University of Missouri
1-0
Miami (Fla.)
0-1
Mizzou Volleyball Topples Miami (Fla.) for Season-Opening Victory
8/30/2019 10:08:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers bounce back after shaky first set, reel off three in a row en route to win
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Mizzou Volleyball left victorious Friday inside James L. Knight Sports Complex in its 2019 season opener at Miami (Fla.). After dropping the opening set, the Tigers responded in a big way with three straight set triumphs en route to a 3-1 (13-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-17) win.
In his debut at the helm of Mizzou, interim head coach Joshua Taylor earned his first career victory. The Tiger middle blocking duo of junior Tyanna Omazic and redshirt sophomore Kayla Caffey were phenomenal, combining to produce 19 kills on .548 hitting.
2019 Preseason All-SEC honoree, junior Kylie Deberg, opened her season with a double-double and paced the Tigers in total kills and digs.
#ShowMe Top Performers
- Omazic: 13 kills on .632 hitting, 2 aces, 2 total blocks
- Deberg: 14 kills, 2 aces, 10 digs, 2 total blocks
- Caffey: 6 kills on .417 hitting, 1 solo block, 3 total blocks
- Andrea Fuentes: 37 assists, 7 digs, 2 kills
Hear From Interim Head Coach Joshua Taylor
On starting the 2019 campaign on a high note…
"I was very pleased with how we rebounded after a shaky opening set. I think our squad almost needed that a little. Both our offense and defense really buckled down in sets two-four. Tyanna (Omazic) showed a lot of resiliency tonight after being sick much of the day. She was a force offensively. I think we showed a lot of depth too this evening, as a lot of individuals stepped up in key situations."
#MIZ Takeaways
- Mizzou improved to 3-1 all-time against Miami (Fla.) following tonight's victory. The Tigers have claimed three consecutive wins overall against the Hurricanes.
- The Tigers have now been victorious in 12 consecutive season openers dating back to 2008.
- After hitting a measly .036 collectively in set one, Mizzou's offense fought back with a vengeance in sets two-four. The Tigers produced a match-best 14 kills on .429 hitting in set two, followed by 16 kills on .324 hitting in set three and 13 kills on .348 hitting in set four.
- Mizzou consistently served tough against the Hurricanes, as five individuals combined for nine total aces. Junior Leketor Member-Meneh, junior Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana, Omazic and Deberg tied for the team lead with two apiece.
Up Next
Mizzou continues its non-conference tournament schedule next weekend in Dayton, Ohio, for the Dayton Invitational. The Tigers will compete in three matches over a two-day stretch, beginning with a doubleheader Friday (Sept. 6) vs. No. 15 Michigan and Dayton. Mizzou closes its road trip with a matchup against Northern Illinois Saturday (Sept. 7) afternoon.
Season tickets and single-game tickets for the 2019 Mizzou campaign are available at MUTigers.com/VBTix. The Tigers open their home schedule from Sept. 13-15 with the Mizzou 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).
