Missouri volleyball set for Sweet 16 matchup against Duke

The Tigers will play in the Sweet 16 for only the second time in MU history.

By Zach Dischiano

Published Dec. 10, 2010

For the second time in MU history, the Missouri volleyball team has advanced to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 with a first round upset over fifth-ranked Northern Iowa and a second round victory over Northwestern.

On Friday, the Tigers will face the Duke Blue Devils, which are ranked No. 12 in the country. Duke swept High Point in the first round and took Ohio to five sets in the second. Missouri has won 11 out of its last 14 matches, and its win over Northern Iowa was the biggest first round upset in tournament history.

“It was an amazing feeling,” senior middle blocker Catie Wilson said. “It was a battle between both teams, both teams were well prepared and worked really hard and it was a great game.”

Finishing fifth in the Big 12, the Tigers were not expected to win the first round match against the Panthers, let alone find their way into the Sweet 16.

“I think we always knew we could do it,” senior libero Caitlyn Vann said. “But I think it’s special that no one else did, and we’re doing it and it’s just kind of like proving everyone wrong and making people respect us.”

The key to Missouri’s success in the tournament has been the balanced attack on offense. In the Tigers' first round upset over the Panthers, four players recorded at least 12 kills. Three players had at least 14 kills in Missouri’s win over Northwestern, one of which was the freshman outside hitter Lisa Henning, who led the Tigers with a career-high 18 kills.

“Every team by this time of the year has their go to swings,” coach Wayne Kreklow said. “So everybody prepares for Jules and Paola and Brittney and Catie, and Lisa really hasn’t been a real focal point but against Northwestern she had a lot of opportunities to really step up and be a big part of our win. She took advantage and Molly went to her early, went to her often, and she came up with a career match for us.”

The defensive play for the Tigers has been stellar, with Vann leading all teams in the tournament with 59 digs over the first two matches. Vann was named AVCA All-Central Region honorable mention, recording an outstanding 6.19 digs per set. Missouri won 14 Big 12 weekly awards this season, which was a league high. The team’s 22 wins and 12 conference wins are the most since 2005, when the Tigers last made it to the Sweet 16.

Duke, the ACC’s only remaining team, finished its season with a 26-6 overall record and a 16-4 conference record. The Blue Devils have an exceptional lineup, which includes ACC Player of the Year Kellie Catanach at setter, to go with four All-ACC selections to make up their starting lineup. Duke is averaging 14.17 kills per set, which is good for 22nd in the nation. Middle blocker Christiana Gray was the ACC’s top attacker at her position, hitting at a solid .391 on the season.

If the Tigers come up with the victory, they’ll face the winner of Oklahoma and Penn State. The match begins 4 p.m. Friday in University Park, Pa.