The Missouri Tigers came back to Columbia to start their home slate of Southeastern Conference matches, and they did not disappoint, taking the match against the South Carolina Gamecocks three sets to one.

The first set showcased Missouri’s offensive prowess, with juniors Jordan Iliff and Morgan Isenberg teaming up for five kills each. Sophomore Janet deMarrais also joined the offensive action, closing out the last two points of the set with a block and a kill respectively, sealing the set win, 25-15.

The second set proved to be much more contested than the first, as South Carolina led the set 15-14 at the media timeout. Junior Oby Anadi was responsible for three of the first five points for the Gamecocks, and would end the day with 12 kills, matching her career high. Three straight points from the Tigers would take that lead away, and a seven-point run would close the deal at 25-18, with Iliff and deMarrais continuing to be spark plugs for their team’s scoring. 

The Gamecocks finally broke away from the Tigers in the third set, leading 15-12 at the first timeout. A balanced attack was the name of the game in this set, as South Carolina had four different attackers collect at least one kill before the timeout. deMarrais willed the Tiger offense back into the match with three straight kills, but two service aces and a forced error from Gamecock sophomore Alayna Johnson would prove too much to overcome, and South Carolina would take the set, 25-23.

The fourth set swung the way of the Tigers, taking a 6-0 run after a South Carolina timeout to make the score 10-4 early. South Carolina would battle back and forth with Missouri, narrowing the lead to 19-18 off the backs of seniors Ellie Ruprich and Riley Whitesides. Even with the Gamecocks crawling back in, the Tigers found enough offense to stave off the comeback, taking four of the last five points for a 25-22 victory.

Missouri will try to keep the momentum going into a road trip at the end of the month, playing at LSU Sept. 29 and at Texas A&M Oct. 1. South Carolina will end their seven-game road trip with a match against Ole Miss Sept. 29 before returning home for a Sunday matinee with Florida Oct. 1.