Mizzou volleyball picks up massive win over defending national champions Texas

For the first time since 2016, the Missouri Tigers volleyball team defeated a top-10 opponent, beating No. 9 Texas 3-2 (21-25, 25-19, 17-25, 26-24, 15-10) in Austin.

Mizzou scored first, but Texas answered with a 5-1 run, led by three kills from Madison Skinner. After the Tigers took a 10-9 lead, Texas responded with five straight points and held on to win the set 25-21, despite a late push from Mizzou.

In the first set, the Tigers revealed their game plan, with four players recording kills, including Austin native Marina Crownover, who delivered one of her best performances of the year in her return home.

The Tigers dominated early in the second set, jumping to an 8-1 lead, with two more kills from Marina Crownover, setting a new career high with three. Texas fought back, tying the set at 14 with an 8-2 run, aided by two of the Tigers’ 28 errors. Mizzou regained the lead and held on to win 25-19, finishing with one of junior Janet deMarrais' 15 kills.

The third set was tight until the Tigers tied it at 13, but Texas took control, closing with a 12-4 run to win 25-17 and go up 2-1. All-Americans Madison Skinner and Regan Rutherford dominated, with Skinner tallying seven kills and Rutherford four.

With the Tigers on the brink of defeat, the fourth set was the most intense. Texas led 7-4 before a back-and-forth battle ensued. Down 14-12, the Tigers rallied to take a 15-14 lead, continuing the exchange until they were two points from tying the match. Leading 23-19 after a Texas attack error and a Vernon kill, Mizzou faltered, allowing a 5-1 Texas run that tied the set at 24. A Texas service error and a kill from Iliff secured the set 26-24 for the Tigers, forcing a fifth and final set.

Set five is where the Tigers have seemingly thrived all season. This was their fifth five-set match of the year, with Mizzou now 4-1 in those contests, the lone loss coming against Texas A&M. The teams traded points until an attack error gave Texas a 7-6 lead, their last of the night. Three consecutive kills from Vernon sparked a rally, with the Tigers closing out the set 15-10 to win the match 3-2.

Texas outhit the Tigers percentage-wise, with .256 to Mizzou’s .224, underscoring the role of defense in the match. Texas tallied 18 blocks and 59 digs, contributing to the Tigers' low hitting percentage.

Offensively, the Tigers were dynamic. In addition to their three kill leaders, they got six kills each from junior Regan Haith and Marina Crownover, and five from grad transfer Colleen Finney.

Crownover was the standout of the match. Returning to Gregory Gymnasium with her family in attendance, she delivered an all-around performance. Alongside her career-high in kills, she recorded 51 assists, two aces, and 10 digs.

This win over the defending national champions ties Mizzou for first in the SEC with Kentucky and Texas and positions them for a top-25 ranking. Mizzou will look to maintain momentum as they face Georgia at home on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Hearnes.