Volleyball Announces Signing of Cook and Ariail for 2025 Season
2/4/2025 11:51:00 AM | Volleyball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri volleyball head coach Dawn Sullivan and her coaching staff announced Tuesday the signing of Taylor Cook and Tyrah Ariail. Cook and Ariail will join Mizzou this semester ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Taylor Cook
Cook, a 5-11 setter from Melissa, Texas, heads to Columbia after an impressive career at Prestonwood Christian Academy.
The daughter of James and Yjonne Cook, Taylor Cook, compiled over 2,500 career assists and led her team to three consecutive TAPPS 6A State Championships (2022-2024) with a 113-7 career record.
Cook was most recently named the 2024 TAPPS 6A Setter of the Year, a 2024 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, 2024 first team all-state, and 2024 first team all-district.
She was also named the 2021 District 9-4A Newcomer of the Year. Cook is a four-time all-district and three-time all-state performer. With Prestonwood Christian Academy, Cook faced Cathedral Catholic in the ESPN high school showcase.
Cook also excelled at the club level, competing for Dallas Skyline in Carrollton, Texas. She recorded 1,299 assists throughout her club career and earned spots on the 2023 JVA All-National Team and 2023 GJNC 16 National All-Tournament Team. Her club teams earned bronze medals at the 2024 GJNC 17 Open Championships and the 2023 GJNC 16 National Championships.
Taylor Cook's father, James Cook, played football at Central Florida.
Tyrah Ariail
Ariail, a 6-1 middle blocker from Plano, Texas, joins Mizzou as a redshirt senior after competing four seasons at Southern California. She led USC for blocking in each of the past two seasons.
Ariail most recently registered a career-best matching 115 total blocks (1.16 blocks/set) with 144 kills on a .335 hitting percentage with 37 digs this past fall. She tallied a season-high 12 kills against Ohio on Sept. 14 and was fourth on the Trojans offensively. Ariail also compiled a season-best eight blocks four times and had seven or more blocks seven times in 2024.
As a redshirt sophomore in 2023, Ariail posted 115 blocks (0.92 blocks per set, first on USC, 10th in Pac-12) with a career-best 222 kills (1.78 kills/set, third on USC) on a .320 hitting percentage. She reached double-digit kills six times including a career-high 15 kills at Purdue (Sept. 15, 2023). Ariail led USC in blocks in 15 matches including a career-high nine blocks against California (Nov. 17, 2023).
She earned 2023 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team honors after she collected 92 kills (1.88 kills/set) and hit .360 with 53 blocks (1.08 blocks/set).
Over her collegiate career at USC, Ariail amassed 458 kills on a .334 clip with 283 total blocks and 40 aces over 74 career matches (70 starts).
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