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COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Volleyball team (2-0) completed a reverse sweep (24-26, 19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-11) of Central Arkansas (1-2) Saturday night at the Hearnes Center to stay perfect at the Mizzou Classic.
For the second-straight match, junior Jordan Iliff led the Tigers offense with 15 kills to go along with seven digs and two aces.
Graduate student Dilara Gedikoglu chipped in a double-double effort, her first at Mizzou, logging 14 kills (.286) and 11 digs, with three blocks, three aces and two assists.
Junior Morgan Isenberg led the team on the net, with a career-high day of eight blocks and 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Sierra Dudley recorded her second-straight double-double in as many days, finishing with 49 assists (personal best) and 12 digs.
FIRST SET (26-24 UCA, UCA leads 1-0)
The teams would trade points early in the match, with neither side compiling more than two points in a row until Mizzou, on the back of an Iliff kill, UCA error, and service ace from Gedikoglu took a 10-7 lead.
Another 3-0 run by the Tigers, would increase the MU lead to 17-13.
The Sugar Bears would close the gap with a 3-0 rally of their own, knotting up the set at 18-18.
After tie score lines of 19-19, 20-20, and 21-21, Central Arkansas would secure the set on a 4-0 run (26-24).
SECOND SET (25-19 UCA, UCA leads 2-0)
Missouri took an early 2-0 edge after a Janet deMarrais kill followed by a Gedikoglu service ace.
After trading points, MU would piece together a 5-1 run with four different Tigers tallying kills to prompt a Central Arkansas timeout, with Mizzou up 9-7.
The Sugar Bears then utilized a 12-2 run to pull ahead 22-15.
The Tigers would come as close as 24-19 before an Allison Holloway kill extended the UCA edge to 2-0 in the match.
THIRD SET (25-17 Mizzou, UCA leads 2-1)
With its back against the wall, Mizzou would notch a .400 hitting percentage in the third frame to commence the comeback.
The Tigers grabbed the opening three points before compiling a 7-0 rally for a 17-11 advantage.
During the run, Isenberg would pick up a solo block after teaming up with Dudley for a block assist.
Iliff then posted kills on three straight MU points during their dominating 6-2 run to finish the frame and force a fourth stanza. She and Gedikoglu each had four rally stoppers during set #4.
FOURTH SET (25-20 Mizzou, Tied 2-2)
Mizzou would continue the momentum in the fourth set, grabbing eight of the set’s first nine points, including a pair of service aces from freshman Kaylen Rush.
A 6-0 rally by the Tigers pushed the margin to 17-8. Transfer Kimani Johnson had two of her seven total kills during the stretch, making her Mizzou debut Saturday.
Kills from Isenberg and Iliff extended the lead to 23-17 before Gedikoglu claimed the set with a rally stopper at 25-20.
FIFTH SET (15-11 Mizzou, Mizzou wins 3-2)
After falling behind 3-2 early, the Tigers would piece together a critical four-point rally for a 6-3 advantage. Iliff knocked a pair of kills to go with an ace by Gedikoglu and a rally stopper by Johnson.
Libero Maya Sands added a service ace for an 8-6 Mizzou edge at the switchover.
Coming out of the court change, MU would go on a 5-1 run for a 13-7 lead. Graduate student Colleen Finney, Iliff and Johnson all notched kills during the sequence to complement an Iliff ace.
Central Arkansas would claw back into the match, tallying a 4-0 streak that cut the edge to 13-10.
Iliff then posted her fifth kill of the frame (1.000 hitting percentage, 5-for-5) before a UCA miscue to claim the match, 15-11.
Mizzou hit a match-best .412 in the final set Saturday and concluded the match with a .273 clip.
MATCH NOTES
- With the win, the Tigers moved to 3-0 all time against Central Arkansas.
- Sophomore right side hitter Kimani Johnson made her Mizzou debut in the match, compiling seven kills, two digs and an assist.
- Freshman Kaylen Rush tallied a trio of aces in her second-career collegiate match.
- Three Tigers notched double-digit kills led by Jordan Iliff with 15 along with Dilara Gedikoglu (14) and Morgan Isenberg (10).
- Dilara Gedikoglu picked up a double-double of 14 kills and 11 digs, her first double-double performance at Mizzou.
- Libero Maya Sands tied her career high of 22 digs which she registered last season as a freshman at UNLV against Utah State (Oct. 13, 2022).
- Morgan Isenberg picked up a career high eight blocks.
- Freshman setter Sierra Dudley recorded her second-straight double-double in as many days, finishing with 49 assists (personal best) and 12 digs.
- The Tigers picked up their first reverse sweep win since Northern Kentucky exactly one year ago to the day on Aug. 26, 2022.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will complete the Mizzou Classic Sunday against Colgate. The match is slated for a 12 p.m., CT first serve at the Hearnes Center, and will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.
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