The Hearnes was rocking on Sunday for a crucial win for Mizzou over Georgia which puts the Tigers deeper in the tournament talks.

The Tigers were struggling before this game, going five sets against a middle of the pack team in Southeast Missouri and four against a not great South Carolina team. However, Tyler Arial with a .435 hitting percentage, led the Tigers to a comfortable four set win against a Georgia team that was considered even with Mizzou before this matchup. 

Georgia struggled after getting an early lead in the first set, despite a very strong seven block showing from MK Pattern and six from Tori Harper. Their defense was strong, only allowing a .203 hitting percentage by the Tigers, but the Bulldogs struggled to get their offense going with a .167 hitting percentage, and made five more errors than Mizzou.

Maya Sands, the Mizzou Libero, came up with 23 digs, saving many balls that could have swung the momentum in Georgia’s favor, although the Bulldogs had three more digs than the Tigers’ 65. Those 133 digs made it difficult for both teams to really get their offense going, with a combined 50 total attacking errors between the two sides showcasing both team’s defensive prowess.

Regan Haith’s six blocks were crucial in helping Mizzou’s defense stand firm against a strong offensive team in Georgia, and adds more depth to a team that needs it for opponents like Tennessee and Kentucky, who are coming up soon. Patten’s seven did the same for the Bulldogs, but with three less blocks than Mizzou’s 13. Georgia’s defense left more cracks in a match that turned very defensive.

Both Caylen Alexander of Mizzou and Bianna Muoneke of Georgia proved why they are both the stars of their teams on Sunday, with a combined 39 kills and 42.5 total points between the two. Muoneke’s six errors to Alexander’s 15 however kept Georgia in this match late, but a late surge in the 4th set by Alexander’s Tigers put the match away for good in a thrilling 26-24 final set.

Both teams will next take the court on Halloween for more critical matchups as the season comes to a close. For Mizzou, they have a showdown in Knoxville against #16 ranked Tennessee, as Georgia has a big time rivalry match against the Florida Gators in Athens between two teams who need the wins to keep up in the SEC.