University of Missouri
18-4, 9-1SEC
Texas A&M
13-7, 7-2SEC
@MizzouVB Drops First SEC Match This Year, Falls 3-1 at Texas A&M
10/26/2016 10:27:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers look for rebound on Sunday, Oct. 30, against Mississippi State
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Mizzou Volleyball (18-4, 9-1 SEC) saw its 13-match winning streak come to an end on Wednesday evening inside Reed Arena. The Tigers battled injuries throughout the night, but still fought hard in a 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 20-25, 23-25) loss to Texas A&M. Wednesday's loss marked Mizzou's first dropped match in SEC play this season.
The Tigers earned a gritty opening set victory after falling behind 16-12 at the midway point. Mizzou used a key late 4-0 run and 3-0 run to set up set point. Senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) tallied her team high fifth kill of the first set, securing a 25-22 triumph.
Mizzou's first set rally occurred after junior Sydney Deeken (California, Mo.) suffered an injury that took her out of the match. In her first appearance of the year, sophomore Paige Perego (Ballwin, Mo.) stepped in for Deeken and delivered a key kill and block to aid Mizzou's comeback.
Texas A&M used strong defense and improved hitting en route to its 25-22 second set victory. Mizzou struggled to find consistency throughout the set, but a string of late Aggies errors made it only a one point deficit (23-22 A&M). The Tigers later suffered a pair of mistakes of their own, as Texas A&M evened the match at one apiece.
Kan and redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) continued their strong offensive starts, adding three and four kills in the second set, respectively. The Tiger duo each posted a team high eight kills through two sets played. Additionally in the second set, sophomore Hao Jin (Shijiazhuang, China) joined Perego as Tigers to make their 2016 season debuts on Wednesday evening.
The Aggies delivered their strongest offensive set of the evening in the fourth set, keying a 25-20 triumph over Mizzou. The Tigers defense only managed one total block in the set, as Texas A&M posted 16 kills on .382 hitting (three attack errors). Larson once again paced Mizzou's offense, adding six additional kills to her evening's total.
Junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) remained active at setter, securing her fourth double-double of the season in the fourth set.
Mizzou continued to show impressive grit and competitiveness in the fifth and final set. The Tigers and Aggies went back and forth throughout, before the home team ultimately claimed a match-clinching 25-23 set win.
TOP TIGERS
- Larson: 15 kills on .375 hitting, 7 digs, 3 total blocks
- Kan: 14 kills, 13 digs, team-leading ninth double-double this season
- Eckenrode: 45 assists, 12 digs, fourth double-double this year
- Thater: 11 kills on .364 hitting
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns home on Sunday, Oct. 30, with a contest against Mississippi State. First serve is scheduled for 1:30 pm (CT) inside the Hearnes Center. Fans can watch the match live on SEC Network + via WatchESPN.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Volleyball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Missouri Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouVB).
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