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Preview for the 2024 Mizzou volleyball season

What to expect from the girls going into a much anticipated 2024 season

By Seth Schwartzberg

Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Missouri v Ohio State
Goodyear Cotton Bowl - Missouri v Ohio State / Ron Jenkins/GettyImages
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Coming off a much-improved 2023 season, Mizzou volleyball is looking to take another step forward in 2024. An 18-13 record following a 9-19 season marks a huge turnaround, largely due to second-year coach Dawn Sullivan and standout performances from both young and veteran players.

With the majority of the team returning, along with new additions from the transfer portal and a talented group of incoming freshmen, the Tigers are aiming to continue the progress they made in 2023.

Dawn Sullivan

After spending five seasons as the head volleyball coach at UNLV, where she made two NCAA tournaments, won an NIVC championship, and earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors twice, Dawn Sullivan brought her coaching talents to Mizzou. In just her first year, the decision already seems to have paid off for the Tigers.

In her first season coaching at Mizzou, Dawn Sullivan not only doubled the team’s wins from the previous year, but she also guided them to an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers won their opening game before being knocked out in the next round.

This impressive turnaround earned Dawn Sullivan Co-SEC Coach of the Year honors, and she aims to build on that success heading into 2024.

Returners

Two of the team’s top three kill leaders, senior Jordan Iliff and junior Janet deMarrais, are back and expected to play major roles on the court. Along with them, graduate Colleen Finney and senior Mogan Isenberg will return, continuing in the roles they carved out for themselves last season.

Another key returner for the team is setter Sierra Dudley. After earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team in 2023 and recording over 1,100 sets, she returns to take on the role again as the team's top setter.

Newcomers

Along with the returners, some new faces are set to make an impact. The three biggest additions are junior middle blocker Regan Haith from Illinois State, redshirt sophomore Marina Crownover from Texas, and graduate Mychael Vernon from Oregon State. They all hope to contribute in new ways this season.

One player who could have the biggest impact this season is Mychael Vernon. As an outside hitter, she can step into the back-row position left by Dilara Gedikoglu, who was third on the team in kills in 2023 and graduated after the season. Vernon's versatility makes her a key addition to the lineup.

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