Tigers take down Red Raiders in Big 12 opener
Coach Wayne Kreklow earned his 100th victory with Missouri in the win.
Published Sept. 17, 2010
The Tiger volleyball team had a great start to the Big 12 schedule Wednesday night. Coach Wayne Kreklow earned his 100th victory with Missouri while the Tigers swept the Red Raiders in the Big 12 opener.
Senior outside hitter Julianna Klein had a team-high of 15 kills to go with 11 digs, picking up her first double-double of the season. Freshman setter Molly Kreklow, second in the country in total assists, didn't slow down at all against Texas Tech, tallying 43 assists for a total of 14.33 per set. Fellow freshman outside hitter Lisa Henning gave the Red Raiders trouble all night, recording 13 kills on .409 hitting. Defensively, Missouri held its own in the back row with senior libero Caitlyn Vann recording a team-high 14 digs on the night.
Missouri started off the match slowly, trailing the first half of the first set. A kill from Klein gave the Tigers a 15-14 lead, sparking a rally that eventually put Missouri up 24-20. Four Texas Tech points later, the Tigers found themselves struggling to finish off a feisty Red Raider team. When it needed points most, Missouri turned to Klein, its reliable redshirt senior, who scored two consecutive points to end the first set, 26-24.
The Red Raiders kept it close all throughout the second set, preventing the Tigers from building any lead greater than three points. Later in the set, Missouri finally broke free of the Red Raiders' grip, taking a 21-17 lead. A pair of blocks from Klein and a knockout kill from junior middle hitter Brittney Brimmage ended the set and any momentum Texas Tech had gained.
The third set was no different from the first two, as the two teams continued exchanging leads throughout the match. With the score tied at 15, the Tigers looked to find a way to run away with the set. The Red Raiders wouldn't go down easily, pulling ahead 20-18. Coach Kreklow proceeded to take a time-out and regroup the team. His strategy worked: The Tigers scored the next five points and took the lead 23-20. Texas Tech was able to contribute one more point to the box score, but after that, Missouri finished off its opponents, 25-21.
With the victory, the Tigers move to 9-2 on the season -- eight out of those nine wins sweeps. Missouri will return home to Columbia to face off against top-ranked Iowa State at 3 p.m. Saturday.