The historic volleyball season ends in the 2024 NCAA Regional Semifinals

PITTSBURGH – The 25th-seeded and seventh-seeded University of Missouri volleyball team’s historic 2024 season came to an end as the Tigers suffered a four-set decision (20-25, 20-25, 25-16, 13-25). against third-seeded and 11th-seeded Kentucky on Thursday afternoon in the regional semifinal round of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship at the Petersen Events Center.

Kentucky (23-7) hit .347 in the match and secured its 14th straight victory with 22 kills against Brooklyn DeLeye and a spot in Saturday’s regional final against the winner of top-seeded Pittsburgh and fourth-seeded Oregon.

In the third meeting of the season against Kentucky, Mizzou (22-9) fought back from a two-set deficit to take only the fifth set from a Wildcats opponent during UK’s current winning streak.

Two-time All-SEC player Jordan Iliff Powered the Tigers’ attack Thursday with 20 kills on .341 hitting, just missing a double-double with nine digs and two aces. In her final game at Mizzou, she marked her career-best NCAA Tournament appearance.

Iliff has totaled double-digit kills in all but five games (26 of 31) this season. She has also scored in double figures offensively in 15 of the last 17 games.

Iliff extended her Mizzou program record for aces in 2024, finishing with 68. She ends her Mizzou career ranked 10th all-time for kills (1,237) and seventh for aces (124).

Marina Crownover recorded 37 assists and three digs. She has provided 22 or more assists in each of the last 16 games. The 2024 All-SEC setter totaled 1,139 assists in her first season with the Black & Gold honors. Crownover finished the 2024 NCAA Tournament with 129 assists.

Colleen Finney He added six kills, three blocks and two assists, a career-best, for a .545 hitting percentage to pace Mizzou. It was her second .545 hitting (sixth in MU NCAA Tournament history) in the final three games of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

She finishes her career ranked third at Mizzou with a .374 batting average in her two seasons.

Second SEC Libero of the Year Maya Sands picked up 13 digs with four assists.

Sands has surpassed the double-digit scoring mark in all but one competition this season. Her 535 awards this season will rank sixth all-time for a single season at Mizzou.

2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year and 2024 AVCA Central Region Player of the Year Mychael Vernon She also finished in double figures on offense, recording 11 kills, six digs and two blocks for her third straight NCAA Tournament game with more than 10 kills in as many appearances (54 kills in the 2024 NCAA Tournament).

Vernon finishes her college career with 1,569 kills (career-best 504 in 2024, sixth in Mizzou history). She averaged 4.27 kills per set, which ranks second for a career at MU.

Despite the setback, the Tigers finished the 2024 season with their second straight trip to NCAA postseason play – and their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2017.

Mizzou got off to a strong start in the match, jumping out to a 7-5 lead in the first set thanks in large part to three straight kills from Vernon.

However, the Wildcats rebounded by winning nine of the next 12 points to secure a 14-10 lead. After the Tigers cut the deficit to one point (20-19) with another kill from Vernon, Great Britain closed out the set with five of the next six points to take the first set 25-20.

The Wildcats hit .457 with just two errors in the opening stanza, led by Brooke Bultema’s five kills in the set. In comparison, Mizzou started the game hitting .303.

Kentucky continued its momentum in the second stanza, leading from start to finish in another 25-20 set. The Wildcats led 9-8 before a string of five straight points opened the run, which turned into an 11-4 run. 2024 SEC Player of the Year Brooklyn DeLeye led the attack with four kills in the same period, helping the Wildcats to an eight-point lead – their largest of the game to that point.

But the Tigers caught fire in the third set and used a 10-0 winning run to take control. Three service aces from Kiaraliz Perez Catala coupled with four kills from Vernon put Mizzou in the driver’s seat.

Great Britain didn’t get closer than eight as Iliff scored her eighth kill of the set to give MU a 25-16 decision. The Tigers hit a blistering .520 in the third to neutralize the Wildcats’ hot start.

Iliff had eight kills (.583) and Vernon had six (.500) in the third period.

In the fourth round, the Wildcats returned to form, taking control of the set with an 8-2 spurt before closing out the game – and match – in style, scoring 20 of the final 29 points in a 25-13 won victory.

UK hit .345 and recorded four blocks in the fourth to advance to its first Elite Eight appearance since 2020, when the Wildcats won their first national championship.


In their 19th NCAA postseason appearance and fifth regional semifinal, the Tigers fell to 20-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Second-year head coach and 2024 AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year Dawn SullivanMizzou finished third in the SEC and posted 22 total wins and more than 10 SEC wins for the first time since 2019.

Seven seniors appeared in their final game for Mizzou on Thursday, led by Iliff and Morgan Isenberg both of whom played all four seasons. Other graduates include Finney, Vernon, Perez Catala, Sarah White And Naomi Franco.

Isenberg made her fifth start at middle blocker this season (37th in her career) and recorded five kills (.556) and three blocks (two solo) in her first start since Sept. 20 against Illinois.

Isenberg’s career average of 1.08 blocks per ranks third in Mizzou history.

Perez Catala recorded eight digs with three aces. Their trio of aces is tied for eighth place in Missouri’s NCAA Tournament history.

Junior Janet deMarrais finished Thursday with six kills (.429) and two blocks.

Senior setter Sarah White returned to her home state of Pennsylvania this week for the 2024 NCAA Regional Semifinals. The Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, native began her college career at Ohio State before transferring to Mizzou for her final two seasons. She played club volleyball for Pittsburgh Elite.

Kentucky now leads the all-time series against Missouri at 18-5 and will win all three games in 2024 (home, away, neutral).

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