University of Missouri
Black and Gold Match
Team Black Claims Sweep in 2016 @MizzouVB Scrimmage
8/19/2016 8:21:00 PM | Volleyball
Freshman Kayla Caffey tallies team-high 10 kills
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Volleyball hosted its annual Black & Gold Scrimmage on Friday evening inside the Hearnes Center. Team Black recorded a 3-0 sweep over Team Gold in front of 893 enthusiastic Tiger fans.
"This scrimmage is always a great way to officially kick off our season," head coach Wayne Kreklow said. "Our fans love it as they first get to participate in a free youth clinic then head over to watch a competitive exhibition match. It's always good to see our team compete for the first time in front of a big crowd, as compared to an empty gym during practice. We did a lot of good things on the court tonight and we'll continue to improve heading into our season opener next weekend."
Freshman Kayla Caffey (Chicago, Ill.) stole the show for Team Black, producing a match-high 10 kills on .389 hitting. Another newcomer, sophomore Paige Perego (Ballwin, Mo.), also shined in her first appearance in black and gold. Perego tallied eight kills, three digs and two total blocks to round out a solid debut.
With exhibition rules in play, junior setter duo of Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) and Ali Kreklow (Columbia, Mo.) routinely switched teams throughout the night. Eckenrode posted 20 assists while Kreklow finished with 28 assists to key a successful night for Tiger hitters.
Redshirt junior Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.) and senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) joined Perego with eight kills on the evening. The back row routinely made outstanding stops throughout the night, led by senior Alexa Ethridge's (Lee's Summit, Mo.) team-leading 11 digs.
Redshirt freshman Riley Sents (Grundy Center, Iowa) and freshman Andie Hanus (Omaha, Neb.) also starred as defensive specialists, producing six digs apiece.
Mizzou kicks off its 2016 regular season from Aug. 26-27 at the Kennesaw State Invitational. The Tigers will face host Kennesaw State, Pittsburgh and Liberty in a three-match stretch. Mizzou hosts its home opener from Sept. 2-3 for the 21st annual Tiger Invitational.
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).
