The New Standard: A 2025 Volleyball Preview
8/29/2025 8:40:00 AM | Volleyball
History was made, and record books were rewritten as the Tigers took the floor last season. Mizzou saw a glimpse of its glory years, as it faced down several golithes and made a magical run towards the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. It was the first time since 2017 that the Tigers had made that appearance, as they burst onto the national stage under the helm of second-year head coach Dawn Sullivan. Fast forward, a year later, and the expectations remain the same, as the Tigers walk into the 2025 season with a new cast of players.
Mizzou enters the season with more new players than returning ones, as it will return seven letter winners compared to the ten that were lost at the end of 2024. On the starters' side, the Tigers returned three players (seniors Maya Sands and Janet deMarrais, as well as redshirt junior Marina Crownover), but graduated four more.
Even with a new crop of talent, Mizzou is expected to make some big waves as the No. 17-ranked team in the nation, alongside the squad being projected to finish fourth in the SEC standings.
"I think we can draw from past experiences, I think this team knows who they are now, and the work that they put in, they know how good they could become because of that," Sullivan said. "I think we're in a really good spot, I mean people are talking about Missouri and that's really cool."
With holes to fill, Mizzou turned to the transfer portal, and with that came a stacked crew of four players. That list includes: the redshirt senior from USC, Tyrah Ariail, a junior from Saint Louis, Trinity Luckett, redshirt sophomore from Long Beach State, Grace O'Reilly, and a senior from Hawai'i, Caylen Alexander. In many circles, Alexander is a must-see TV type of player, as she earned a spot on the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List after leading the NCAA in kills and earning AVCA All-American status.
"Hearing what Dawn had to say and understanding their values, it aligned with me, like the sisterhood," Alexander said. "You could tell that Dawn really tries to instill that here, and with how much success Mizzou had last year, I knew I was going to come here."
Alexander's journey is a special one, as she came into college with only two offers and left the Rainbow Wahine as one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal.
"I didn't have that many offers, I really only had two offers from Hawaii and then another school in Chicago. So I decided I'm gonna go to Hawaii," Alexander said. "At Hawaii we did a lot of footwork, lots of ball control, and I really think that helped me get this far, and helped me get better in hitting as well."
From Los Angeles to St. Louis, Mo., this group brings in a diverse skill set with several notable characteristics. Ariail is one of those players, as she was a focal point in the Trojans' blocking schemes. The redshirt senior comes into Mizzou's lineup after leading USC in total blocks for two straight years. Joining the fold is another resident of L.A. County with redshirt sophomore O'Reilly. Luckett finalizes the group after earning Atlantic 10 All-Conference second team status in her sophomore year.
"These new players, they're here and we have to bring them into our family really fast," Sullivan said. "With this team we have a lot of talent, now we just need to show we can put in the work."
Mizzou will only add to its layers of talent with those transfers, as it returns two All-SEC student athletes in Sands and Crownover. Sands returns as the two-time reigning SEC Libero of the Year, and Crownover earned her stripes with a second-team all-conference nomination. Other players to watch will be senior middle blocker Regan Haith, deMarrais and junior Sierra Dudley.
"Last year's success was special to last year's team. At the end of every season, we get to celebrate the closing careers of a lot of talented individuals, but that also makes us able to welcome talented players into those positions," deMarrais said. "I believe the ceiling is what we make it, and we are definitely preparing hard for a breach past the sweet sixteen. We are always aiming to level-up."
Sands for two straight years has been the gold standard for liberos in the SEC, and now that her senior season is here, there is even more to prove.
"Maya, came with me here, I recruited her at UNLV before, and I think what separates her is how disciplined she is and how she shows up every single day," Sullivan said. "She's always ready to go, it's always at a hundred percent. What separates Maya is the way she thinks about the game, and how she just competes."
With many key players missing from last season, the team will rely heavily on the leadership of its seniors. One player who stands out in that department is deMarrais, the lone player on the roster to have spent all four years with the Tigers.
"As they say, 'It takes one to know one.' What I mean by saying that is that it takes going to the places we've been to understand how to lead this team to where we want it to go," deMarrais said. "It's our responsibility to step in and take control of our direction towards success, and I believe we have exactly what it takes. We have a very high standard to maintain, and we all share a part in maintaining it."
As ten players left Columbia at the end of their historic run in 2024, six new fresh faces will take their place as Mizzou sends off its first serve today (Aug. 29). That list of freshmen includes: setters Nina Mandovic and Taylor Cook, outside hitters Asia Harvey and Paige Felder, libero Zoey Matias-Lopez and right side hitter Maca Lobaglio.
While so many new faces might be daunting to some teams, this team embraces that identity and develops a culture based on that principle.
"We like to focus on the acronym LFG, Love-Family-Grit, and so what that means is when we step on the court, we show joy and love, we love every minute of it. When we start practice it's gotta be fun, it's not just a job," Sullivan said. "We don't want to come here and just hate what we're doing, we really love this place, and when we leave we want to continue to want to play. Love-Family-Grit is the foundation."
This season, the highest expectations may not just be the outside noise, but from the players themselves, because they understand how high the ceiling is with this roster. For the seniors on the team, this is their last ride and they want to make a major impact.
"Mizzou as a University means the world to me. Columbia as a place means the world to me. When I say it's my second home- I mean it," deMarrais said. "I am excited to see what is in store for us this season, and when all is said and done, I'll forever be grateful that I got to be a big part of the program's turnaround."
