Volleyball Adds Transfer Libero Ainoah Cruz
1/20/2026 12:06:00 PM | Volleyball
Cruz earned All-Missouri Valley second team honors in 2025
Mizzou volleyball adds Evansville senior transfer Ainoah Cruz (Arecibo, Puerto Rico) to its 2026 roster, head coach Dawn Sullivan announced on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Cruz, a 5-3 libero, will head to the Tigers after spending the past three seasons at Evansville. During the 2025 season, she was named to the All-Missouri Valley Second Team after leading the league and finishing eighth in the country with 5.16 digs per set.
"I am fired up that Ainoah is a Mizzou Tiger," Sullivan said. "She brings an elite first contact that keeps us in system, sees the game at a high level, and makes plays that win points. Even more special is who she is as a teammate, in how she cares deeply about everyone around her."
The Arecibo, Puerto Rico native, was one of three liberos named to the All-MVC team, as she was the lone representative from her squad on the list. During her junior year, she posted 15 matches with 20 or more digs and racked up a career-high 547 digs in 28 matches.
Cruz was recognized as the MVC Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season, as she had a season-high 31 digs in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne. Over that weekend, she also earned a spot on the Butler Big Dawg Kickoff All-Tournament Team after recording 5.86 digs per set in the three matches played. She nearly recorded her third career double-double against the Mastodons (Sept. 30) as she paired nine assists with her season-high dig tally.
In 2024, Cruz set career highs in digs and assists against Indiana State (Nov. 20, 2024), recording her second double-double of the season with 36 digs and 12 assists in four sets.
Over her three-year career, Cruz has earned 1384 digs (4.68 digs/set), 337 assists (1.14 assists/set) and 60 service aces (.20 SA/set). She was also named to the MVC All-Freshman team back in 2023.
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