University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
19-9,11-7SEC
Missouri
5-24,2-14SEC
Tennessee Falls in Five Sets at Missouri
November 24, 2021 | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Tennessee volleyball team fell in five sets (25-19, 25-19, 21-25, 28-30, 11-15) to Missouri Wednesday night at the Hearnes Center.
Tennessee (19-9, 11-7 SEC) hit .286 with 75 kills, two service aces and 14 blocks against Mizzou's .247 hitting percentage, 72 kills, nine aces and 10 blocks. The Tigers' floor defense accounted for 79 digs to the Lady Vols' 77.
Super senior Breana Runnels put down a season-high 26 kills on a career-high 71 attacks. Runnels hit .282 for the match and picked up 14 digs with five total blocks. The Bakersfield, California, native earned her 11th double-double of the year.
Morgahn Fingall, Lily Felts and Danielle Mahaffey also finished with double-figure kills as Fingall notched 14, Felts 11 and Mahaffey 10.
Ava Bell and Mahaffey led the Orange & White with six blocks apiece. Bell wrapped up the night with eight kills.
Missouri (5-24, 3-14 SEC) had four players finish with double-digit kill totals, led by Kayla Burbage with 19. Jordan Iliff and Anna Dixon each scored 16 and Kaylee Cox rounded out the group at 11.
Tennessee hit .452 en route to a 25-19 first-set victory. Runnels picked up six kills in the opening frame, while Felts scored four.
The Lady Vols continued their hot start with a .375 hit percentage in the second set. Bell and Fingall led the charge with four kills apiece, while Mahaffey and Runnels put down three.
UT won the second set, 25-19.
Mizzou clawed a set back in the third, winning 25-21. Burbage led the way for the Tigers as she put down five kills. Cox and Dixon finished the set with four kills.
After a long battle in the fourth, Missouri won the set 30-28 to even the match at 2-2. Iliff paced Mizzou with eight kills in the set, while Cox put down three.
In the fifth, Mizzou took the set on the strength of a .304 hitting percentage and six kills from Dixon. The Tigers won the fifth, 15-11.
TENNESSEE STAT LEADERS
Kills – Breana Runnels (26)
Assists – Natalie Hayward (57)
Digs – Madison Bryant (20)
Blocks – Ava Bell (6), Danielle Mahaffey (6)
UP NEXT
The NCAA selection show is up next for the Lady Vols as they await their postseason destination. The selection show will air live on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
