University of Missouri
8-3
Miami (Fla.)
5-6
@MizzouVB Victorious Against Miami (Fla.), 3-1
9/17/2016 12:20:00 PM | Volleyball
Crow, Eckenrode and Kan tally double-doubles for the Tigers
NEWARK, Del. – Mizzou Volleyball (8-3) posted a victory in its first match of Saturday's doubleheader, defeating Miami (Fla.), 3-1 (25-14, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23). An impressive three Tigers finished with double-doubles, as redshirt junior Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.), junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) and senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) all had outstanding individual matches.
Crow tallied her team-leading fifth double-double of the season, following her 16 kills and 11 digs against the Hurricanes. Eckenrode shined once again in the Tigers' new 5-1 offense, recording a season high 51 assists and 14 digs. The outing marked Eckenrode's second double-double of the 2016 campaign. Finally, Kan finished with 10 kills and 18 digs, marking her fourth double-double of the year.
Redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) was outstanding on the right side, tying Crow for the team high in kills with 16. Larson paced the Tigers with a season high .483 hitting percentage. Senior Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.) and sophomore Alyssa Munlyn (Suwanee, Ga.) also had strong offensive mornings. Thater posted seven kills on .400 hitting, while Munlyn continued her impressive tournament with nine kills on .381 hitting.
In Mizzou's new system, redshirt freshman Riley Sents (Grundy Center, Iowa) contributed her second consecutive solid match in the back row, tallying a career high six digs.
The Tigers began their match against the Hurricanes in similar fashion to Friday's effort. Mizzou posted 17 kills on .310 hitting as Eckenrode once again ran an efficient offense. Larson was sensational in the opening set, posting a team high seven kills on .538 hitting. She also recorded an ace and two digs for an overall standout first set. Crow and Thater also shined offensively, tallying four and three kills, respectively.
Roles reversed in the second set, as Miami claimed a 25-18 victory to even the overall score. Larson reached 10 overall kills following the second set, marking her third double-digit kill output of the season. Eckenrode was active at setter and defense early on, securing her second double-double of the season through only two sets played.
Mizzou bounced back nicely in the third set, claiming back its match advantage. The Tigers offense came alive again with 16 kills on .419 hitting. Crow paced Mizzou with six kills in the third set, as her and Larson each possessed a team high 13 total kills. Mizzou's defense also played extremely well, limiting the Hurricanes attack to .036 hitting (seven kills, six errors).
The Tigers and Hurricanes exchanged points throughout the fourth and final set, highlighted by 14 ties and six lead changes. Crow tallied two digs in the set, while Kan posted two kills en route to each securing their respective double-doubles.
UP NEXT
Mizzou's final match of the 2016 Delaware Invitational is scheduled for later this evening. The Tigers will face host Delaware at 6 p.m. (CT). The Hearnes Center will host Mizzou's 2016 Southeastern Conference opener on Wednesday, Sept. 21. First serve between the Tigers and South Carolina is set for 8 p.m. (CT) and the match will broadcast live on ESPNU.
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).
