Volleyball Hosts No. 2 Kentucky on Senior Day

Thursday, November 6

Columbia, Mo.

6 p.m.

University of Missouri

Kentucky

Tickets

Regan Blocks Attack Against South Carolina

11/5/2025 1:49:00 PM | Volleyball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Tigers will face the No. 2 ranked team in the country for the second time this season, as they honor their five seniors on senior day: Caylen Alexander, Regan Haith, Tyrah Ariail, Maya Sands and Janet deMarrais.

Game #25 • Thursday, Nov. 5 • 6 p.m. CT
Mizzou (16-8, 7-5 SEC) vs. No. 2 Kentucky (18-2, 11-0 SEC)
Hearnes Center • Columbia, Mo.
SERIES HISTORY: UK leads 18-5 • STREAK: L14
LAST GAME: L, 3-1 vs. Kentucky (Pittsburgh, Pa. {NCAA Tournament} • Dec. 12, 2024)
LIVE STREAM: SEC Network+
OPPONENT WEB: ukathletics.com

Mizzou (16-8, 7-5 SEC) completes the home slate as it takes on No. 2-ranked Kentucky (18-2, 11-0 SEC) for senior day.

MU will take on the Wildcats starting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Hearnes Center.

This match will be streamed via SEC+.

SERIES HISTORY

Kentucky leads the all-time series 18-5.
Currently, the Wildcats have a 14-match winning streak against the Tigers, with MU's last win coming on Nov. 6, 2016, in Lexington, Ky.
Mizzou is 2-10 all-time at home against Kentucky, and the last win at home was Oct. 23, 2016, in a five-setter.

L.F.G.

This season the motto of the team is L.F.G., which stands for Love. Family. Grit.
The slogan is a big part of the team culture as they use it as their main source of pride. It has two meanings: one is the classic LFG motto which means to fire yourself up and the other is the three core values that the team focuses on.

SENIOR DAY

The Tigers will have five seniors honored after Thursday's match

MILESTONE MANIA

Libero Maya Sands recorded her 1,500-career dig against James Madison (Aug. 29). She moved into 5th all-time in program history against Florida and has 1,923 for her career.
The now-senior recorded 535 digs during her junior year, following her 2023 campaign that saw her post 542 digs. Sands began her career with UNLV, where she compiled 412 digs in her freshman season before transferring to Mizzou.
Sands recorded her 100th career service ace against Rhode Island (Sept. 11).
Head coach Dawn Sullivan recorded her 150th career win against James Madison (Aug. 29)
Sullivan is currently 165-68 (.708) in her career after recording a record of 109-38 (.741) in her five years with UNLV. With the Tigers, the third-year coach is 56-30 (.651) overall.
Redshirt senior Tyrah Ariail recently recorded her 300th career block against Arkansas State (9/5/25).
The redshirt senior recorded 283 in her four-year career with the USC Trojans.
Senior Regan Haith earned her 300th career block against Auburn (10/12).
The senior recorded 145 in her two years with Illinois State.
Senior Caylen Alexander leads the Tigers in kills (346) and recorded her 1,500 career kill against SEMO (10/22).
Alexander earned her 100th career service ace against Oklahoma (10/5).
Senior Janet deMarrais will play her 100th career match for the Tigers on senior day against Kentucky (11/6).

MAKING AN IMPACT

The newest Mizzou athletes have already made a major impact as Caylen Alexander leads the team in kills (346), Tyrah Ariail is second on the team in blocks (93) and freshman Zoey Matias-Lopez is second on the team in digs (220).
Freshman Zoey Matias-Lopez has ten or more digs in 11 matches this season and 20 or more in two matches.
From Oct. 10 to Oct. 26 (seven matches), Caylen Alexander has averaged 4.86 kills per set and 5.39 points per set, both stats putting her third in the conference during that span.

FIVE SET STANDARDS

The Tigers are 2-3 on the season in five set matches but are 12-5 under head coach Dawn Sullivan.
As a head coach Sullivan is 31-16 all-time in five set matches.
In 2023 the Tigers went a perfect 5-0 in five-set matches.

SEC SHOWCASE

Senior libero Maya Sands currently leads the SEC in digs with 434 and is first with 4.67 digs per set.
Redshirt junior setter Marina Crownover is eighth in assists with 9.25 per set.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Tyrah Ariail is first on the team and is seventh in the conference with a hitting percentage of .360.
Senior Caylen Alexander is seventh in kills with 4.12 per set and is seventh in the conference with 4.70 points per set.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

The Tigers have taken on the No. 2 team twice this season. Before that, the last time they faced a top two team in the country was No. 1 Penn State (December 8, 2017).
Mizzou in total has taken on five top-25 teams (1-4 in those matches).

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A TIGER

Redshirt junior Marina Crownover spent some time over at NASA last spring shadowing various departments.
The setter is majoring in Physics at Mizzou and has a goal of becoming a pilot and flying jets such as F-22s.

CAYLEN ALEXANDER: AN UNDERDOG STORY

Last season, Caylen Alexander led the NCAA in kills for Hawai'i (611).
However, the story isn't about her success as much as it is her journey to college, as she earned only two scholarships coming out of high school (Hawai'i and Chicago).

SETTING THE STANDARD

Marina Crownover against TCU recorded 54 assists, and 21 digs - a new career high.
Crownover, with this stat line, became the first Tiger since Lei Wang to post a 20-20 match with 20+ assists and 20+ digs (Sept. 17, 2008).
The redshirt junior leads the team in double-doubles with eight. Crownover has 19 during her time at Mizzou, as she had 11 in 2024.

CONFERENCE ON NOTICE

Senior Libero Maya Sands earned the Tigers their first SEC Player of the Week Award. Sands was named Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 23.
The senior recorded 60 digs in 10 sets (6.00 digs per set) and was one dig shy of her career high with 29 against Valparaiso (Sept. 19).
Sands has now earned six conference player of the week honors (three SEC; three Mountain West).

ROAD MAP

The Tigers spent the first half of season on the road, as 11 of their 12 nonconference matchups were on the road or held at a neutral site. They finished the nonconference schedule overall playing 12 of the 13 games on the road or at a neutral site.
Mizzou is 5-0 in neutral matches this season.

MAYA SANDS SHOWCASE

The two-time defending SEC Libero of the Year continues to impress as she set a new career high for digs with 32 against South Carolina (Oct. 24).
Sands currently leads the SEC in digs by over 60 as she is ranked 33rd in the NCAA for digs per set with 4.67.

PRESEASON HONORS

Mizzou posted two players on the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List with senior transfer outside hitter Caylen Alexander and senior libero Maya Sands.
Alexander joined the Tigers in 2025 after transferring from Hawai'i, where she was named an AVCA All-American after leading the NCAA in kills with 611, averaging 5.09 kills per set.
Sands has headlined Mizzou's defense for the past two years, as she heads into her senior season as the two-time reigning SEC Libero of the Year and AVCA All-American in 2024.

SEC PRESEASON

Mizzou was picked to finish fourth in the 2025 SEC Preseason Poll with 182 points.
Kentucky, the defending conference champion, was picked to repeat in the SEC after earning 218 points.
Senior Maya Sands was selected as the lone player from Mizzou on the Preseason All-SEC Team.

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