Oct. 3, 2009
Box Score
AMES, Iowa -- The Mizzou volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-0 (23-25, 17-25, 26-28) decision at No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday night (Oct. 3), despite a fine performance from middle hitter Catie Wilson (Omaha, Neb.), who finished the match with eight kills on .316 hitting with four total blocks. Libero Caitlyn Vann (Munice, Ind.) also had a fine showing for the Tigers as she posted 20 digs in the match. She now needs only 27 to move into fifth-place all-time at Mizzou. With the loss, the Tigers fall to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in Big 12 play this season.
The match was a back-and-forth contest as each set featured numerous long rallies. Both teams' defenses shined at they combined for 129 total digs and 21.5 total blocks in the match as both teams hit below .200.
Wilson got the Tigers on the board in the first set as the teams traded sideouts until an attack error from Paola Ampudia (Cali, Colombia) gave the Cyclones a 4-2 edge. The Tiger block was strong from that point as they totaled three to pull within one a 7-6. The Cyclones took the next three points until a kill from Rosa Medrano (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) ended the streak.
Mizzou pulled within two at 11-9 after a kill from Wilson, but ISU scored three of the next four to gain a 14-10 lead and forced Mizzou to call the first timeout of the frame. The set remained competitive after that timeout, but Mizzou struggled to close the gap. With the score at 23-19, the Tigers and Cyclones had the longest rally of the match as both teams saw their defenses shine. A block from Wilson and Ampudia ended the point to make the score 23-20. Mizzou narrowed the gap at 24-23, forcing the final Cyclone timeout after a kill from Ampudia. But Kaylee Manns won a joust at the net with Medrano to seal the first set for ISU, 25-23.
Mizzou featured a well-spread attack in the first set as five players posted a kill, highlighted by three apiece from Wilson and Ampudia. Wilson led all Tigers with a .750 hitting percentage and three total blocks. Brittney Birmmage (East St. Louis, Ill.) pitched in a pair of kills on .400 hitting while adding a solo block while senior setter
Lei Wang-Francisco (Shanghai, China) anchored the Tiger attack with 12 assists. Vann led Mizzou with eight digs in the frame.
Iowa State jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Mizzou rallied to tie the score at two after a block from Wang-Francisco and Brimmage. ISU took six of the next eight points to build an 8-4 lead and extended it to 12-6 after a string of attack errors from the Tigers. But Mizzou, led by the play of Wilson and Julianna Klein (Keota, Iowa), continued to fight as they clawed their way back into the set at 14-12, forcing ISU into its first timeout of the set.
Another back-and-forth rally ensued following the timeout and, once again, Mizzou prevailed as Klein posted a solo block to pull the Tigers within one at 14-13. ISU ran off four-straight points after that play to go back on top at 18-13. That run was more than enough for the Cyclones as they claimed the second, 25-17. Vann pulled in eight more digs in the set, moving her total to a match-best 16 through two. Mizzou posted only six kills in the second set.
The third set opened with the teams trading sideouts until a kill from Rachel Hockaday game ISU a 4-2 lead. Ampudia countered with a kill to cut the lead to one but sent an attack into a block on the next rally to give ISU back a two-point cushion at 5-3. That lead doubled to 10-6 as the Cyclone defense continued to play tough, both at the net and in the back row. The Tigers fell behind 10-6, but battled back to tie the score at 16 after a pair of kills from Wilson and one from Klein.
Mizzou gained its first lead of the set after a Victoria Henson attack error at 17-16. Mizzou rallied to go back on top at 19-18. The lead changes continued as ISU regained the lead at 20-19, prompting a Tiger timeout, but the lead shifted back to Mizzou as an attack error gave Mizzou the edge at 21-20. Medrano posted a solo block to extend the Tiger lead to two. ISU ran off two of the next three to knot things up at 23. Sideouts were traded from there until ISU gained a 26-25 lead but a block from Wilson and Wang-Francisco kept the Tigers alive. But, ISU took the next two points to claim the set, 28-26, and the match.
Klein added a team-best 10 kills and 11.0 total points in the loss while defensive specialist Priscilla Armendariz (Blue Springs, Mo.) pulled in 10 digs.
Mizzou will return to action next Wednesday (Sept. 7) as they host Colorado in the team's first televised match of the 2009 season. That contest is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Hearnes Center. For all the latest on Mizzou volleyball, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com.
