Sports Shorts
Published Sept. 21, 2009
Tigers self-destruct in Oklahoma
If Missouri wants to fare well in Big 12 play, coach Wayne Kreklow knows the team must remain consistent. The Tigers have not been able to do this so far, but Kreklow might be working on it after the Tigers lost their match-up with Oklahoma 3-1.
Missouri started out the match strong, posting a 25-21 set win. The next three sets did not go as well for the Tigers as they ended the match with a .103 hitting percentage, including a -.065 hitting percentage in the final set.
Junior outside hitter Julianna Klein posted a team-high 11 kills for the Tigers and senior setter Lei Wang-Francisco recorded 32 assists. The Tigers did hold Oklahoma to a .188 hitting percentage and recorded 10 total blocks as a team.
"Consistency is something we still have to work on," Kreklow said after Missouri's match with Kansas on Sept. 16. "We've got to be able to put together longer runs without unforced errors."
Many times this season the Tigers have started sets strong before conceding large leads. Even when they do ultimately win the set, the team has shown fatigue from long matches.
As Kreklow said, unforced errors have cost the Tigers important points. The Tigers committed 26 errors in the match versus Oklahoma, including 10 by junior outside hitter Rosa Medrano.
Remaining consistent may be the key to a successful Big 12 season, a league filled with top-level talent that will test the Tigers.
"We've got to eliminate the shoot-ourselves-in-the-foot-type errors," Kreklow said.
If they can stop drilling balls into the net and overshooting targets, the Tigers will be better able to compete in conference play.
Tiger soccer falls in UCLA tourney
The women's soccer team traveled to sunny Southern California this weekend for the UCLA Women's Cup tournament. They played two games, squaring off against Loyola Marymount and the host Bruins.
It was a battle of the big cats Friday night as the Tigers took on the Lions. Missouri dominated the Lions in offensive pressure, but the Lions held the advantage in the stat that mattered most. Loyola Marymount earned a 1-0 victory.
The Tigers out-shot Loyola Marymount 22-5, including a 14-2 advantage in the second half. Missouri recorded nine shots on goal during the match, as opposed to just three for Loyola Marymount. Senior forward Kristin Andrighetto led the Tigers with six shots for the evening.
The lone goal of the game came about 11 minutes into the second half off the head of Lions senior defender/midfielder Lacey Bartels. She headed in a crossing pass from junior forward Julie Gallaudet. It was Bartels' first goal of the season.
Loyola Marymount senior goalkeeper Allyssa Clark made nine saves during the course of the game.
The loss was the Tigers first road defeat of the year.
Sunday's contest against UCLA would produce the same result, as the Tigers were defeated 5-0 by the Bruins, a team ranked fourth in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll.
UCLA scored three goals in the game's first 14 minutes to take a commanding lead. The Bruins added another goal in the first half and scored their final goal midway through the second half. Five different Bruins scored in the game.
UCLA outshot the Tigers 17-12, and Missouri was bested in every statistical category except fouls. The game was intense as five cards were handed out. Three Tigers received yellow cards and two red cards were issued to UCLA. Senior defender Crystal Wagner, junior midfielder Krista Kruse and senior midfielder Meghan Pfeiffer received yellow cards for Missouri.
With the weekend's two losses, the Tigers fall to 4-4-1 on the season. They will host Northern Iowa on Friday at Walton Stadium.
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