The Mizzou volleyball team continues to just win, taking down Georgia in four sets 25-22, 22-25, 25-14, 26-24. The Tigers are now 6-4 in the SEC and have won six matches in the last two weeks.
After splitting
the first two sets, Mizzou separated with a 25-14 victory in set three to launch themselves to the match win. That started with a 9-2 run to begin the set thanks to three 3-0 runs. The Bulldogs never recovered, as the set was never close than five the rest of the way.
This 9-2 was sparked by some elite offense, as six of those nine points came off kills. Tyrah Ariail and Caylen Alexander each had a pair of kills during the run. Alexander and Ariail were the only Tigers with double-digit kills at 22 and 12, respectively. The other major separator came from two aces, one from Zoey Matias-Lopez and the other from Paige Felder. Janet deMarrais was subbed out at the end of the second set as she struggled in the match, as Felder replaced her for the last two sets. Felder stuffed the stat sheet in all ends with six aces, three kills, three aces and two blocks.
Mizzou led for 90% of the 4th set, leading 22-19 as they continued to push Georgia to the brink. The Bulldogs responded with a 5-0 run, pushing Mizzou to set point. Luckily the Tigers answered the call with a 4-0 run of their own, completing the comeback and winning the match 3-1. The run came courtesy of three-straight Alexander kills before an exclamation ace from Marina Crownover to bury Georgia. Crownover rallied an offense that racked up 55 kills with a double-double of 47 assists and 11 digs, while adding three kills and three blocks; plus the aforementioned ace.
After trailing the first set 6-2 early, Mizzou responded with a definitive 23-16 run to win the first set. This was sparked by a 5-0 run to take a 13-12 lead right before the media timeout. With the set tied at 21, a final 4-1 run for the Tigers was enough to give them the set win.
The second set was the only Georgia win, outlasting Mizzou 22-25. The Tigers led late 22-21, before four-straight Bulldog points gave them the set win and even the match at two.
Perhaps the biggest advantage Mizzou had in the match was with its serve. The Tigers controlled the service ace advantage 8-3, while keeping Georgia out of system at a greater capacity with a 54.6 side out percentage.
The Tigers led 13-10 in blocks, backed by senior Regan Haith. The middle blocker fulfilled her role by leading the team with six total blocks; Ariail was right behind her five. Another key to Mizzou’s offensive output was Maca Lobaglio’s eight kills off the bench. She was a key part of the fourth set wins with three kills. She was efficient in her output with three errors on 21 attacks for a .238 hitting percentage.
Mizzou is officially “on a roll”, with six straight wins dating back to October 12. The team’s 6-4 conference record is good enough for sixth in the conference, snugly with a single-bye if the conference tournament were to start today. With only two of the Tigers’ six remaining games coming against teams above them, there is still room to move up.
Mizzou next plays one of the teams above them in Tennessee, as the Vols are fourth in the conference as of writing this with a 6-2 conference record. The Tigers travel to Knoxville for a showdown of two teams almost a lock for the NCAA Tourney at 6:30 p.m. on Halloween (Friday). The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app.
