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2024 Lippy Invite – Mizzou (6-3) | at Lipscomb (3-6) | vs. Illinois (7-1) |
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Match 1 Information |
Thursday, Sept. 19 • 6 p.m., CT • Nashville, Tenn. • Allen Arena |
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Match 1 Coverage |
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Match 2 Information |
Friday, Sept. 20 • 4 p.m., CT • Columbia, Mo. • Hearnes Center |
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Match 2 Coverage |
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Social Media |
Facebook: /MizzouVolleyball X: @MizzouVB | Instagram: @MizzouVB |
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Match Notes |
Missouri | Lipscomb | Illinois |
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Volleyball team (6-3) heads to Nashville, Tennessee, to wrap non-conference tournament play Thursday and Friday at the Lippy Invite.
Mizzou will open the invitational against host Lipscomb (3-6) Thursday before facing Bragging Rights rival Illinois (7-1) Friday. Match times are set for 6 p.m., CT and 4 p.m. at Allen Arena.
Both matches this week in the Music City will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
• Lipscomb and Mizzou are tied in the all-time series at 1-1.
• The two teams last met in 2014 (Sept. 5) with the Bison notching a 3-1 win in Columbia, Missouri.
• Mizzou and Lipscomb initially met Aug. 31, 2012, with the Tigers tallying a 3-0 sweep in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Illinois leads Missouri in the all-time series, 7-1-1.
• The Fighting Illini have won the last four meetings including most recently a 3-0 victory in Normal, Illinois, on Sept. 17, 2021.
ILIFF NAMED SEC CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Jordan Iliff was named the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after she paced the Tigers’ offense over the home-opening Mizzou Invitational, registering 35 kills (3.50 kills/set) on a .443 hitting percentage. She also grabbed 19 digs with seven aces and three blocks over the three matches.
• The St. Louis, native, notched double-digit kills in each of the final two Mizzou Invitational matches.
• Iliff opened the Invitational with six kills on a .600 clip to go with four digs, two aces and a block against Kansas City.
• She then added her fourth double-double of the year, compiling 16 kills and 11 digs on a .609 clip in the sweep of UT Martin. Iliff also tallied three aces and a block. The hitting percentage is the fifth highest mark by an SEC attacker in 2024.
• She then wrapped the weekend with 13 kills along with four digs, two aces and a block against Lindenwood. It marked her eighth match with 10-plus kills in 2024.
• The right side hitter ranks ninth in the conference for kills per set (3.80, 114 kills) and points per set (4.40, 132.0 points, 10th in the SEC). She also is 10th in the SEC for hitting percentage (.325) this season, and service aces (0.43 aces/set, 13 aces).
• Iliff has also totaled four double-doubles this season.
• This is Iliff’s third SEC weekly honor of her career after earning a pair in 2023.
CROWNOVER SECURES SEC SETTER OF THE WEEK
• Marina Crownover totaled 87 assists (8.70 assists) and 19 digs over the Mizzou Invitational for SEC Setter of the Week laurels. She posted 30 or more assists in each of her last two starts and has recorded 10 or more assists in every appearance this season.
• Crownover posted two aces along with 17 assists to commence the Invitational against Kansas City.
• She then notched 33 assists and eight digs with three aces, two blocks and a kill in the sweep of UT Martin.
• Crownover totaled her first career double-double outing in the finale against Lindenwood. She broke career-bests she set in the match prior with 37 assists and 11 digs. The Austin, Texas, native, piled on three aces, which also matched a career-high, to go with one block and one kill.
• Crownover is averaging 7.63 assists per set (145 assists) for the 2024 season. She also ranks sixth in the SEC with 0.47 aces per set (nine aces) after notching eight over the Mizzou Invitational.
• The SEC weekly honor marks the first in Crownover’s career.
MIZZOU INVITATIONAL RECAP
• Mizzou most recently went 3-0 over its home-opening Mizzou Invitational. The Tigers picked up a pair of sweeps over Kansas City and UT Martin and a 3-1 victory over Lindenwood.
• MU notched season-bests in hitting percentage and aces over the first two matches. The Tigers hit .442 against Kansas City before improving on that mark against UT Martin (.513, 10th in program history.) Mizzou totaled nine aces against KC before 10 versus UTM.
• Middle blocker Colleen Finney added 25 kills (2.50 kills/set) on a .639 clip with seven blocks over the Invitational while Janet deMarrais finished with 21 kills, seven digs and six aces.
• Finney posted a season-best 11 kills on a .667 rate against Lindenwood.
• Morgan Isenberg made her first two starts of the campaign, compiling 13 kills and six blocks over the tournament.
• Sierra Dudley chipped in 18 assists including 15 in the start against Kansas City. She ranks ninth in the SEC with 9.29 assists per set (195 assists).
• Kiaraliz Perez Catala posted 11 digs over three starts.
• Naomi Franco posted four kills (.600) and a block in the Tigers win over Kansas City.
• Regan Haith ranks fifth in the SEC with a .397 hitting percentage.
MAYA SANDS
• Maya Sands, the 2023 SEC Libero of the Year, led the Mizzou defense with 48 digs (4.80 digs/set), nine assists and four aces over the Mizzou Invitational.
• Sands totaled 16 digs to lead the Tigers’ defense against Kansas City. She then notched 12 digs to go along with seven assists and a pair of aces versus UT Martin.
• Sands led Mizzou defensively with 20 digs, marking her third match this season collecting 20 or more digs and 17th match achieving 20-plus as a Tiger in the win over Lindenwood. The Rock Falls, Illinois, product, added two aces and an assist against in-state foe Lindenwood.
• Sands ranks second in the SEC with 150 digs (5.00 digs/set, 14th in the NCAA).
MYCHAEL VERNON
• Mychael Vernon tallied 34 kills (3.40 kills/set) on a .408 hitting percentage with 15 digs, five blocks and three aces over the Mizzou Invitational.
• She notched 11 or more kills in each match and hit over .308 in each match at the Invitational.
• Vernon opened the Invitational with 11 kills and seven digs while hitting .524 against Kansas City.
• She finished the tournament with 11 kills on a .417 clip against UT Martin followed by 12 kills, four digs, two aces, two blocks and an assist versus Lindenwood.
• Vernon has made all nine starts in 2024 and finished in double-figures attacking eight times. She ranks seventh in the SEC for kills (119, 3.97 kills per set, eighth) and eighth for points (135.5, 4.52 points/set).
MIZZOU DEBUTS
• Aspen Maxwell, Tatum Longnecker, and Claire Morrissey all made their Tiger debuts over the home-opening Mizzou Invitational. Maxwell tallied a block against Lindenwood while Longnecker notched a pair of digs and an assist against Kansas City. Morrissey appeared in all three matches with an ace and a dig in the matchup with UT Martin.
• Defensive specialist Alayna Pearson made her Mizzou debut over the NKU Invitational, competing against No. 4 Louisville and South Dakota. The Texas A&M transfer from Overland Park, Kansas, posted a pair of digs in her first match repping the Black & Gold.
• Four Tigers also made their Mizzou debuts at the season-opening Bluejay Invitational. Regan Haith, Kiaraliz Perez Catala, Mychael Vernon and Marina Crownover all made starts over the weekend in Omaha.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
• The 2024 campaign marks the second for head coach Dawn Sullivan who led the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2020 as she was selected SEC Coach of the Year this past fall.
• During her first season, Sullivan guided Missouri to an impressive 18-13 mark including a .500 (9-9) record in SEC play, surpassing the Tigers’ combined win total from the past two seasons (nine in 2022, five in 2021).
• In SEC play, Missouri went on both three-match and four-match win streaks in 2023, while also securing five wins over top-50 AVCA (based on KPI, Pablo, and RPI rankings) teams and nine wins over top-100 AVCA teams including two ranked wins over Auburn (#23 and #24, Oct. 20 & Nov. 12).
• The eight-win overall improvement from 2022 (nine wins), tied for 12th nationally and ranked second among Power Five institutions.
• Mizzou received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll over the first two weeks of the season. The Tigers will face eight teams (nine matches) ranked in the preseason top 25.
• Mizzou returns six of seven starters from 2023 including a trio of All-SEC performers in Maya Sands (SEC Libero of the Year), Jordan Iliff and Sierra Dudley. Sands and Iliff also earned AVCA Southeast All-Region recognition.
PRESEASON ALL-SEC
• Jordan Iliff was one of 18 student-athletes named to the 2024 Preseason Volleyball All-SEC Team.
• The St. Louis native led Missouri over her junior season in 2023 with 388 kills (3.40 kills per set), swinging at a .236 clip.
• Iliff, a 2023 AVCA Volleyball Southeast All-Region Honorable Mention and 2023 All-SEC Selection, started and played in all 31 matches in 2023. She also led the Tigers in points with 468 (4.11 points per set) this past season.
• Iliff was named to the 2024 USA Volleyball Women’s Collegiate National Team and trained with the Olympic Team June 30-July 6 in Anaheim, California.
• She ranked fifth for serve effectiveness (33.1 percent) in the NCAA Power 4, according to 2023 VolleyMetrics data.
PRESEASON POLL
• Mizzou was selected to finish sixth in the 2024 SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 127 points.
• Texas, the two-time defending National Champion, was voted the preseason favorite for the 2024 SEC volleyball season. The Longhorns secured 14 of the 15 first-place votes and 196 points to earn the top spot in the preseason poll. Florida earned one first-place vote and 174 points to claim second place in the poll.
• Kentucky, who won its seventh consecutive SEC title and 10th overall title in 2023, placed third with 173 points, while Georgia took fourth place with 148 points.
NATIONAL TV COVERAGE
• Five Mizzou volleyball matches will be featured on SEC Network this season.
• Missouri will first take on Kentucky in Lexington on Oct. 6, before hosting Mississippi State (Oct. 20).
• Other SEC Network matchups include Texas (Nov. 1), Georgia (Nov. 6) and South Carolina (Nov. 10).
RETURNERS
• With the trio of All-SEC performers in Maya Sands, Jordan Iliff and Sierra Dudley, Mizzou returns six of seven starters from 2023.
• Dudley ranked fifth in SEC play with 10.90 assists per set (730 assists) in 2023 for SEC All-Freshman Team honors. The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native, was the top true freshman setter in the conference in 2023, totaling 1,161 assists.
• Outside hitter Janet deMarrais was second on Mizzou offensively with 357 kills (3.25 kills/set) and started in the final 20 matches.
• Middle blocker Morgan Isenberg led the Tigers defensively, picking up 138 total blocks (1.23 blocks/set) in her first season as the full-time starter.
• Middle blocker Colleen Finney rounds out the returning Mizzou starters, after compiling 154 kills (1.38 kills/set) and 68 blocks (0.61 blocks/set) in her first season donning the Black & Gold.
NEWCOMERS
• MU added 11 players (six freshmen, five transfers) to complete the 22-member squad. The 2024 freshman are Morgan Jones, Tia Phinezy, Vivian Parker, Aspen Maxwell, Grace Sweeney, and Claire Morrissey who ranked third nationally in the 2024 recruiting class.
• Mizzou also added transfers Mychael Vernon (2023 All-Pac-12 outside hitter at Oregon State), Marina Crownover (two-time NCAA National Champion setter at Texas), Regan Haith (2022 All-Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team middle blocker at Illinois State), Kiaraliz Perez Catala (2023 Western Athletic Conference Libero of the Year at UTRGV) and Alayna Pearson (Overland Park, Kansas, libero who spent her freshman season at Texas A&M).
LOOKING AHEAD
• Mizzou next opens its SEC slate with a double road weekend at LSU and Texas A&M Sept. 27 and 29.
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 X, Instagram, and Facebook.
