What to watch for
We're outside of a half hour away from the start of Missouri's match with SIU Edwardsville, and here's a hint of what I'll be following as the match progresses:
- How does coach Wayne Kreklow handle his team's playing time?
With Big 12 play already under way, will Kreklow elect to get his primary players a lot of playing time to keep them sharp heading into next week's conference date with Iowa State? Or will Kreklow opt to get other players some more match experience? The amount of playing time for Amanda Hantouli, Catie Wilson and Brittney Brimmage should be a good indicator of which approach Kreklow takes.
- How will Missouri hit?
Missouri's issues offensively have been well documented. The Tigers sit second-to-last in the conference in hitting percentage, but they took a positive step against Texas Tech last Wednesday, hitting .337 for the match. How Missouri hits against SIUE should help determine whether or not the numbers against Texas Tech were a step in the right direction or merely an aberration.
- How is Missouri's killer instinct?
SIU Edwardsville is in the process of making the transition to Division I, and, at least according to the eyeball test during warmup, doesn't seem to matchup well with Missouri. The Tigers put away an overmatched Texas Tech team in one hour and 20 minutes en route to a three-set sweep and need to show similar urgency against SIUE.