| Match | Location | Day/Time (CT) | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| at Idaho | Moscow, Idaho | Thursday // 9 p.m. (CT) | Radio |
| vs. Boise State | Moscow, Idaho | Friday // 2:30 p.m. (CT) | Radio |
| vs. Portland | Moscow, Idaho | Friday // 6:30 p.m. (CT) | Radio |
| vs. E. Washington | Moscow, Idaho | Saturday // 11:30 a.m. (CT) | Radio |
Game Notes: Mizzou |
COLUMBIA, Mo. -Mizzou will continue its non-conference schedule this weekend as it heads to Moscow, Id aho, for four matches over three days at the Idaho Nike Invitational. The Tigers will open tournament action on Thursday (Sept. 11) against Idaho in a match scheduled for 9 p.m. (CT). The Tigers then play a twin-billing against Boise State and Portland Friday before playing Eastern Washington Saturday.
- The Tigers are coming off of a tough five-set loss to in-state rival Saint Louis on Tuesday night. The Tigers tallied more blocks, had more digs and hit a better percentage than the Billikens, but the Tigers coughed up a seven-point lead in set one and could not hold on in the fifth set. The loss dropped Mizzou to 4-4 on the year.
- Senior middle hitter Whitney Little is poised for a historic weekend as she sits just eight total blocks shy of taking over the No. 1 spot on Mizzou's career blocking list. She tallied five blocks Tuesday night against Saint Louis and now has 447 in her career. Former All-American Christi Myers is currently in the top spot with her 454 career blocks.
- Senior libero Sarah Meister moved into sixth place all-time on Mizzou's career digs list on Tuesday night after pulling in 18 digs against the Billikens. She has 1,186 career digs and is 95 back of fifth place (Priscilla Armendariz). Meister also checks in at third in Mizzou history with her 3.17 digs per set average.
- Mizzou returns to the road this weekend, where it is 2-1 on the season. Mizzou has won its only true road contest of the year at North Texas and will play its second true road match at Idaho Thursday.
Recapping Tuesday's Match vs. SLU
Mizzou volleyball fell to 4-4 on the season after dropping a midweek contest to in-state rival Saint Louis, 3-2 (25-27, 25-23, 22-25, 25-19, 11-15), on Tuesday night (Sept. 9) at the Hearnes Center. Mizzou was paced by 14 kills from sophomore All-American Carly Kan, who finished just one dig shy of her sixth consecutive double-double. Classmate Loxley Keala did however tally her sixth consecutive double-double with 22 assists and 13 digs and senior Emily Wilson tallied 13 kills on .321 hitting in the loss.
Scouting The Competition
Idaho
Record: 2-5, 1-2 at UC Irvine Tournament
Last match: 3-1 W over Pepperdine
Player to watch: Sophomore OH Ali Forde earned WAC All-Freshman team honors in 2013 and is averaging 2.46 kills per set, 2.31 digs per set and 0.31 blocks per set in her 2014 season.
Notes: Idaho roster makeup: 8 upperclassmen, 9 freshmen and sophomores ... Team is 0-0 at home, 0-3 away and 2-2 on a neutral court ... Finished the 2013-2014 season with a record of 19-11.
Boise State
Record: 3-3, 2-1 at Sears Sugar Bear Classic
Last match: 3-0 W over Louisiana-Monroe
Player to watch: Junior S Sarah Baugh was named to the Northwest Challenge All-Tournament Team after accumulating 112 assists in three matches. Baugh is third in the MWC for assists per set with 10.18.
Notes: Idaho roster makeup: 6 upperclassmen, 8 freshmen and sophomores ... Team is 1-2 at home, 1-0 away and 1-1 on a neutral court ... Finished the 2013 season with an overall record of 14-16 ... They only recorded a winning record at neutral sites (3-1)
Portland
Record: 3-2, 1-1 at Aggie Invitational
Last match: 0-3 L to UC Davis
Player to watch: Senior OH Emily Liger is averaging 5.06 kills, 3.29 digs and 0.59 blocks per set after recording a career high of 29 kills against San Jose State. Liger recorded her second double-double in a row with 17 kills and 12 digs against the UC Davis Aggies.
Notes: Portland roster makeup: 4 upperclassmen, 11 freshmen and sophomores ... Team is 0-0 at home, 2-1 away and 1-1 on a neutral court ... Finished the 2013 season 10th in the WCC after going 0-27
Eastern Washington
Record: 4-2
Last match: 3-2 W over High Point
Players to watch: Senior OPP Kelsey Julian averages 2.77 kills per set, .50 blocks per set, 0.81 digs per set and has a .304 hitting percentage. Julian not only had a career-high of 21 kills against the College of Charleston, but also recorded five blocks and five digs and hit .436 for the match.
Notes: Eastern Washington roster makeup: 8 upperclassmen, 11 sophomores and freshmen ... Team is 0-0 at home, 2-1 away and 2-1 on a neutral court ... Three of the 11 players are from outside the United States, Melissa Waelter from Germany and Milica Nisavic and Ana Jakovljevic from Serbia
Series History
Mizzou leads the all-time series with host Idaho, 3-1, winning the last three matches with the Vandals. The last three meetings have all come since Wayne and Susan Kreklow took over the program in 2000. Mizzou defeated Idaho, 3-0, in 2002 and 3-1 in 2004. The last meeting was a 3-0 win in South Bend during the 2006 season. The only loss to the Vandals in program history came in 1989 as Wayne and Susan Kreklow have never lost to Idaho. The Tigers also lead the all-time series with EWU, 2-0, with the last meeting coming in 2010 when Mizzou claimed the Pepperdine Asics Classic title in 2010. The Tigers swept EWU that year. Mizzou also beat EWU in 1985.
Kreklows Reach Milestone
Wayne and Susan Kreklow won their 300th match at Mizzou last Friday night in the four-set win over Illinois State. Current head coach Wayne Kreklow was won 192 of those matches while current director of volleyball Susan Kreklow won 109 as the head coach from 2000-04. They are the winningest coaches in program history by percentage.
Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!!!
Sophomore All-American Carly Kan had a huge weekend at the Tiger Invitational as she now ranks fifth in the SEC in kills per set and seventh in points per set. In the four matches last weekend, Kan averaged 4.24 kills per set, 3.24 digs per set and nearly tallied Mizzou's first 20-20 match since 2008 in the win over Illinois State. In fact, in that match she reset career-highs in kills (25), attempts (66), points (27) and digs (19). Her 44 combined kills and digs are the most by a Tiger player since former All-American Paola Ampudia had 46 total in a four-set win at Kansas (a school-record 35 kills and 11 digs). Kan posted double-doubles in every match over the weekend. She added 14 kills and nine digs vs. SLU on Tuesday night, just missing her sixth consecutive double-double.
Double-Double Trouble
Sophomore setter Loxley Keala has accomplished the impressive feat of six straight matches with a double-double after tallying 22 assists and 13 digs vs. SLU Tuesday night. Keala also finished one kill shy of a triple-double with nine kills, 27 assists and 12 digs against Xavier. Her nine kills are a career-best. She nearly pulled off a triple-double against Illinois State as well with 24 assists, a career-best 15 digs and a career-best eight blocks.
Whip-It Whit
Senior All-American middle Whitney Little has been outstanding over her last four matches. She is averaging 2.39 kills per set on .464 hitting in that span while committing just four attack errors. She is currently ranked second in the SEC in hitting at .469 and tallied a season-high 14 kills against Illinois State, just one off of her career-best.
Whit Resetting School Records
Heading into the weekend, senior All-American Whitney Little currently holds seven school records, which coincidentally is a school record as well. She is a two-time All-SEC honoree and was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American last season. Below is a look at the records that Little holds.
-
- Single season blocks - 139 in 2013
- Single season solo blocks - 42 in 2013
- Single season hitting percentage - .463 in 2013
- Career hitting percentage - .372
- Career blocks per set - 1.20
- Career 10-block matches - 6
- Single match hitting percentage (rally scoring) - .909
Even with seven school records, Whitney Little is closing in on three more records and she should get all three this season. She needs just seven total blocks to take over the career blocking record at Mizzou (currently 454 by Christi Myers from 1999-2002). Little has 447 in her career. She also needs just 19 solo blocks to match the all-time career school record (currently 117 by Shannon Brown from 1989-1992). Little has 98 heading into the weekend. She also needs just 47 block assists to top that career category (currently 376 by Nicole Wilson from 2003-06). Little has 329 heading into the weekend.
