University of Missouri
UNC-Greensboro
Little Guides Mizzou Past UNCG in Miami Invite Opener
9/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Whitney Little tallied her third career block-kill double-double.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- All-Americans Whitney Little (Keller, Texas) and Carly Kan (Honolulu, Hawaii) guided Mizzou to a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 25-14) win over UNC-Greensboro on Saturday morning (Sept. 20) in the Tigers' first match of the Miami Invitational. Little tallied 12 kills and 10 blocks for her third career block-kill double-double and her seventh career match with 10 or more blocks, the latter of which is a school record. Kan also posted her SEC-best 10th double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs as she continues to lead the nation in combined kills and digs (359).
The win moves the Tigers to 9-4 on the year as they are riding a season-high five-match winning streak. The Tigers also improve to 7-1 on the year away from home this season. The Tigers will play host Miami tonight at 6 p.m. (CT).
"I thought we came out pretty slow this morning, but coming out of intermission I thought we played much better," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "I thought we blocked fairly well and served and passed better after losing game two. I just thought the focus was much better and we played better as a team. Now we have to get ready to play a tough Miami team tonight."
In all, the Tigers got kills from 10 different players, a season-high. Regan Peltier (Nixa, Mo.) tallied six as did senior Emily Wilson (Omaha, Neb.) and freshman Sydney Deeken (California, Mo.). Ali Kreklow (Columbia, Mo.) spread 25 assists and Loxley Keala (Kaneohe, Hawaii) added 20 more as the two guided the Tigers to .267 hitting in the match. Senior libero Sarah Meister (San Diego, Calif.) tallied 18 digs and the Tigers finished with 16 blocks, just one off of a season-high.
Mizzou got its middles involved early in the first set as Little and Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.) helped Mizzou keep pace with UNCG. But neither team could pull away until a 3-0 Mizzou run put the Tigers on top, 17-15, forcing a UNCG timeout. Little and Thater had teamed for six kills on just seven attempts at that point. UNCG rallied to tie the set at 19-19, but Mizzou scored the next two points and held on for a 25-23 set win on Thater's third kill of the frame. Mizzou hit .414 in the opening frame with 16 kills. Little and Thater combined for seven kills on just 18 attempts in the first. Seven different Tigers tallied kills.
Little continued to assert herself in set two with four kills and a pair of blocks as the Tigers built a 12-10 lead with Little accounting for half of those 12 points. The Spartans rallied to tie the set at 14-all and took an 18-15 lead, forcing a timeout from Coach Kreklow. The Tigers scored the next two points, but UNCG reopened its three-point cushion and closed out a 25-20 set win. Mizzou hit just .171 in the second and had eight service errors and one ace through two sets.
Deeken made her collegiate debut in the third set and gave the Tigers a lift. After missing the first three weeks of the season with an injury, Deeken subbed in with Mizzou trailing 8-4 in the frame and she sparked a 9-3 run that put Mizzou on top for good. The Tigers escaped with a 25-19 set win. Deeken tallied four kills on six swings with a block and Mizzou hit .278 in the second.
Mizzou jumped out to a 10-5 lead in set four and kept the foot on the gas to win the frame, 25-14, to clinch the match. The Tigers will play host Miami at 6 p.m. today.
For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouVB.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
