COLUMBIA, Mo. – LSU bounced back with a 3-2 (21-25, 25-11, 25-23, 18-25, 16-14) over Missouri Saturday afternoon at the Hearnes Center.
LSU’s (14-11, 8-7 SEC) win snaps a three-match losing streak and is the first win at Missouri (8-15, 1-12 SEC) since Oct. 17, 2014. The Fighting Tigers also improve to 7-3 in five-set matches in SEC matches.
Outside hitter Paige Flickinger turned in her seventh double-double this season with a team-high 16 kills and a season-high 19 digs. Flickinger also added two aces and one block in the win. Counterpart Sanaa Dotson registered 15 kills and matched a career-high three aces for the fourth time this season.
The middle blockers were key in the match for LSU as both Anita Anwusi and Alia Williams each had six kills on 10 errorless swings through two and a half sets played. Both finished with 10 kills. Anwusi hit .476 and had a match-high six blocks, while Williams hit a .389 and had three blocks.
Setter Josie Vondran handed out 35 assists to lead the team and added five kills and four blocks, while freshman setter Maddie Waak recorded 13 assists and one ace. Libero Ella Larkin concluded the match with 14 digs and also chipped in an ace.
Set 1
- LSU called for timeout with Missouri ahead 8-2 highlighted by a 5-0 run after the visiting club scored the first point in the match.
- Missouri stretched its lead to nine points before LSU trimmed the deficit to 13-8 behind an 6-2 run. However, the home team pushed the lead back to eight at 17-9 when LSU used its last timeout.
- After Missouri increased its margin to 10, LSU scored eight of the next 10 points to make the count 23-19, and Missouri signaled for its first timeout. After the break, kills from Dotson and Vondran made it a 4-0 run and Missouri called its final timeout clinging to a 23-21 lead.
- The home team escaped with the win in the opening set, 25-21 after scoring the next two points out of the break.
Set 2
- The LSU Tigers opened the set with an 8-3 surge that forced Missouri to use an early timeout. The visiting club doubled its lead at 12-6 when Missouri used its final timeout of the set.
- LSU continued to dominate the set as they ballooned its lead to double figures and ran away with a 25-11 victory and closed the set on a 9-0 run.
- LSU turned things around with a .360 clip and held Missouri to a -.100 attack percentage in the second set. Flickinger led the team with five kills.
Set 3
- The Fighting Tigers pieced together another fast start as they led 5-1 that turned into an 11-6 margin when Missouri signaled for time.
- Missouri burned another timeout trailing 17-9. They responded to the timeout cutting into LSU’s lead 19-14 that forced LSU into a timeout.
- LSU kept the momentum by scoring the first two points out of the pause in play and ultimately held off Missouri to win the frame, 25-23.
- Both teams hit will offensively, with LSU winning the battle .387-.314. Dotson led the team with six kills in the set and Flickinger followed with four kills.
Set 4
- Missouri jumped out to a 5-1 lead that pressured LSU to take its first timeout. LSU pulled within two points at 7-5, but Missouri grew its lead to 12-7. The LSU Tigers continued to chip away and used a 3-0 run make the score 12-10 when Missouri called its first timeout.
- LSU used its last timeout after three unanswered points from Missouri pushed the home team’s lead to 16-11.
- LSU was able to pull within four points multiple times in the set, but Missouri pulled out the 25-18 win to force a fifth set.
Set 5
- LSU scored the first three points of the set and Missouri quickly took a timeout. LSU scored again after the timeout to open the set with a 4-0 lead but held an 8-7 advantage when the teams switched sides.
- Missouri tied the set at points eight and nine but needed to use its final timeout after Anwusi’s kill and Larkin’s ace put LSU up 11-9.
- LSU claimed the next point out of the break to make the score 12-9, but Missouri tied the set 13-13 thanks to a 3-1 run.
- After LSU called its final timeout, both teams traded kills. Flickinger landed back-to-back kills give LSU the 16-14 win.
UP NEXT
LSU will have a quick turnaround when they take on Texas A&M on Wednesday, November 16 in College Station, Texas.
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