Missouri Tigers outlast host SMU to reach Sweet 16 of NCAA Volleyball Tournament

The Missouri Tigers advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Friday evening in Dallas, beating SMU in a second-round match at Moody Coliseum.

Coach Dawn Sullivan’s seventh-seeded Tigers (22-8) survived a formidable challenge from the second-seeded Mustangs (25-8), who’d advanced to Round 2 in the Pittsburgh Regional by beating Wichita State on Thursday.

Mizzou players celebrated their 3-1 victory Friday night by exchanging hugs and high-fives on the court. The No. 25-ranked Tigers will take on Kentucky next (more about that below).

“I was so proud of our team,” Jordan Iliff, a right-side MU hitter and senior from St. Louis, said in an ESPN+ postmatch interview. “Our phrase is, ‘No one will outwork us,’ and no one did tonight.”

Playing host to first- and second-round matches for the first time in program history, the gritty SMU team coached by Sam Erger staved off elimination briefly with an epic 33-31 victory over Mizzou in set three.

The Mustangs then held an 8-4 lead in the fourth set before Missouri rallied. SMU challenged a call but lost on review of a pancake dig, and the Tigers were within a point, 11-10.

Mizzou took the lead at 16-15 on a kill by junior outside hitter Janet deMarrais. Outside hitter/grad Mychael Vernon finished with a team-high 23 kills and Iliff added 16.

That’s the way it went most of Friday evening, with fierce action back and forth between squads fighting for a berth in the tourney’s next round.

Missouri eventually put away the match with a 25-22 win in set four. Maya Sands had 14 digs for MU and Iliff added 10.

On Thursday, the Tigers advanced to their remarkable ninth straight second-round appearance with a 25-16, 25-22, 25-22 sweep of Texas State (22-9). Vernon had 20-plus kills in that match, too.

The NCAA Tournament bracket’s schedule next sends Missouri into a regional semifinal match against No. 3 seed Kentucky, a 3-1 victor Friday over sixth-seeded Minnesota. Details as to date and time will be announced Sunday.

The Wildcats beat the Tigers twice this season during Southeastern Conference play.

This story was originally published December 6, 2024 at 9:19 PM.