Mizzou volleyball kept rolling at the Hearnes Center on Saturday, sweeping Wichita State 3-0 in the second match of the Mizzou Tournament and moving to 5-2 on the season.
The Tigers got balanced production across the lineup, with Paige Felder and Grace O’Reilly leading the way at nine kills apiece. Each finished with 11 points for Mizzou.
Kimani Johnson added seven kills on 17 total attacks, while Piper Batie set the tone early with 10 assists in the first set and finished with 11 total in her second match as a Tiger. The final swing belonged to Lydia Stahley, whose kill was the first of her career in a Missouri uniform.
Mizzou had to settle in during the opening set, which stayed tight early at 2-2 before O’Reilly and Felder started to build some separation. Johnson then delivered back-to-back kills to push the Tigers ahead by three, and Lauren Larkin’s work at the net helped keep Wichita State at arm’s length as Missouri opened up a 12-7 cushion. The Shockers answered and pulled even at 14-14, but Missouri steadied itself with attacks from Ceylin Kuyan, Larkin and Felder to move in front 22-17 before Felder finished off the set, 25-19.
The second set belonged to Missouri almost from the start. A run of serves and three assists from Sierra Dudley sparked a quick 5-0 advantage, and Eva Smith’s pair of blocks helped the Tigers keep Wichita State from finding any rhythm. Missouri kept pressing late with a 6-0 run that stretched the margin to 17-11, then Ainoah Cruz put the set away with a pair of aces as the Tigers rolled 25-13.
In the third, Mizzou again grabbed the first punch, opening a 5-2 lead and getting O’Reilly’s first ace of the season. The Tigers kept building behind attacks and net play, pushing the lead to 14-8 and then 18-11 with blocks from Smith and Johnson. Freshman Millie Bauer added the second kill of her Tiger career, and Cruz’s final dig set up Stahley’s closing kill to seal the sweep, 25-18.
The win gave Missouri a 6-5-1 edge all-time against Wichita State. Dawn Sullivan is now 171-73 overall and 62-35 at Mizzou.
There were a few other numbers that stood out for the Tigers. Cruz is now one dig shy of 1,500 for her career, sitting at 1,499 after the match.
Missouri has now posted 40 or more kills and 30 or more assists in six straight matches, finishing this one with 40 kills and 38 assists. The Tigers also recorded exactly 40 digs, their fourth match with 40-plus in that category.
And O’Reilly plus Felder each turned in back-to-back matches with 10 or more points.
Mizzou closes out the tournament on Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast at 12 p.m. at Hearnes Center.
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Missouris Border War win over Kansas already carried the usual rivalry weight, but Eli Drinkwitz made sure the celebration did not stop when the game did. After the Tigers 38-21 victory, the Missouri coach jumped onto social media and started responding to Kansas players and fans, turning a Saturday win into a much longer night online.
Drinkwitz replied to posts tied to the rivalry, including a Kansas hype video and clips of goalpost celebrations, and he leaned into the back-and-forth in a way that fit the moment. Missouri has now won consecutive games since the series resumed, and with no meeting scheduled again until 2031, the online noise may be the loudest part of this Border War for a while. [Read more 🡒]
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Jamal Roberts was heavily involved as Missouri leaned on him in both the run game and overall workload, and the line gave Simmons enough protection to keep the offense on schedule. The pass blocking stood out in particular, with Luke Work drawing strong marks, and the Tigers still spread the ball around enough to use seven receivers. The question now is how much of that Week 2 distribution was a product of the matchup, and how much of it signals the way this offense wants to run going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Cayden Green Made Missouris Kansas Win Mean Even More
Missouris win over Kansas had plenty of obvious stars, but Cayden Greens role gave the night a little extra weight. Coach Eli Drinkwitz handed out game balls after the 38-21 victory, and Green was among the players recognized alongside receiver Cayden Lee and linebacker Robert Woodyard Jr., a nod to how much the left tackle mattered in keeping the offense on track.
Greens presence was especially notable because his return came sooner than many around the program had expected, adding another layer to a rivalry win that already carried plenty of meaning. With Austin Simmons and Jamal Roberts also turning in strong performances, Missouri left the field with a result that stood on its own, but Greens contribution made the celebration feel even fuller. [Read more 🡒]