Mizzou Volleyball (13-3, 4-0 SEC) extended its winning streak to eight matches following a 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-23) sweep at LSU on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers have claimed impressive sweeps in five consecutive matches and have yet to drop a set in Southeastern Conference play.
Sophomore Alyssa Munlyn (Suwanee, Ga.) boasted outstanding offensive numbers for the second straight match, recording eight kills on .800 hitting. Munlyn’s standout hitting percentage marked the sixth-highest single-match individual hitting performance in Mizzou Volleyball history.
Senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) paced the Tigers with 11 kills inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Redshirt junior Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.) also finished with double-digit kills, marking her 12th 10-plus kill match of the season. Junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) produced 30-plus assists for the eighth consecutive match, keying Mizzou’s .302 overall hitting performance on Sunday. The Tigers have surpassed .300 hitting five times during their current winning streak.
Six different Tigers posted multiple blocks against LSU, aiding their first double-digit block effort since Sept. 17 against Miami (Fla.). Munlyn’s six total blocks led Mizzou’s stellar defense at the net, while senior Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.) placed second with five total stops. Senior Alexa Ethridge (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) paced Mizzou in digs for a team-high 12th time this year.
Mizzou’s efficient offense arrived in the opening set, recording 17 kills on .412 hitting en route to a 25-17 first set triumph. Crow and Kan each produced a team-leading five kills in the first set. Kan and Munlyn each recorded .800 or higher hitting percentages against the host Tigers’ defense.
The visiting Tigers defense stole the show in the second set, claiming seven total blocks and forcing 10 LSU attack errors (-.027 hitting). Through two sets played, Mizzou tallied 10.0 total blocks, marking its seventh match with double-digit blocks this season. Following a quiet offensive first set, Thater rebounded with a team-high three kills in the second set. The Springfield, Mo., native and redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) led Mizzou’s blocking with three total stops apiece.
Mizzou and LSU battled back and forth in the third set, highlighted by 10 ties and three lead changes. With the set tied at 23 apiece, Crow tallied her 10th kill and later joined Munlyn for a dual block to clinch the team’s victorious afternoon in Baton Rouge, La.
UP NEXT
Mizzou concludes its three-match road trip on Friday, Oct. 7, at Auburn. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT). The Tigers return to the Hearnes Center on Sunday, Oct. 9, against Arkansas. First serve between Mizzou and the Razorbacks is set for 1:30 p.m. (CT).
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).
Courtesy of Missouri Athletics
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