By Abby Doperak
The No. 6 Tennessee Lady Vols suffered their fourth conference loss of the season, falling to unranked Missouri in five sets.
The Lady Vols traveled to Missouri following a 3-1 road loss to No. 17 Texas A&M. The Tigers also entered the matchup coming off a road loss to Kentucky, where they were swept.
Tennessee opened the first set trailing before the Lady Vols battled back to tie at 15-15. The teams traded points before Tennessee pulled ahead to win 25-21.
Mizzou opened the second set with a two-point lead. The Lady Vols struggled to create and maintain separation as the teams continued to trade points. The Tigers eventually closed the set on a 4-0 run to even the match with a 25-2n.
The third set brought early success for Tennessee, which jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Despite the strong start, it was the largest lead the Lady Vols held throughout the match.
Throughout the match, Tennessee struggled to maintain momentum as Missouri consistently responded to the Lady Vols’ scoring runs.
Tennessee carried its early momentum into the third set, winning 25-21 and taking a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set gave Tennessee more opportunity as injuries forced Missouri to play with two backup middle blockers.
Despite the short end for Mizzou, the teams remained close throughout the set. Missouri appeared poised to take the set with set point, but Tennessee rallied to take a 25-24 lead. However, the Lady Vols couldn’t hold on, giving up the next three points to fall 27-25 and force a fifth set.
Missouri carried its momentum into the deciding set and scored the opening point. The teams traded points until the Tigers built a five-point lead, 12-7. Tennessee managed just two more points before Missouri secured the 15-9 set victory and a 3-1 match win.
The victory marked Mizzou’s first win over a ranked opponent this season and its first victory against a top-10 team since Nov. 1, 2024.
Despite the loss, Tennessee continued to showcase its offensive production, recording 68 kills. Kennedi Rogers led the Lady Vols with 20 kills, followed by Jalyn Stout with 15. Setter Caroline Kerr also contributed 51 assists.
Rogers led the match in several offensive categories, recording 49 attached and 21 points in addition to her team-high 20 kills. However, she also finished with 11 total errors, tied with Tennessee’s Maggie Dostic for the team high.
UP NEXT: The Lady Vols have 20 days to regroup and build momentum before the SEC tournament in Savannah, Georgia. Tennessee will need to improve consistency and limit errors heading into postseason play.
The Lady Vols return to Knoxville on Friday to face Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. EST.