This weekend, the Tigers “Dug Deep” and “Aced it!”
Mizzou volleyball is back on track, now sitting at 8-3 on the year after a 3-0 performance at the Leatherneck Invitational at Macomb, Illinois. The Tigers controlled the tournament from start to finish, dropping only one set in all three matches to a very talented Valparaiso team. In lieu of a traditional gamer (the games were at weird times an, I thought it would be best to break down these performances by looking at the top three takeaways from Mizzou’s three wins.
Aced it!
One of Mizzou’s biggest advantages over the weekend was the service game. The Tigers racked up 36 aces across the the three matches, compared to their opponents’ eight. This has helped the team’s ace totals tremendously, now averaging 7.7 per match. In addition to the volume the Tigers were extremely efficient, with only seven service errors to balance out the aces; six of those came in the Valparaiso game alone.
Marina Crownover led the team in overall aces on the weekend with nine across the three matches. She now leads the team in service aces on the year with 17. Freshman Nina Mandovic had four kills in the Western Illinois match alone, flexing the depth we talk so often about when it comes to this Mizzou roster.
Aces are extremely valuable to an offense, because they are a quick way to earn points without having to go through long rallies that can tire out a team. In addition, this forces the other team to change their receive defense, increasing the likelihood that they work out of system.
Hopefully the Tigers can keep this high level of ace output as they barrel towards SEC play.
Dig Deep
One of Mizzou’s biggest strengths all year has been its defense. While the block has been suspect at points —it was much better this weekend!— the attack receive has always been on point. That was showcased once again in Illinois, as the Tigers finished the weekend with 156 digs. The team had 73 in the Valparaiso match alone!
Maya Sands came just short of tying her career high in digs with 29 during the match against the Beacons. Sands finished with double-digit kills in every match in Macomb, ending the weekend with a total of 50. Mandovic was a standout in her own right on the defensive end with seven against Chicago State and six against Western Illinois.
Head coach Dawn Sullivan has clearly emphasized the importance of keeping points alive and putting their offense in the best possible position to stay in system. Obviously Sands has done an impeccable job at leading the charge, but the overall team effort from everyone playing in the back row has been the real difference maker.
Planet Janet
Janet deMarrais [Editor’s note to announcers: for the love of God, learn how to pronounce her name correctly] appears to be back to full strength after a monster performance this weekend. This resurgence was headlined by a 20-kill performance in the 3-1 win against Valparaiso. She finished the game with seven errors on 44 attacks, with such a high volume placing her at a .295 hitting efficiency. DeMarrais really flexed her muscles in the final two matches against the Beacons, recording six kills in both the third and fourth set.
As a whole, Janet finished the weekend with 33 kills, with only three kills against Chicago State but with a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage in the match. During the Western Illinois match she racked up 10 kills with a .409 attacking percentage.
For an offense that has struggled with both volume and efficiency, having deMarrais take the next step will be key for pushing Mizzou to the elite of the SEC.
Speaking of the Southeastern Conference, the Tigers open the second half of their season with a trip to Texas this week. No. 22 Mizzou opens SEC play against No. 14 Texas A&M in a nationally televised match at 6 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN2.
Category: General Sports
