The Mizzou women’s volleyball team celebrates its upset victory over two-time defending national champ Texas, Friday night in Austin. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)

NCAA Women’s Volleyball12345Final
Missouri (16-5, 7-2)2125172615(3)
#9 Texas (12-5, 7-2)2519252410(2)

Paige Dale
Staff Writer

AUSTIN, TX — The University of Missouri women’s volleyball team picked up one of its biggest wins in program history, Friday night, when it rallied from a two sets to one deficit to defeat two-time defending national champion and current No. 9-ranked Texas in a five-set thriller at Texas’s Gregory Gymnasium.

Missouri, which is now 16-5 on the season and tied with Texas and Kentucky for first place in the SEC standings (all three teams are 7-2 in league play), lost the first and third sets to the Longhorns, but won the second, fourth, and deciding fifth set to claim the match. The final scores were 21-25, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 15-10.

The victory was Mizzou’s first over a ranked opponent this season and extended the Tigers’ current win streak to seven matches in a row.

The Missouri Tigers are 16-5 on the season and have won seven matches in a row. (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Missouri was led by Texas transfer and Austin, Texas native, Marina Crownover, who had 51 assists and 10 digs, to go along with a career-best six kills, two service aces, and two blocks.

Hitters Jordan Iliff, Mychael Vernon, and Janet deMarrais also had big nights. Iliff had 18 kills and 15 digs, Vernon had 16 kills, 10 digs, two aces, and two blocks, and deMarrais (another Texas native) had 15 kills.

The teams took turns controlling the action in the first two sets. Both teams led at different points, but Texas pulled away to win the first set and Mizzou did the same to win the second.

The third set is when the Longhorns took control. Missouri led early, but Texas went on a 6-1 run midway through to take the lead and never relinquished it on its way to a 25-17 win.

Texas continued its momentum to take an early lead in the fourth set, but this time it was Mizzou that rallied back to tie, then go ahead late in the set. The Tigers had three set points, before finally winning the set on a Texas service error and an Iliff kill on the final point.

The fifth set was tense from the start, as neither team could gain much of an advantage, until three straight kills by Vernon gave Mizzou a 9-7 lead. Texas stopped that short run, but Mizzou went on another one — a 4-0 jolt that put the Tigers ahead 14-9.

Texas won the next point to keep the match going, but an attack error on the game’s final play saw the final point awarded to Mizzou to clinch the match and the Tigers’ first victory in Texas since both teams were members of the Big XII in 2002.

The Tigers will be at home for their next two matches against Georgia (November 6) and South Carolina (November 10). (Photo: Terrance Williams)

Mizzou’s win over No. 9 Texas is its first Top-25 win since a 3-1 win over No. 24 Auburn last season. It also was Mizzou’s first Top-9 win since defeating No. 5 Florida in 2016.

The Tigers will be off the rest of the weekend and get ready for a pair of home matches next week.

Mizzou will host Georgia on Wednesday, November 6, and South Carolina next Sunday, November 10. Both matches will be played at the Hearnes Center and will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.

2024 MISSOURI TIGERS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

DateTimeAtOpponentLocationTV
November 6, 2024 (Wednesday)7 pmHomeGeorgiaColumbia, Mo. / Hearnes CenterSEC Network
November 10, 2024 (Sunday)5:30 pmHomeSouth CarolinaColumbia, Mo. / Hearnes CenterSEC Network
November 15, 2024 (Friday)7 pmHome#24 FloridaColumbia, Mo. / Hearnes CenterSECN+ / ESPN+
November 22, 2024 (Friday)6:30 pmAwayOle MissOxford, Miss.SECN+ / ESPN+
November 24, 2024 (Sunday)2 pmAwayMississippi StateStarkville, Miss.SECN+ / ESPN+
November 27, 2024 (Wednesday)7 pmHome#12 KentuckyColumbia, Mo. / Hearnes CenterSECN+ / ESPN+
November 30, 2024 (Saturday)7:30 pmHomeAuburnColumbia, Mo. / Hearnes CenterSECN+ / ESPN+