The Missouri Tigers volleyball team was two points away from their first SEC win, fourth win of the season, and a potential turning point in their season. The Hearnes Center was rocking and dancing to YMCA as Alabama coach Lindsey Devine was forced to take her final timeout of the fifth set with her Alabama team down 13-11. What insued was disastrous for the Tigers and their fans. Alabama took the final four points and won the fifth set and the match 20-25 25-21 25-17 21-25 15-13, improving their record to 9-9(1-5) while Missouri dropped to 3-15(0-5).
Missouri got off to a strong 8-1 start in the first set but Alabama came back to tie the set at 16 before head coach Josh Taylor took a timeout. The Tigers responded by taking five of the seven points after the timeout before Lindsey Devine had seen enough and took one of her own. However, Missouri closed the set the same way they opened it, with authority. Anna Dixon led the Tigers with nine kills in the first set and they went to her early and often as they took the first set 25-20.
The beginning of the second set was a back and forth affair with neither team getting separation on the scoreboard. Alabama took control in the middle of the set and held the Tigers at an arm’s length thanks to the tremendous play of outside hitter Kennedy Muckelroy. Taylor called timeout with Mizzou down 20-17 but Alabama fended off the Tigers to take the second set 25-21. Alabama played a much cleaner second set and let outside hitters Chaise Campbell and Kennedy Muckelroy lead them to the set win.
The third set began much like the second but Alabama went on a quick 4-0 run to take an 11-8 lead. Josh Taylor immediately called timeout in an attempt to keep his team in the set. However, Mizzou continued to make errors which prevented them from closing the gap on the Crimson Tide. This forced Taylor to take his final timeout of the set fairly early with the Tigers trailing 18-14. Mistakes continued to plague the Tigers as they only hit .065 in the third set and committed seven errors. It was a complete contrast from the crispness and energy they displayed in the first set and they fell 25-17.
The Tigers came into the fourth set playing much better volleyball. They brought a ton of energy and virtually eliminated the errors. However, Alabama was also playing extremely well and the set was hotly contested in the early stages. With the set tied at 18-18 and momentum turning the Tide’s way, Josh Taylor took a key timeout and his team responded by winning three of the next four points. They finished the set strong after Josh Taylor challenged a call that got reversed in the Tigers’ favor and gave them the set 25-21. The Tigers responded with their backs against the wall and played great volleyball.
The fifth set started off extremely intense with both teams fighting for every point. The crowd was into it and tensions mounted as the set progressed. Trista Strasser, Kayla Burbage, and Anna Dixon all provided meaningful contributions early in the set. Both teams traded points and Josh Taylor took his final timeout with the set tied at 13. Alabama proceeded to take the final two points and the match.
Anna Dixon led the Tigers in kills with 24, nine of which came in the first set. For the Crimson Tide, four players finished with double digit kills with Kennedy Muckelroy leading the way with 18. Alabama hosts Florida next on October 20th while Missouri travels to Auburn on October 16th.