Missouri Sweeps Tennessee To Earn Share Of SEC Championship

Match Stats

• Missouri def. Tennessee 3-0, (25-15, 26-24, 25-16)
• Mizzou improves to 25-5, 16-2 SEC, Tennessee falls to 17-14, 7-11 SEC
• Hosted by Missouri

Press Release

Courtesy of Missouri Athletics

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 22 Mizzou Volleyball (25-5, 16-2 SEC) defeated Tennessee on Saturday evening in the Hearnes Center, 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-16), clinching a share of the 2016 SEC Championship. The Tigers’ superb regular season and conference title marks their second SEC Championship in the past four seasons.

Mizzou owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over SEC Co-Champion, Florida, and will earn the conference’s automatic qualifier bid for the upcoming 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Mizzou dominated the opening set, claiming a 25-15 triumph over the Volunteers. The Tigers’ offense accumulated 13 kills on .400 hitting and four aces to lead their attack. Redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) served tough with a team-high two aces. Three Tigers produced three kills in the opening set, led by sophomore Alyssa Munlyn‘s (Suwanee, Ga.) three strikes on .750 hitting.

In the second set, both teams competed well early with the score tied at 14 apiece. Mizzou responded with a 7-1 scoring run and looked primed to run away with the set. Tennessee wouldn’t go quietly however, tallying a big scoring run of its own to even the score at 24 apiece. In extra points, senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) recorded a big kill, followed by a costly Volunteers error clinched a 26-24 victory for the Tigers.

Junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) continued her climb up the Mizzou Volleyball record book, as her 23rd assist of the evening placed her sixth all-time in career assists.

Mizzou wrapped up its memorable night at Hearnes with a dominant third and final set. The Tigers produced 12 kills on .320 hitting to round another outstanding offensive attack.

Up Next

Mizzou is primed to make its 13th NCAA Tournament since 2000. The Tigers learn their first and second round destination and opponents on Sunday, Nov. 27. Fans can watch the official NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Selection Show live on ESPNU.

Following Sunday night’s NCAA Selection Show, stay tuned to MUTigers.com for the latest updates on the Tigers’ 2016 postseason run.

Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Volleyball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Missouri Volleyball) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouVB).

Press Release

Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Tennessee Volunteers lost to the 22nd-ranked Missouri Tigers 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-16) to end the regular season Saturday night at Hearnes Center.

The Vols (17-14, 7-11 SEC) came within two points of winning the second set but could not replicate the success from their 3-1 Wednesday victory over No. 23 Kentucky. With the win, Missouri (25-5, 16-2) shares the SEC title with Florida.

Sophomore Erica Treiber led the Vols offensively with nine kills, two blocks and an ace.. Freshman setter Sedona Hansen recorded her 18th double-double in 31 matches this season, finishing with 27 assists and a team-leading 11 digs.

Missouri jumped out to a 7-2 early lead with a 6-0 run and led the rest of the way. The Vols closed the lead to 8-6, but Missouri responded by winning six of the last seven points to extend the lead to 14-7. Missouri won eight of the final 10 points of the set to take the opener 25-15. Missouri hit .400 for the set while the Vols were held to .176.

In the second set, Missouri broke a 14-14 tie by rattling off five consecutive points, but the Vols slowly climbed back in the set. Down 23-18, Tennessee won six of seven points at a stretch and fought off a pair of set points. Bri Holmes recorded a kill to tie the set 24-24, but Missouri won the next two points to take the set 26-24.

The Tigers broke away in the third set with a 4-0 run to go up 7-5 and lead the rest of the way. Treiber cut the lead to 10-9, but Missouri won the next three points to pull back ahead. Missouri, which hit .320 in the set, won five of six points to clinch the final set and match, 25-16.

Missouri out-hit Tennessee .276 to .188 in the match and took advantage of miscues by the Vols, who committed 36 total errors in the match (15 hitting, 12 service errors, 7 reception, 2 blocking errors). Missouri made 23 total errors in the match.

NOTES

• Tennessee starters: Raina Hembry, Erica Treiber, Alyssa Andreno, Bri Holmes, Sedona Hansen, Claudia Coco and Brooke Schumacher at libero. It was Hembry’s 100th career start in her final match as a Tennessee Vol.