No. 25 Mizzou Volleyball Falls to No. 21 Florida in Five Sets

The No. 25 Missouri Tigers made it through four close sets before falling in the fifth.

Missouri Tigers setter Marina Crownover (22), a former Texas Longhorn, bumps the ball during the Longhorns' match-up with the Missouri Tigers at the Gregory Gym in Austin, Nov. 1, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — No. 25 Missouri volleyball’s nine-game win streak was broken Friday night, falling 3-2 to Florida. The Tigers now fall to 18-6 on the season and 9-3 in the SEC.

Missouri was 4-1 in games that went to the fifth set entering Friday but after two close sets in the middle, the Tigers looked overmatched in the fifth against Florida., falling 15-6. Florida jumped out to a 9-1 lead and three of Missouri's points were gifted by Florida.

The Tigers lived off the energy from the over 6,000 fans in the Hearnes Center in the first and fourth set. The 6,379 attendance mark was the fourth-highest in program history. It was the highest mark since November of 2013, the same season the Tigers won its first SEC championship.

"I think it was incredible here tonight," head coach Dawn Sullivan said. "They were rocking this place."

Missouri won set 1 convincingly with 10 points, but all three of the middle sets were decided by four or less points. Missouri kept itself alive in the fourth set by holding onto an early lead that Florida cut to 22-21. Thanks to a kill from Janet deMarrais, the Tigers earned another shot.

"I thought our team just really battled," Sullivan said. "We came out really strong, up and down just a little bit. ... Now we just had to learn how to continue to do it longer."

Missouri came up just short in a tough fight in set 3, falling 25-27 after winning four-straight set points. The final set point being won from a block assisted by Regan Haith and Naomi Franco.

"I thought we just did an incredible job defensively," Sullivan said.

Missouri's defensive effort created 11 blocks against Florida, and 11.5 in its previous matchup against South Carolina. After struggling with blocking early in the season, Sullivan is starting to see her team take strides.

"I think they're doing a really nice job reading and just doing just the skill things within blocking," Sullivan said. "As you learn skills, it takes time, and we've really been working on blocking all season, so it's finally nice for them to feel some of the success finally coming through."

Leading the team in blocks was middle blocker Colleen Finney with seven, the same she recorded against South Carolina. She's worked with associate head coach Wendel Camargo to improve her positioning on blocks this season.

"I've been really focused on trying to press over the net and making sure that my body is actually over so balls can go down rather than being able to be there, and kind of balls just deflecting off of me," Finney said. "I've been very dialed in at practice on that."

With the blocks and ability to stay in a close game, Missouri is looking to move forward from this loss in the right way. The confidence within themselves will not falter from this loss.

"When we talked at the end of our huddle, we were just like we fought so good, and we're gonna use this loss as a lesson moving forward," Finney said. "We really feel like we're a very strong team."

Missouri will now look to bounce back next Friday, traveling to play Ole Miss.

How it Happened:

Set 5 (Florida wins 15-6):

9:24 p.m. : A kill by Kennedy Martin secures the set win at 15-6 for Florida, and the match for the Gators.

9:21 p.m. : Missouri calls timeout as the Florida lead is now at 13-5.

9:15 p.m. : It's been all Florida to open the final set, with the Gators jumping out to a 7-2 lead. Missouri head coach Dawn Sullivan challenged the ruling on the previous point, the call stands and Florida keeps the point.

Set 4 (Missouri wins 25-22):

9:06 p.m. : A kill from Colleen Finney to the center of the backcourt gives Missouri set 4, winning 25-22. One final set will decide it all.

9:01 p.m. : Missouri calls a timeout of its own after Florida makes it 22-21, Tigers lead.

8:58 p.m. : Florida calls a timeout as a 4-2 run for Missouri has given the Tigers a 21-19 lead, hoping to extend this game into a fifth set.

Set 3 (Florida wins 27-25):

8:48 p.m. : PA announces an attendance of 6,379 for tonight's game, the fourth highest in program history and the most since 2013.

8:35 p.m. : Remarkable kills first from Mychael Vernon, then from Reagan Haith kept Missouri alive, but an anticlimactic failed set from Marina Crownover gives Florida the set at 27-25. The Gators now lead the game 2-1.

8:30 p.m. : Florida calls timeout as Missouri stays alive after a Colleen Finney kill cuts the Florida lead to 24-22.

8:25 p.m. : Florida has gained some momentum, sitting at a 22-18 lad after a 7-1 run. Missouri calls a timeout as it trails 22-18.

8:15 p.m. : Missouri head coach Dawn Sullivan wins a challenge on a point at the net, followed by a media timeout as the Tigers take a 15-13 lead.

Set 2 (Florida wins 25-21):

7:57 p.m. : Missouri was able to extend the set for one point, but has a spike fall in the backend to give Florida set 2. Tied at one set each.

7:52 p.m. : Florida calls timeout after a kill from Mychael Vernon cuts the Florida lead to 22-19.

7:42 p.m. : Missouri was able to win the first set without much challenge, but the Gators have come to chomp in set 2. After Florida jumped to a 6-2 lead, Missouri now trails 15-13.

Set 1 (Missouri Wins 25-15):

7:27 p.m. : Missouri wins the first set, with Colleen Finney recording the kill on an intense point.

7:23 p.m. : Florida calls its second timeout as Missouri now holds a 22-14 lead. Jordan Iliff currently leading Missouri with four kills.

7:12 p.m. : Missouri has jumped to a 11-6 lead in set 1 before Florida calls its first timeout

• No official attendance number yet, but Missouri seems to have drawn the packed crowd in the Hearnes Center it was hoping for. This place is packed and living and dying on each volley.

Joey Van Zummeren/MizzouOnSI

Starting Lineups:

Missouri

Colleen Finney
Maya Sands
Jordan Iliff
Regan Haith
Kiaral Catala Perez
Mychael Vernon
Marina Crownover

Florida

Jaela Augusta
Emily Canaan
Isabel Martin
Kennedy Martin
Taylor Parks
Elli Mckissock
Alec Rothe

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Missouri's Last Five:

• 3-1 win at Arkansas - Oct. 25
• 3-2 win at Oklahoma - Oct. 27
• 3-2 win at No. 9 Texas - Nov. 1
•3-1 win vs. Georgia - Nov. 6
• 3-0 win vs. South Carolina - Nov. 10

Florida's Last Five:

• 3-1 win vs. Tennessee - Oct. 25
• 3-1 win at Arkansas - Oct. 30
• 3-1 win at Ole Miss - Nov. 3
• 3-0 win vs. Auburn - Nov. 8
• 3-0 win vs. Alabama - Nov. 10