Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook knows one or two things about SMU Mustangs. In the regular season, his team faced a heartbreak from them in Lincoln, on the Huskers’ home turf. The 0-3 defeat didn’t move him much. Rather, he was amazed watching the Mustangs’ finesse in the arena. He also mentioned the top seed, the Pittsburgh Panthers’ experience. Notably, the Panthers had a similar fate against SMU. They had to surrender against the silent killers in Moody Coliseum in the regular season. Watching such brave attempts, Cook felt sure about Mustangs’ ‘real invincible’ part. But who is the ultimate slayer? SMU or Mizzou volleyball?
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On November 29, the Mizzou volleyball team delivered a surprising performance in the opening round of the NCAA Volleyball Championship, defeating SMU 3-1 and eliminating them from the competition. Upsetting the odds isn’t unheard of in the NCAA Volleyball Championship—just last year, the Texas Longhorns claimed the title after toppling the favored Huskers. However, Mizzou’s bold victory has sparked significant curiosity, with most of it centered on one question: who exactly is the Mizzou volleyball team?
Who stood bigger against the SMU Mustangs?
On Friday, Mizzou volleyball (or Missouri) was on the slate to face SMU in the second round. The game was hyped as a squad from the Power Four SEC locked horns with someone from the Power Four ACC. A few communities simply named it as the battle between the No. 25 ranked and seventh seed and the No. 10 ranked and second seed. Ultimately, every title would signify the disproportionate volleyball game between the two teams. But Mizzou volleyball had to win the race. A win against the opponent would give the team a ticket to the Sweet 16. So, the entire team came together on Friday. But what is their formation, anyway?
In the game, captain Mychael Vernon rose above everything else. The outside hitter inflicted 23 kills and four digs with a hitting percentage of 0.308. It was her second 20 or more kills in her so-far college career. However, apart from her, the squad has several outside hitters. Enter Asper Maxwell, Vivian Parker, Grace Sweeney, Janet deMarrais, Claire Morrissey, and Morgan Jones. A few of them play as defensive specialists and libero in the squad. Grace Sweeney is one such. Moreover, against the Mustangs, Janet deMarrais shone brightly. She had 12 kills and two blocks. Apart from her, the right-side hitter Jordan Iliff grabbed 16 kills, 4 aces, and 2 blocks. Such fireworks were expected from her, though.
This year, Iliff has 66 aces, the best number in a single season for the program. In the Sweet 16, eyes will be on her. Notably, the OH, Vivian Parker, holds the ability to play as the right-hand setter. That makes it two out of two for the Mizzou Tigers. The squad still has a few stunning names. One such is Colleen Finney. Against the Mustangs, the middle blocker scored four kills and seven blocks. These players had serious help from setter Marina Crownover. The redshirt advanced 52 assists on Friday. Apart from her, the SEC Libero of the Year, Maya Sands, contributed to the victory with 14 digs, five assists, and four aces. In the next round, the focus will be on these names. After all, they are the ones who are defying history. The question is how.
Is Mizzou volleyball on the way to making history?
On December 12, Mizzou volleyball will oppose the Kentucky Wildcats in Pittsburgh. The rivalry between these two teams is not new. Rather, in the regular season, they crossed each other’s paths two times. And can you guess the results? Both times, the Wildcats took away the victory. Furthermore, they have many positive elements to motivate themselves against the Tigers. First, the Wildcats are fresh off their victory in the SEC and they have a record of 22-7 compared to Mizzou’s 22-8. Surely, these would keep the weight tilted at Kentucky’s side. But Mizzou volleyball doesn’t have anything to lose. But they can claim history.
Missouri has advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017 and for the fifth time in the program’s history. In 2017, the Tigers defeated No. 16 seed Wichita State in the second round before facing top-seeded Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania. Nonetheless, the Nittany Lions overpowered the Tigers subsequently. So this time, the underdogs have the chance to play with the history. Would they grab it? What do you think?
