COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 25 ranked University of Missouri volleyball team (20-8, 11-5 SEC) treks to Dallas, Texas, this week to open the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The seventh seeded Tigers will face Texas State (22-8, 13-3 Sun Belt) Thursday in the First Round of the NCAA Dallas Regional hosted by SMU. First serve is set for 4 p.m., CT, at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas.
The match will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and feature Chris Mycoskie and Jill Kramer on the broadcast.
With a victory over Texas State on Thursday, Mizzou would face the winner of No. 2 seed and 10th ranked SMU (24-7, 16-4 ACC) and Wichita State (18-13, 10-6 American) in the Second Round Friday at 7 p.m., CT.
Thursday marks Missouri’s 19th appearance at the NCAA Tournament in program history.
MU is ranked in the top-25 for the fourth-straight week this season. The Tigers previously received votes four times this season (preseason, Sept. 2, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4) before breaching the top-25 on Nov. 11.
Mizzou is currently ranked 23rd in RPI (Rating Percentage Index), heading into the Tournament (fourth highest SEC school).
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Mizzou will make its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and second-straight appearance this week in Dallas.
• Mizzou is 18-18 in program history at the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the Second Round in eight-straight Tournament appearances dating back to 2013.
• The Tigers went to the 2023 NCAA Lincoln Regional in head coach Dawn Sullivan‘s first season at Missouri. Mizzou picked up a First Round win over Delaware (3-0) before falling to No. 1 overall seed and top ranked Nebraska in the Second Round.
• This week will mark Mizzou’s first NCAA Tournament appearance competing in the Lone Star State.
NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
· The 2024 roster features 13 players with NCAA Tournament experience including 11 players from Mizzou’s 2023 NCAA Tournament team.
· Transfers Mychael Vernon (2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year, 2023 All-Pac-12 at Oregon State), Regan Haith (2022 All-Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team at Illinois State) and Kiaraliz Perez Catala (2023 WAC Libero of the Year at UTRGV) will all make their NCAA Tournament debuts this weekend.
· 2024 All-SEC Setter Marina Crownover helped Texas capture a pair of National Championships in 2022 and 2023 but will compete in her first career NCAA Tournament match this week.
· Janet deMarrais and Jordan Iliff paced the Tigers offensively versus Delaware in the First Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament (Dec. 1, 2023), finishing in double-digit kills with 13 and 10, respectively. deMarrais also had 13 kills versus Nebraska in the Second Round (Dec. 2, 2023).
· 2023 SEC All-Freshman Team selection Sierra Dudley tallied 29 assists vs. Nebraska (Dec. 2, 2023) after putting up 32 assists in her NCAA Tournament debut against Delaware (Dec. 1, 2023, First Round).
· Maya Sands has posted nine digs in each of her three career NCAA Tournament matches including both 2023 matches with Mizzou.
· Colleen Finney had four blocks vs. Delaware (Dec. 1, 2023, First Round) while Morgan Isenberg tallied three blocks against Nebraska (Dec. 2, 2023).
SERIES HISTORY
• Mizzou is 2-0 all-time against Texas State. The two teams last faced off in 2009 (Aug. 28), a 3-0 Tigers win in Columbia, Missouri.
• Mizzou is 5-5-1 all-time against Wichita State. Mizzou beat the Shockers, 3-1, Dec. 2, 2017, in Wichita, Kansas, to advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in the last meeting between the two schools. MU then took on No. 1 Penn State that season in University Park, Pennsylvania.
• Mizzou and SMU have never met in program history.
MIZZOU VOLLEYBALL
• The Tigers have surpassed their SEC (9) and overall win (18) totals from 2023, when Dawn Sullivan was named SEC Coach of the Year.
• Mizzou has registered 20 overall wins and 10-plus SEC wins in a season for the first time since 2019. MU finished tied for third in the SEC this season.
• The Tigers rank first overall in the SEC for assists per set (13.58, fourth in NCAA) and kills per set (14.44, sixth in NCAA). Mizzou is also first in the SEC for assists (1,453) and kills (1,545). MU is also second in the conference for hitting percentage (.288, sixth in NCAA) and fourth for aces (182, 1.70 aces per set).
• In league action, Mizzou is first in the SEC for assists (13.43 assists/set, 873) and kills (14.28 kills/set, 928) while ranking fourth in digs (14.83 digs/set, 964) and fifth for aces (1.46 aces/set, 95).
TEXAS TIGERS
• MU’s 2024 roster features five student-athletes from the Lone Star State including 2024 All-SEC setter Marina Crownover (Austin, Texas) and outside hitter Janet deMarrais (Colleyville, Texas). Freshman Aspen Maxwell (Humble, Texas), Vivian Parker (Aledo, Texas) and Grace Sweeney (Midlothian, Texas) also hail from Texas.
• Kiaraliz Perez Catala was named the 2023 WAC Libero of the Year in her lone season at UTRGV (Texas Rio Grande Valley).
• Marina Crownover (Texas) and Alayna Pearson (Texas A&M) both transferred to Mizzou from Texas SEC institutions.
• Associate Head Coach Wendel Camargo spent five years as an assistant coach at Texas A&M before joining Mizzou ahead of the 2023 season.
• Mizzou is 1-1 this season against Texas institutions including a five-set victory over then No. 9 Texas in Austin, Texas, Nov. 1. Mizzou also took Texas A&M to five sets in College Station, Texas.
SEC LIBERO OF THE YEAR
• Maya Sands earned SEC Libero of the Year and All-SEC honors for the second-straight season Dec. 1. Sands is the only Tiger to ever earn SEC Libero of the Year, which was first awarded in 2009.
• The junior from Rock Falls, Illinois, ranked second during the conference slate with 4.49 digs per set (292 digs). She also had 15 aces.
• Overall, in 2024, Sands paced the SEC with 4.56 digs per set (488 digs). She registered double-digit digs in all but one match this season.
• Sands compiled a career-best matching 30 digs twice in 2024, against Mississippi State (Oct. 20) and at Arkansas (Oct. 25).
• Sands notched her second career double-double versus MSU (Oct. 20), adding 10 assists to go with her 30 digs.
• Her 488 digs this season ranks ninth all-time in Missouri program history.
• Sands surpassed 1,000 career digs earlier in the season (vs. NC State, Sept. 1) and now has 1,442 career digs.
• Sands has totaled 16 or more digs in six of the last seven matches.
SEC NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
• Mychael Vernon was named SEC Newcomer of the Year and to the All-SEC First Team Dec. 1. Vernon has now earned conference honors each of the past two seasons as she was named All-Pac-12 as a senior with Oregon State.
• The graduate student from Ossining, New York, ranked fourth in SEC play with 4.46 kills per set (290 kills) and 4.92 points per set (320.0 points). She was the top newcomer in the SEC for both categories.
• Overall, in 2024, Vernon paced Mizzou with 450 kills (4.21 kills/set, eighth in SEC) and 501.0 points (4.68 points/set, eighth in SEC).
• Vernon notched a career-best 37 kills against Arkansas (Oct. 25) to surpass Paola Ampudia’s 35 kills (Oct. 24, 2009, at Kansas) to become MU’s single-match program record holder. She also finished with 38.0 points which also is a Mizzou single-match record.
• Vernon has finished in double-digits kills in all but two matches this season (26 of 28) along with 13 double-doubles. She has registered 14 or more kills in 12 of the last 13 matches.
• Vernon was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30.
• She surpassed 1,500 career kills against No. 12 Kentucky on Nov. 27.
ALL-SEC TIGERS
• Four members of the MU team earned 2024 All-SEC honors; the conference announced Dec. 1. Libero Maya Sands and outside hitter Mychael Vernon highlighted the four Tigers recognized as the duo earned SEC Libero of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year, respectively.
• Sands and Vernon were joined on the 2024 All-SEC First Team by right side hitter Jordan Iliff while setter Marina Crownover was tabbed to the 2024 All-SEC Second Team. MU was the only SEC institution to have three First Team performers.
• Mizzou last had four All-SEC selections in 2018 with Alyssa Munlyn, Kylie Deberg, Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana, Leketor Member-Meneh and Andrea Fuentes (All-Freshman).
JORDAN ILIFF
• Jordan Iliff was named to the All-SEC First Team Dec. 1 and has now earned All-SEC honors in back-to-back seasons. She was also named to the 2024 SEC Volleyball Community Service Team Wednesday.
• The senior from St. Louis, was pegged SEC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16 & Oct. 14) twice in 2024.
• Iliff ranks first in SEC play with 32 aces (0.49 aces/set). Her career-best nine aces against Texas A&M (Sept. 29) set a new Mizzou single-match record to go with 15 kills and 10 digs.
• Iliff was second on Mizzou during SEC play with 231 kills (3.55 kills/set), 158 digs (2.43 digs/set) and 283.0 points (4.35 points/set).
• Overall, in 2024, Iliff ranked second on Mizzou in 2024 with 402 kills (3.76 kills/set) and 263 digs (2.46 digs/set). She is 10th in the SEC this season with 4.59 points/set (491.0).
• Iliff also leads the Tigers and the SEC with 61 aces this season, which ranks second all-time in MU program history (first in Mizzou’s 25-point rally scoring era) with Yvette Buhlig (61 in 1999). Shen Danru registered a program-best 64 aces in 2002.
• She registered a career best 24 kills against Illinois (Sept. 20) and personal best 21 digs vs. Tennessee (Oct. 13).
• Iliff has totaled double-digit kills in all but five matches (23 of 28) and has 14 double-doubles in 2024. She has finished in double-digits offensively in 12 of the last 14 matches.
• Iliff reached 500 career digs in the match against Georgia (Nov. 6), tallying her 11th double-double of the season with 18 kills (.371) and 12 digs, two aces, a block and an assist.
• She competed in her 100th career match as a Missouri Tiger at Arkansas (Oct. 25) and surpassed 1,000 career kills and 100 career aces against Alabama on Oct. 11.
• Iliff ranks 10th all-time in Mizzou program history for career kills (1190).
MARINA CROWNOVER
• Marina Crownover was named to the 2024 All-SEC Second Team for her first career all-conference honors.
• The three-time SEC Setter of the Week (Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Oct. 28) led the conference in SEC play with 728 assists (11.56 assists/set).
• Crownover notched a career best 61 assists and four aces at Arkansas (Oct. 25).
• Overall, the Austin, Texas, native, ranked second in the SEC with 10.74 assists/set (1010).
• She surpassed 1,000 career assists in 2024 vs. Auburn (Nov. 30). Crownover put up 38 assists to push her career assist total to 1,023 (1,010 at Mizzou). She also had eight digs, a block and a dig.
• She has totaled fourteen 40-plus assist matches in 2024.
• Crownover also tallied a personal best 15 digs versus Illinois.
• She has dished out 22 or more assists in each of the last 13 matches.
MIZZOU RESUME
• Missouri is 13-7 against AVCA top-100 teams this season and 10-6 against AVCA top-50 teams.
• Mizzou picked up a five-set win over No. 9 Texas Nov. 1 in Austin, Texas, for the Tigers’ top-25 win.
• Mizzou went on a nine-match win streak (eight SEC matches) from Oct. 9 to Nov. 10. It marked MU’s longest win streak since 2016 (13 matches, nine SEC matches).
VOLLEYBALL SIGNS FIVE FOR NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
• Missouri announced Nov. 14 the signing of five student-athletes for National Signing Day. Maca Lobaglio, Paige Felder, Asia Harvey, Ashley Euston, and Zoey Matias have all inked with the Tigers and will head to Missouri ahead of the 2025 campaign.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
• For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
