Tigers and Huskers play 'rollercoaster' match
The numbers show the team is defending the right side better, coach Kreklow said.
Published Nov. 2, 2007
The Tigers lost to No. 2 Nebraska on Wednesday, but they were the first team to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, Neb., since last season. While the Huskers won the match in five games, the two games MU took were the first two games Nebraska had lost at home all season.
"For us, that was a victory," sophomore setter Lei Wang said.
The match began like most Husker matches, with Nebraska winning game one 30-19. But things got more interesting in game two. Leading 31-30, the Tigers had a chance to even the match score. Sophomore Megan Wilson scored what was seemingly the game-clinching point.
As Nebraska ran toward its locker room, the Tigers began to celebrate. But after conferring, the officials ruled MU had committed a net violation, tying the score at 31. MU rebounded and won the game 34-32.
Nebraska had a third game more typical of a highly ranked team. The Huskers won 30-11, but the Tigers responded with a 30-24 win in game four. The discrepancies between games were inexplicable even to members of the team.
"I have no idea how that happens," MU freshman defensive specialist Caitlyn Vann said. "It's like a rollercoaster, but I'm kind of proud of us. Usually after we get smashed like that we just kind of lay over or lay down."
Despite the rebound, Vann still lists transitioning between games as a problem for the team.
"I think we're still struggling with that a little bit," she said. "But last night was a step up for us."
Nebraska won game five 15-10 and took the match. Missouri coach Wayne Kreklow said his team has a hard time in fifth games, which are only played to 15 points.
"You don't rotate through the lineup as many times," he said. "When (senior outside hitter Na Yang) is in the front row hitting, right now we've got more offensive punch. She had a great night. And when she rotates out of the front row, we don't have the offense."
Yang led the team with 20 kills. Freshman middle blocker Weiwen Wang and sophomore middle blocker Amanda Hantouli each had 10 kills. Despite their numbers, none of these players had a hitting percentage above .200 for the match.
On the defensive side, senior libero Tatum Ailes led the team with 22 digs, and Vann was second with 16.
"We've been working on (Nebraska's) shots a lot," Vann said. "And the fact that we played K-State, Texas and Nebraska in the past two weeks, they're similar teams, so it's given me a chance to practice that even more."
Kreklow said Vann's numbers and Lei Wang's 13 digs are a sign his team is defending the right side better.
"The positions defensively that Vann and Lei play usually get a lot of balls hit from the other team's middles or from their right side attackers," he said. "And that has been kind of a weak spot for us throughout the season. But if those guys can continue, it just helps us as a team a great deal."
The Tigers have slipped to eighth in the conference, but they have no more matches against Nebraska, Texas or Kansas State, the three Big 12 teams ranked nationally in the top 15.
But Yang said this isn't an excuse to let up or not work as hard.
"They're the same," she said. "No matter if it's Nebraska or Baylor or Texas Tech, they are all the same."