Alabama volleyball lost 3-0 to Missouri on Friday, moving to 1-3 in SEC play.
The Crimson Tide led for most of the first set, jumping out to a 2-0 advantage and keeping it until Missouri called timeout with Alabama up 21-18.
After the timeout, the Tigers came to life, scoring the next 6 points and ultimately winning the set 25-22.
The second set was competitive early on, with the two teams going back and forth and at one point being tied 9-9. From that point on, Missouri took control, immediately scoring 3 straight points and never letting the lead get below 2 for the rest of the set, eventually winning 25-19.
The third set once again saw Alabama keeping it close for the majority of the match. The score was tied at 16-16 before Missouri went on a 5-1 scoring run and took control, winning 25-21 and completing the sweep.
Head coach Rashinda Reed said after the game that Missouri played better from start to finish.
“They out-volleyballed us,” Reed said. “We were battling in the start but just didn’t towards the end.”
The Tigers had a slight edge offensively, with 116 attacks compared to Alabama’s 106, but the difference-maker was the kills, with Missouri notching 53 compared to just 39 for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama also couldn’t match Missouri’s efficiency, having only a .255 hitting percentage compared to .345 for the Tigers.
“They weren’t making as many mistakes as we were,” Reed said. “They were competitive from start to finish.”
Outside hitter Sophie Agee led the team with 11 kills and 32 total attacks for 12.5 points. Middle blocker Chaise Campbell had an efficient match with seven kills and 11 total attacks and was second behind Agee with 7.5 points. Setter Callie Kieffer led the team with 19 assists.
Francesca Bertucci and Natalie Repetti, Alabama’s liberos, led the team defensively, and each of them had eight digs during the match. Kieffer and Agee both had five digs.
As Alabama moves further into SEC play, Reed hopes the team will use this game as a learning moment.
“[We need to] find that internal drive so we can be better later on,” Reed said.
The Crimson Tide will next travel to Fayetteville to play the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sunday at 3 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on SEC Network+.
