University of Missouri
7-5,0-2SEC
No. 18 Kentucky
7-5,2-1SEC
Volleyball Battles No. 18 Kentucky In 3-1 Defeat
9/28/2022 9:42:00 PM | Volleyball
Tigers drop SEC home opener in a fight to the final point
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri volleyball went toe-to-toe with No. 18 Kentucky in the Tigers Southeastern Conference home opener at the Hearnes Center, first home SEC match of the season, but a strong first set by the Wildcats propelled them to the 3-1 win (25-12, 23-25, 25-19, 25-22) on Wednesday night.
Senior Anna Dixon led the Tigers (7-5, 0-2 SEC), producing a season-best 14 kills. Sophomore Jordan Iliff added another eight terminations while sophomore Kaylee Cox chipped in six from the outside.
Kentucky (7-5, 2-1 SEC) had a trio reach double-digit kills with Reagan Rutherford leading the Wildcats with 19. Bella Bell added 13 and Elise Goetzinger 11 to help the eighteenth-ranked 'Cats escape Mizzou's upset bid.
Senior Libero Leandra Mangual-Duran produced a season-best three aces to go along with her 23 digs – the 10th time she has reached double-digits this season. The Tigers had seven aces as a team.
Sophomore Trista Strasser recorded five blocks – the fifth time in 2022 she has produced five or more rejections. Strasser averages 1.11 blocks per set.
TOP TIGERS
- Anna Dixon: 17 kills, 2 blocks
- Leandra Mangual-Duran: 23 digs, 3 aces, 2 assists
- Kaylee Cox: 7 kills, 1 block, 9 digs, 5 assists
- Trista Strasser: 4 kills, 5 blocks
UP NEXT
Mizzou heads to South Carolina to face the Gameocks in a pair of SEC matches on Saturday, Oct. 1 and Sunday, Oct. 2.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
