Mizzou Volleyball dominates final tournament before conference play

In its final games before SEC play begins, the Mizzou Volleyball team made a statement by going 2-0 in the Lippy Invite. They defeated Lipscomb 3-1 (25-17, 25-16, 23-25, 25-17) and edged out Illinois in a thrilling 3-2 victory (25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-12).

Riding a four-game win streak, the Tigers got right to work and did everything they could to extend that streak in their first game against Lipscomb on Friday.

After some back-and-forth to start the first set, Mizzou broke off an 8-1 run, taking control in dominating fashion. Their lead never wavered, and the Tigers went on to win the set by nearly 10 points.

The second set ended similarly, but this time Mizzou built a massive lead early. Of the first 20 points, 15 went to the Tigers. Despite this commanding lead, they allowed Lipscomb to go on a few small runs throughout the set, but none were enough to mount a comeback. Mizzou took the set, putting them one win away from securing the match.

The third set was the only one the Bisons managed to take from the Tigers, only winning by two points. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead, but once Lipscomb came back and took control, they held onto the lead until the very end. The Tigers briefly regained a 23-22 lead toward the end of the set, but a 3-0 run by the Bisons secured a 25-23 win for Lipscomb.

The final set resembled the first and second more than the third. Lipscomb kept pace early, narrowing the gap to 12-10, but then Mizzou went on a decisive seven-point run to take control. While Lipscomb managed a late push, scoring six points in seven attempts, it wasn’t enough, and the Tigers closed out the set 25-17, securing a 3-1 victory, and setting the stage for their next match with Illinois.

Saturday’s game was especially important—not only because it had the potential to extend Mizzou's win streak and add another tally in the win column, but also because it was against a familiar foe in Illinois.

The first set unfolded as expected for the Tigers. They quickly built a 10-4 lead, but the Fighting Illini responded with a run of their own, narrowing the gap to just one point. Mizzou then refocused, going on a 7-1 run to regain control, eventually securing a 25-17 victory in the set.

Things got interesting in the second set. After holding an early lead, the Tigers lost seven straight points, allowing the Illini to pull ahead, and they maintained control for much of the set. Mizzou briefly rallied and took a 19-17 lead, but Illinois responded by winning eight of the last 11 points, ultimately taking the set 25-22 and tying the match at one set apiece.

Sets three and four followed a similar pattern, but each went to different teams. Illinois slightly dominated the beginning of set three, but the Tigers fought back and stayed with them until the end, making a final push to win the set 25-21.

The fourth set was more of a back-and-forth battle, but this time it was Illinois that made the final push, taking the set 25-21 and tying the match at two sets each, forcing a decisive fifth set.

In the final set, the Tigers jumped out to an early 5-2 lead before the Illini fought back to make it a close contest. The score remained tight until the very end, with the set tied at 11 and both teams eager to close it out. Mizzou went on a 4-1 run, ultimately securing the set 15-12 and win the match 3-2.

The biggest star of the weekend was Jordan Iliff, and it wasn’t close. Across the two matches, Iliff racked up an astounding 43 kills, leading Mizzou in both games. While her hitting percentage was lower, with four errors in the first match and 10 in the second, she still paced the team in total kills and dominated the weekend.

Another massive standout of the weekend for the Tigers was Marina Crownover. After setting a new personal record for assists last weekend, she shattered that mark against Illinois, recording 59 assists in a single match and totaling 107 across the two matches.

The Tigers' next match will mark the start of conference play as they head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face the LSU Tigers at 7 p.m. on Friday.