four of which are hitting .258 or better. Becci Burling leads the Blue Devils with 359 kills on .281 hitting while Christiana Gray leads the Devils with a .391 attack percentage and 260 kills. She is also the team-leader in blocks with 116. Kellie Catanach anchors the Duke offense at setter and is the ACC Player of the Year, averaging 11.25 assists per set.
Aside from Burling and Gray, Catanach has spread the ball to a variety of other targets, highlighted by Sophia Dunworth (333 kills, .258 hitting), Amanda Robertson (331 kills, .334 hitting) and Claire Smeltzer (236 kills, .140 hitting).
The back row is anchored by libero Ali McCurdy, who is averaging 4.89 dps. Smeltzer also plays well in the back row, averaging 3.24 digs per set.
The Blue Devils are coming off of a scare against Ohio as they bested the Bobcats in five, despite being blocked an eye-popping 26 times in the match.
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.
Huge Second Half for Vann
Following the Tigers' loss to No. 3 Nebraska on Oct. 6, Tiger libero Caitlyn Vann ranked seventh among Big 12 liberos in digs per set during league play (4.32). But over her final 15 matches, no Big 12 libero was better than Vann. In fact, over those 15 matches, she averaged 6.19 digs per set and 23.5 digs per match as she finished the year ranked first in digs per set in all matches (5.40) and in Big 12 matches (5.51).
During that stretch, Vann moved from seventh in the league in digs per set to first and claimed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week five times, including in each of the final three weeks of the season. She also reached the 30-dig plateau three times and came within three of the school record with her career-best 38 in the Tigers' loss to Oklahoma. She leads all players in the NCAA Tournament with 59 through the first two rounds.
Brimmage Shines During Win Streak
Through the Tigers' final 14 matches - which they won 11 of - it is hard to argue against the fact junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage was the Tigers' most consistent weapon. Although she is third on the team in kills in that span, she leads Mizzou with a .333 attack percentage and converted 47-percent of her sets into kills. She has also posted 53 total blocks in that span (12 solo, 41 assists) as she averaged 1.00 per set. She had 154.5 total points in that span.
Klein Does All the Little Things
On the surface, Julianna Klein doesn't jump out at you in the way that some player's on Mizzou's team do, but she has been one of the best players on the floor all season long. A six rotation player, Klein ranks second on the team in both kills (332) and digs (273), making her one of the best two-way players in the Big 12. In fact, at times this season, she has been used to dig more, specifically through the first six matches when she averaged nearly three digs per set. She ranked fourth on the team in kills at that time but has moved to second since that time, proving she can do it all.
Serving is Key for the Tigers
When Mizzou is playing at its best, it is because it is serving the ball tough. Mizzou led the Big 12 in aces per set during league play (1.16) this season and both Julianna Klein (0.32) and Caitlyn Vann (0.29) finished the season ranked 1-2 in individual aces per set during league play. During the Tigers' win streak - in which they have won 11 of 14 - they served 56 aces to only 40 for their opponents. Also, Mizzou limited its service errors in that span, committing just 70 to its opponents' 83.
A Kansas City Connection
With the NCAA Volleyball Final Four being played in Kansas City this year, there are several players on the Tiger roster who would be playing in front of a hometown crowd should Mizzou advance that far. Lisa Henning, Priscilla Armendariz and Ashton Bodenstab are all from Blue Springs, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City while Lindsey Petrick calls Overland Park, Kan., a west side suburb, home.
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 113-72 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 222-118 at Mizzou. Coincidentally, their 200th career win at Mizzou came in Lubbock last season.
Vann Takes Her Spot in Record Book
With 621 digs this season, Caitlyn Vann has moved her career total to 1,981, trailing only former Tiger Tatum Ailes for first all-time. Vann also ranks fourth among Big 12 players all-time with her 1,922 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 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 260 kills on .234 hitting this season. 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 32 matches of the season, Mizzou currently ranks 16th nationally in average attendance after averaging 2,049 fans per match. A season-high 2,651 fans watched the Tigers face KU this season. 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.
Up Next
Should Mizzou advance past No. 12 seeded Duke on Friday, Mizzou will meet either Penn State or Oklahoma in the NCAA Regional Final in State College. Mizzou and Oklahoma have met twice this season with OU taking both meetings, including a five-set comeback in the regular season finale. Mizzou and Penn State have met five times in history with the last meeting - a 3-0 sweep for PSU - coming back in 2006. The match will air live on ESPNU and Mizzou All-Access will have the call should the Tigers advance.