COLUMBIA, Mo. – As five seniors took the court for the last time, the Hearnes Center roared with approval at the matchup before them. Despite the home field advantage though, Missouri failed to overcome No. 2 Kentucky, losing 3-1 to the proven national championship contender. 

With little time left before the return of the SEC Tournament, Missouri’s last stand at home proved the Tigers have the keys to contend on the biggest of stages. What stood out most in Friday night’s matchup was a will to win, as the Wildcats were given all they could handle as they fought tooth and nail against their Columbia-based hosts.

Set One

Out of the gate, the five honored seniors showed why they had earned the starting spots for their last match in the Hearnes Center. Janet deMarrais was the first to strike, scoring both a kill and the first of the team’s eight service aces of the night. Soon to follow was Caylen Alexander, adding two kills of her own to give the team the lead in the opening minutes.

As usual with the Wildcats, their plethora of talent was what kept them in the fight, as Molly Tuozzo, Brooklyn DeLeye, and Eva Hudson all contributed in leading Kentucky to the media timeout up by four. 

Even with two more service aces by Tyrah Ariail and Marina Crownover, it wasn’t enough to overcome the combined strength of the Wildcats. Another of DeLeye’s 20 kills on the night spelled the end of any first set surprises for Missouri, as the scoring wrapped up at 25-19.

Set Two

Unwilling to relent, Missouri opened the second set with a point to prove, aided by what ended up being the Wildcat’s most error-prone play of the night.

Led by Alexander continuing her strong showing, and the blockers meeting Kentucky at the net, the Tigers eventually earned a four-point lead midway through the set. Even still, Missouri wasn’t out of the weeds yet, as Kassie O’Brien and Tuozzo continued to set up the offensive weaponry of Kentucky to score. 

With another set closing down to the wire, the possible future of Missouri starpower was what pushed the Tigers over the line to victory. Maca Lobaglio, freshman right-side hitter, kickstarted a final four-point run that saw Maya Sands, deMarrais, and Ariail all get involved for the 25-18 win.

Set Three

Now with the match reset, tied at one apiece, Missouri looked to continue its success in the third. For Kentucky though, riding a fourteen-match winning streak prior to Friday’s contest, clearly the small hiccup didn’t affect the team’s confidence.

Even with both teams managing small bursts of success on offense, when one scored, the other soon followed. The Wildcats and the Tigers went back and forth up until set point. Tied at 23-23, the fate of the match, and potential shifts in the SEC standings, were on the line.

Proving its championship mettle, Kentucky claimed victory in the third set. Even with a timeout on its side, Missouri allowed Eva Hudson to remind the nation why she was First Team All-Big Ten at Purdue three years prior to transferring to Kentucky, as she nailed two back to back kills to push the Wildcats to a 25-23 victory.

Set Four

With its back against the wall, Missouri needed to pull off another strong set to stay in the fight. Led by Sands, deMarrais and Alexander, it nearly did just that. Leading 10-6 early on, Kentucky’s Craig Skinner was forced to call time as his team seemed out of sorts. 

Proving why he is the winningest coach in Kentucky History though, Skinner once again found a way to get his team back on track. Scoring seven points in eight attempts soon after, the Wildcats not only tied up the set, but took control of it too.

Even with a valiant effort from the seniors, Missouri struggled to overcome the overwhelming obstacle before it, and ultimately fell 25-20, losing the match in the fourth set.

Final Thoughts

Despite another strong showing, Missouri has fallen again, now sitting at 16-9, 7-6 in conference play. With just two matches left to play on the road, and a revitalized conference tournament looming, the stakes now rise for the Tigers if they want to continue its trajectory from the previous two seasons. 

Regardless of the loss, the biggest blow to Missouri fans had to be saying goodbye to the five seniors who left the floor of the Hearnes Center for the last time. Whether it was the three and four year vets who epitomized the start of the Dawn Sullivan era in Janet deMarrais and Maya Sands, or the transfers who provided much needed impact in recent years, like Regan Haith, Tyrah Ariail, and Caylen Alexander, their presence will be missed. 

Missouri will return to action in Starkville, as it takes on Mississippi State on Friday, Nov. 14.