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Volleyball Secures First Ranked Sweep Since 2023 vs. No. 17 Texas A&MVolleyball Secures First Ranked Sweep Since 2023 vs. No. 17 Texas A&M
Volleyball

Volleyball Secures First Ranked Sweep Since 2023 vs. No. 17 Texas A&M

Box Score

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou volleyball swept No. 17 Texas A&M in its final home match at Hearnes Center on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers improved to 15-10 and 8-5 in Southeastern Conference play. The victory marks the second time in program history that MU has defeated a defending national champion, the first since topping Texas on Nov. 1, 2024. It also marks the team’s first sweep of a ranked opponent since October 20, 2023 at Auburn.

KEY PLAYERS

  • Fifth-year Kimani Johnson (Southfield, Mich.) led the team with 11 kills and seven total blocks, a career high. Johnson’s hitting percentage of .526 marks the second time this season she has hit above the .500 margin.
  • Sophomore Paige Felder (Parowan, Utah) tallied double-digit kills for the 13th time this season with 10 in the contest. 

SET ONE (Mizzou wins 25-20, Mizzou leads 1-0)

The Tigers and Aggies traded points at the top of the set, with a kill from Johnson (2-2) spearheading a four-point run for Missouri. Impressive defensive efforts at the net from freshman Eva Smith (Durham, N.C.) held the Aggies to a five point deficit, 10-5. Mizzou’s lead climbed to eight points thanks to a kill and a pair of blocks from Johnson, holding Texas A&M to 19-11. Carried by the momentum of kills from senior Grace O'Reilly (Springfield, Mo.) and freshman Lydia Stahley (Indianapolis, Ind.), the Tigers took the first set 25-20. 

SET TWO (Mizzou wins 25-21, Mizzou leads 2-0)

Missouri opened the first set with a series of kills and an ace from junior Lauren Larkin (St. George, Utah), elevating the score to 4-1. The Aggies responded with a strong offensive effort to bring the deficit to one point but their momentum was halted by a kill from Felder (6-4). Tigers went on a 6-0 run with a kill coming from Stahley, two from Larkin, and back-to-back aces from junior Nina Mandovic (Subotica, Serbia), 13-7.

After a timeout, the teams swapped points, but Mizzou began to hold a steady lead. Late in the set, a kill from Larkin and a block from Johnson extended the Tigers’ lead to three (21-18). A kill from Felder rounded out the set for the Tigers, winning 25-21. 

SET THREE (Mizzou wins 25-23, Mizzou wins 3-0)

Two kills from Johnson ramped up scoring for the Tigers (2-1). The Aggies responded by sharing back-and-forth blows. Missouri tallied kills and assists from Larkin, Smith and Johnson. Mizzou notched a kill from Smith (15-14) to close the gap to one point. A pair of kills from freshman Ceylin Kuyan (Istanbul, Turkey) forced a tie at 16-16. Missouri took the lead back from the Aggies with a kill from Johnson (17-16) 

Late in the third set, a block from Johnson marked a career high for the fifth-year (19-18). Mizzou maintained its lead against the Aggies, with a trio of kills coming from Johnson (22-20). A final kill from Felder clinched the match for the Tigers, 25-23.

GAME NOTES

  • Mizzou is now 15-10 on the season and 8-5 in conference play.
  • Head coach Dawn Sullivan is now 181-81 all-time and 72-43 at MU. 
  • MU has won nine of its last 14 matches vs. the Aggies.
  • The win marks the Tigers’ second win against a ranked opponent this season after also doing so on Nov. 1 against No. 6 Tennessee.
  • The last time Mizzou swept a ranked team was against No. 23 Auburn on Oct. 23, 2023.
  • The match was the 19th time this season Missouri's defense held opponents to a hitting percentage of less than .250.

NEXT UP

The Tigers hit the road to face Oklahoma on Friday night at McCasland Field House. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

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