The Missouri Tigers celebrate winning their NCAA Tournament second round game over SMU, Friday night in Dallas. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)
| NCAA Women’s Volleyball | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #7 Missouri (22-8) | 25 | 25 | 31 | 25 | (3) |
| #2 SMU (25-8) | 22 | 14 | 33 | 22 | (1) |
Paige Dale
Staff Writer
DALLAS, TX — The No. 25 nationally-ranked and No. 7 seeded University of Missouri women’s volleyball team enjoyed a huge victory Friday night, when it knocked off No. 10 ranked and No. 2 seeded SMU, in an NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship Tournament second round game at SMU’s Moody Coliseum.
Missouri won the match three sets to one by scores of 25-22, 25-14, 31-33, 25-22. The victory earned the Tigers a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, where it will face Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky in a match next weekend in Lexington.
The winner of that contest will advance to the regional championship with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
Missouri is headed to the tournament’s third round for the first time since 2017.
“I love the way our team battled,” Mizzou head coach Dawn Sullivan said. “We showed up right away. That third set, we got really high errors, but we never quit. I’m very proud of that.”
Mychael Vernon and members of the Missouri Tigers celebrate advancing to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, after beating SMU, Friday night in Dallas. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)
Mizzou was led for the second-straight match by grad student outside hitter Mychael Vernon, who posted 23 kills and a .308 hitting percentage, to go along with four digs, three blocks and an ace. It was Vernon’s second-straight 20-kill match, after she logged exactly 20 in the Tigers’ win over Texas State on Thursday.
Vernon, the 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year, has registered 14 or more kills in 14 of the last 15 matches. She has finished in double-digits kills in all but two matches this season (28 of 30).
Teammate Jordan Iliff also had a big night. The senior had 16 kills, with 10 digs, four aces, and two blocks. Junior Janet deMarrais had 12 kills and two blocks.
Sophomore Marina Crownover had 52 assists and a career-best five blocks, while junior Maya Sands led the defense with 14 digs. Grad student Colleen Finney contributed with a career-best seven blocks.
“We had a ton of hitting errors and we were neck and neck with them,” Sullivan said. “So I’m just really impressed with (our) composure and the grit they continue to show.”
Mizzou’s Mychael Vernon puts the winning sticker on the sub-regional bracket after the Tigers beat SMU to advance the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Friday. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)
The first set was close throughout, with Mizzou grabbing the lead for good on a kill by Vernon to make the score 21-20. The Tigers then won four of the final six points to claim the set at 25-22.
The second set was all Mizzou. The Tigers jumped out to a quick lead at 3-1, then extended it to 7-4, 10-6, and 13-9, before going on a 9-3 run to themselves up 22-12.
The third set saw the toughest fight from both teams. Mizzou was looking to close out the win and SMU was trying to save its season.
The Mustangs led 24-21 with a chance to win the set, but Mizzou fought off three straight set points to tie the score at 24. SMU had other chances to win the set and Mizzou had three chances to close out the match, but neither team would give, so the match extended into the 30s.
After staving off a potential Mizzou match point at 31-30, SMU won three straight points to take the set at 33-31.
That set the stage for a fourth set that saw SMU lead early, but Mizzou won three straight points to go ahead 17-15. SMU regained the lead at 20-19, but the Tigers won four straight points to go ahead 23-20 and put themselves just two points away from closing out the night.
Iliff got the kill on two of the matches final three points to finish the match and send Mizzou to the Sweet 16, while also ending SMU’s season on its home floor.
“We always kind of live into those values — love, family, grit,” Sullivan said. “So I’m just really proud of what this program is and everybody that’s a part of it.”
Mizzou’s match at Kentucky will likely be on Thursday, December 12. The official game time will be announced once the rest of the Sweet 16 slate is set.
2024 MISSOURI TIGERS WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6, 2024 (Thursday) | 4 pm | Neutral | Texas State | Dallas, TX |  | W (3-0) 21-8 |
| December 7, 2024 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | #2 SMU | Dallas, TX | | W (3-1) 22-8 |
| December 12, 2024 | TBD | Away | #3 Kentucky | Lexington, KY | |