Coming off a two-week, Mizzou volleyball returned to Hearnes and got back to business with a dominant 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-20, 25-11) over Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday.
The first set began with both teams trading points and staying close, but the Tigers eventually pulled ahead with some key scoring runs. This momentum shift was largely thanks to strong performances from senior Jordan Iliff and junior Regan Haith.
Both Iliff and Haith finished the first set with four kills, helping propel the Tigers on a 12-4 run that secured a 25-15 victory over the Redhawks.
SEMO jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the second set before Mizzou quickly regained control by winning nine of the next 10 points. This comeback was driven by strong performances from Iliff, Haith, and graduate transfer Mychael Vernon, who finished the match with 12 kills.
Once the Tigers reclaimed the lead from the Redhawks, they never relinquished it. Though SEMO mounted a small comeback, closing the gap to within three points at one point, it wasn’t enough to take the set. Mizzou held strong, winning the set and securing a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set was a key focus for the Tigers, as they've struggled to close out teams multiple times already this season.
"Sometimes in the third set we can get a little lax," Iliff said. "Today we knew what we needed to do and we kept our foot on the gas."
The third set was competitive, going back-and-forth early on, with the score at 14-10 before the Tigers went on a dominant run to close out the set. Mizzou finished with an 11-1 run, leaving the Redhawks behind and completing the sweep with a 25-11 victory.
This match was the most complete "team" performance of the season for Mizzou, with four players recording at least 10 kills.
Regan Haith stood out with the most impressive performance, tallying 10 kills on a remarkable .909 hitting percentage.
Iliff saw Haith's stat line after the game and simply said, "SLAY." When asked to elaborate, she added, ".909 is insane. That’s exactly what we need her to do for us to win games."
When Haith was asked about her performance, she simply thanked her setters, Marina Crownover and Sierra Dudley, and expressed that she felt "very proud."
The Tigers will carry this momentum back into conference play on Friday at 7 p.m. when they face Alabama at the Hearnes Center. It will be Mizzou's SEC home opener, and fans are encouraged to wear gold.