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COLUMBIA, Mo – The University of Missouri Volleyball team (17-10, 9-7 SEC) fell to #20 Florida (17-7, 9-6 SEC) 25-18, 25-20, 25-20 Friday at the Hearnes Center.
A season-best crowd of 5,452 filled Hearnes to celebrate Senior Night as the Tigers honored Lauren Forbes and Dilara Gedikoglu following the conclusion of the match. The crowd marked the seventh highest attendance at the Hearnes Center in Mizzou Volleyball’s program history.
Janet deMarrais led Missouri with 10 kills, extending her double-digit kill streak to 17 consecutive matches. The sophomore also added four digs and a pair of aces.
Gedikoglu and Jordan Iliff each chipped in nine kills Friday. Iliff also finished with 10 digs.
FIRST SET (Florida 25-18, Florida leads 1-0)
Florida used a four-point run to jump ahead to an early 9-6 advantage.
deMarrais was then able to spark a 4-0 run for Mizzou, leading with a kill followed by an ace before an Iliff termination, to provide the Tigers a one-point edge (12-11).
UF would later go on a 5-1 push, going ahead 18-15 to prompt Mizzou’s first timeout.
The Gators would continue their surge out of the stoppage, scoring four straight to take a 22-16 lead.
An Iliff rally stopper fought off one Florida set point (24-18) chance before the Gators clinched the first on a Sofia Victoria kill.
SECOND SET (Florida 25-20, Florida leads 2-0)
The Tigers used a 3-0 run to gain an early lead in the second. Iliff opened the sequence with a kill before a block assist from Gedikoglu and Isenberg. The run was capped with a deMarrais ace to put Missouri ahead 7-4.
UF then used a 5-0 run to get back in front 9-7 and prompt a Mizzou stoppage.
Missouri battled back, tying the second at 13-13 after an Iliff kill, before a 4-0 run (17-13) by Florida brought on a second Missouri timeout.
Mizzou cut the deficit in half after back-to-back kills from Iliff and Gedikoglu, forcing Florida’s first timeout (20-18).
Out of the break, Florida would score five of the next seven, including the last four straight to clinch the second set.
THIRD SET (Florida 25-20, Florida wins 3-0)
After UF sprinted out to an 8-2 lead, Missouri went on a 6-2 run to get back within a pair (10-8) of the Gators.
Florida then scored three straight points to jump ahead 13-8, and force Mizzou to call their first timeout.
Later, Missouri embarked on a 5-2 surge to trim the margin to three (17-14). The run was capped by a Gedikoglu and Isenberg block following a deMarrais kill.
A pair of deMarrais kills bookending a block from Isenberg and Dudley kept the Tigers within three (23-20) before Florida claimed the match with consecutive Kennedy Martin kills.
MATCH NOTES
- Janet deMarrais led Missouri with 10 kills Friday, extending her double-digit kill streak to 17 consecutive matches. The sophomore added four digs and a pair of aces.
- Jordan Iliff recorded 10 digs in the match, marking her seventh match with double-digit digs this season and her second straight match with 10. She also added nine kills, one block, and an assist.
- Graduate student Dilara Gedikoglu contributed nine kills, eight digs, and three blocks. She has now posted nine or more kills in each of the last five matches.
- Maya Sands led the defense, picking up 13 digs with three assists. She has registered double-digit digs in every match this season for Mizzou.
- Morgan Isenberg picked up five blocks, marking her 13th five-plus block performance this season. The junior also added a kill and an assist.
- Sierra Dudley tallied 23 assists to go with five digs and two blocks. She has now posted 20 or more assists in 15 straight matches.
- Lauren Forbes placed a pair of aces. It marked her fourth match in 2023 with two or more aces.
- Mizzou set a season-high attendance Friday of 5,452. The crowd was the seventh largest attendance in Mizzou Volleyball program history.
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Tigers next hit the road to face #12 Kentucky on Sunday. First serve is set for 12:30 p.m., CT in Lexington, Kentucky. The action will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
