Last season, Missouri volleyball controlled the floor against LSU, dictated the tempo and handed the Tigers a convincing 3-1 defeat.
Fast forward to Sunday, and history seemed ready to repeat itself early on. After five grueling sets of hard-hit swings, relentless defense and tough offensive battles, Mizzou found itself on the wrong end of a 3-2 loss to the Tigers (25-17, 22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 12-15).
Setting the Standard Early
Mizzou could not have asked for a better start. In Set 1, the Tigers played crisp, aggressive volleyball,
pouncing on LSU’s mistakes and establishing control at the net.
After trading early errors, Nina Mandovic set the tone with a service ace before Kimani Johnson checked in and immediately made her presence felt. Johnson hammered home multiple kills off Mandovic sets to fuel an explosive 6-0 Mizzou run. Paige Felder added a service ace, Lydia Stahley chipped in a kill and the front-row pairing of Johnson and Tia Phinezy had Mizzou cruising, 12-5.
The black and gold kept their foot on the gas. Johnson put down her fourth kill of the set, and the block of Stahley and Eva Smith stretched the lead to 15-6. Sierra Dudley then re-entered at setter, immediately connecting with Smith on back-to-back kills out of the middle to push the advantage to 17-7.
LSU attempted to mount a late charge, putting together a 4-0 run off a couple of Mizzou attacking errors and a Kiley Brooks service ace to trim the lead to 21-16.
Mizzou quickly slammed the door shut. Grace O’Reilly stopped the momentum with a kill, and Johnson paired up with Phinezy for another block to bring up set point. Phinezy put the finishing touches on the frame, throwing down a set-clinching kill off a Mandovic assist to wrap up their 25-17 opening victory.
The Tide Turns in Sets 2 & 3
LSU found its rhythm in the second frame, leaning heavily on outside hitter Jurnee Robinson. To say Robinson was a problem would be a massive understatement, as she put together an absolute masterpiece, finishing with 23 kills in the entire match. Time and again, whenever LSU needed a clutch swing, Robinson delivered heavy hits towards Mizzou.
Mizzou fought back late in Set 2 behind service pressure from Zoey Matias-Lopez and clutch swings from Stahley and O’Reilly, erasing a late gap to pull within 23-21. Although LSU held on to take the set 25-22.
Set 3 proved to be a chaotic frame of wild runs. LSU bolted out to an early 9-3 lead, forcing Mizzou into an uphill climb. Yet, the Tigers kept fighting back. Phinezy sparked a comeback with a service ace, and Mandovic orchestrated a balanced attack that saw Stahley and Johnson trade big swings.
Mizzou surged ahead 22-21 late; however, service inconsistency started to creep in. Across the five sets, Mizzou handed over nine service errors, while LSU committed 10 of their own. Those free points proved costly in tight moments, and LSU capitalized down the stretch of the third, stealing a 25-23 set win to take a 2-1 lead.
Fighting Back to Force Set 5
With their backs against the wall, Mizzou responded in Set 4. Sierra Dudley took over setting duties during a critical stretch, finding O’Reilly on the right side and connecting with Phinezy through the middle.
O’Reilly was outstanding down the stretch, putting up four kills during the set and 13 overall. With Johnson continuing her stellar afternoon, finishing with a team-high of 15 kills and Stahley contributing 10 kills of her own, Mizzou’s offense clicked into high gear.
After building a 22-17 cushion, Felder delivered the final blow, driving home a set-winning kill to wrap up a 25-20 victory and push the match into a winner-take-all fifth set.
A Fifth-Set Heartbreaker
LSU fans and their bench brought loads of energy, turning every single rally into a high-stakes showdown. The noise inside the building was heard as the two sides traded blows point-for-point early on.
Felder and Johnson gave Mizzou early life, but LSU’s depth proved to be the difference maker down the stretch. Alongside Robinson’s relentless swings, Camryn Jeffery stepped up in crucial moments, delivering clutch kills to keep LSU just ahead.
Trailing 11-9, Mizzou made one final stand. Felder hammered down a couple of kills, bringing Mizzou within two at 12-14. But on the very next play, Jeffery made her final kill, and her hit found the floor, sealing the final 15-12 set victory for LSU.
What’s Next
While the result stings given last season’s dominant victory at home, there was no questioning the hard fought battle that was had.
The Tigers will head back to Hearnes Center to play Florida at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, hoping to claim their second conference win of the season.
