May 14, 2014
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Defending SEC Champion Mizzou volleyball will be televised a league-high 10 times on the SEC Network next season, as announced by the Southeastern Conference and ESPN on Wednesday morning (May 14). Mizzou will first appear on the SEC Network on Sept. 28 against Tennessee in a noon start at the Hearnes Center. The SEC Network will begin its inaugural season in the fall. In all, 40 SEC volleyball matches will be featured on the SEC Network next season, with Mizzou appearing in a quarter of them.
"We knew that when we joined the SEC, the opportunities for exposure would be there and we are extremely excited about being on the SEC Network as much as we will be next season," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "The SEC Network is going to benefit not only our University, but the entire league. Having 40 SEC volleyball matches will help grow the sport and the league. We got eight teams into the NCAA Tournament last season and this type of exposure can only help the sport grow in our region. It gives the families of our student-athletes who live across the country a chance to watch 10 matches live on national television. You cannot understate the importance of that."
Mizzou is coming off of an SEC Championship season that saw the team set school records for wins, sweeps, consecutive wins, conference wins and wins to open a season. Mizzou was the first ever SEC team to finish the regular season undefeated and the Tigers earned the No. 4 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and finished with a 35-1 record. The Tigers led the nation in hitting, kills and assists and four individuals were named AVCA All-Americans, two of which return for the 2014 campaign - Whitney Little (Keller, Texas) and Carly Kan (Honolulu, Hawaii).
Additionally, four of the 10 matches featured on SEC Network next season will be played at the Hearnes Center, where Mizzou saw 62,717 fans come through the gates a year ago, the third-best mark nationally. The Tigers ranked sixth nationally in average attendance as well with 3,301 fans per game. The Tigers were the only team in the SEC to average more than 3,000 fans per match. Below is Mizzou's schedule next season
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Mizzou Volleyball on SEC Network (all times CT)
Sunday, Sept. 28 - Tennessee at Mizzou - 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 1 - Mizzou at Ole Miss - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 5 - Mizzou at Georgia - 3 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 17 - LSU at Mizzou - 5 p.m.
Sunday Oct. 19 - Mizzou at Mississippi State - 1 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 24 - Mizzou at Florida - 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2 - Texas A&M and Mizzou - 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9 - Mizzou at Kentucky - 11 a.m.
Sunday, Nov. 16 - Ole Miss at Mizzou - 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23 - Mizzou at Texas A&M - 3 p.m.
Also beginning in August, the SEC Network will air 45 college football games this season and feature a game from all 14 teams in the SEC at their home stadium in the first four weeks.
SEC Network
The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have signed a 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multiplatform network which will launch August 14, 2014. The new network and its accompanying digital platform will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year. The network will televise 45 SEC football games, more than 100 men's basketball games, 60 women's basketball games, 75 baseball games, and events from across the SEC's 21 sports annually. Programming will also include in-depth commentary and analysis in studio shows, daily news and information original content such as SEC Storied, spring football games, and more. Hundreds of additional live events from various sports will be offered exclusively on the digital platform. AT&T U-Verse, DISH, Google Fiber and National Rural Telecommunications cooperative (NRTC) have agreed to carry the SEC Network.
For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouVB.