Missouri Tiger volleyball sweeps No. 5 Florida 3-0

The Missouri tiger volleyball team remains perfect after sweeping No. 5 Florida 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) Friday night in Gainesville.

With the win the tigers now holds a two-game lead, including tie breakers, in the SEC championship race.

It is Mizzou’s first 30-win season since 1978 and the first in the NCAA Tournament era.

Senior two-time All-American Lisa Henning led the way for Mizzou with 17 kills on .500 hitting in the win as she became Mizzou’s all-time career-points leader with a match-high 18.5.

Molly Kreklow finished the night with 32 assists, seven kills on .600 hitting with 10 digs.

Junior Emily Wilson added eight kills on .294 hitting while Emily Thater added seven kills on seven swings without an error in the win. Freshman Carly Kan struggled on the attack but was huge in the back row with 12 digs while going perfect in serve receive.

The second set was exciting as both teams settled in defensively as there were more extended rallies early in the set. But the Tigers won a lot of the rallies and opened a 10-5 lead after a kill from Thater, who had six kills on six swings in the second.

Mizzou was able to keep that cushion but Florida drew as close at 20-19 and 21-20 and rallied to tie the set at 23-23 after a kill from Ziva Recek. Thater led Mizzou with six kills in the frame and Henning added four. Mizzou hit .410 in the frame while Florida hit .286.

Mizzou gained its first lead at 11-10, but Florida scored six of the next seven points to open a 16-12 lead. But as Mizzou has done all season, they rallied and made things close, shifting the pressure to Florida. Kreklow won two jousts late in the set as Mizzou pulled away, 25-23.