Freshman Lydia Stahley had a career-high performance as Mizzou opened SEC play Sunday with a 3-1 win over Vanderbilt (25-19, 14-25, 25-18, 25-22) at Hearnes Center. Mizzou improved to 8-5 overall and 7-1 at home after a sweep loss to No. 1 Nebraska.
After Vanderbilt took the second set 25-14, Mizzou answered with a 7-0 run late in the third. The Commodores pulled within 23-22 in the fourth, but Paige Felder put the Tigers at match point and Sierra Dudley closed the match with an ace.
Coach Dawn Sullivan credited Mizzou’s tough serving and defense with disrupting Vanderbilt’s offense. She said Stahley regularly studied film and sought feedback, whether she was playing or not. The Tigers visit Ole Miss in Oxford on Friday for their next SEC match.
