As Mizzou Volleyball plays through Spring, Dawn Sullivan continues to build her roster for 2023. Almost half the roster in 2023 will be Missouri Tigers for the first time, so you’ll need a guide to get to know the new faces of the program. In this edition, I break down the three (now four as of 4/26) transfers on who they are, what they can do, and how they fit on the team.
Maya Sands, L/DS, UNLV
Dawn Sullivan’s standout freshman libero at UNLV followed her coach to Columbia in the weeks after her hiring at Missouri. She’s the only player on this list that is currently practicing with the team and she looks fantastic in the couple of scrimmages we’ve seen.
Sands is excellent in both passing and serve receive. She makes sound reads and brings energy in the back row. I’m not the best judge of back row defense, but I can’t find any holes in her positioning out of left back. She also boasts a strong float serve. There might be an adjustment period from playing in the Mountain West Conference to the SEC, but I think Sands is up to the challenge.
Maya Sands is likely an immediate impact player for the Tigers. There’s little doubt in my mind that she will be the team’s libero. She has three years of eligibility left.
Colleen Finney, MB/RS, Clemson
A brilliant student-athlete, Finney earned a Master’s in Business in three years at Clemson and is now taking her talents to the SEC. She’s been listed at MB/RS for Clemson, but that doesn’t give enough credit to her offensive versatility.
At 6’1’’, she’s a little small for a middle, but she’s got excellent leaping ability to even the scales. Finney led Clemson in blocks last year (79), but it’s also worth mentioning that Clemson was the worst blocking team in the ACC. Her hitting percentage is uninspiring at .207, but she had more kills than all 3 MBs for Missouri combined last year (231 vs 210). It’s tough to peg her at a specific position; she is a true versatile hitting piece, being able to attack from any angle in the front row. She has a tendency to overrun balls and wasn’t asked to pass for the Tigers.
Colleen Finney’s offense is too good to be left on the bench. The question is where does she play? I’m making the bold prediction that she gets moved to OH. I have high hopes for Janet deMarrais and Jasmine Dulan but they combine for less than 50 career kills and likely need more work. Finney can provide offense from day one. The team will need to find a third MB elsewhere, but the more I think about it, the more I think Colleen Finney is the best option at OH for Mizzou, even if she needs a DS. She has two years of eligibility left.
Naomi Franco, RS, Syracuse
An inspiring story of perseverance, Franco overcame a brain hemorrhage to play three seasons for the Orange and was named a captain in 2022. Like Finney, she’s moving from the ACC to the SEC. As a lefty, she operates solely at RS.
Franco is an imposing presence at 6’3’’ and has a good vertical to match, leading to some powerful hits. Of the offensive weapons Missouri is bringing in, Franco has the best numbers. She logged 256 kills on a .225 hitting percentage and chipped in 64 blocks on the defensive end. What separates her from other oppos I’ve seen is her ability to hit off the net. Most RS hitters like to hit bombs on tight set balls. You can expect a tip or a push shot on anything less. Franco understands how to control her swing to hit balls that aren’t perfect. She only played the front row for the Orange and looks kind of stiff on block coverage.
Naomi Franco is a weird get. I figured Missouri would be very content with Jordan Iliff, who’s shown the ability to hit from the back row and flashed a hybrid topspin serve this spring. You don’t see teams play two lefties at the same time. We saw Iliff play some OH, but she doesn’t look nearly as good there as on the RS. I’d hate to see either player be benched, but I don’t see how both play. Franco has two years of eligibility left.
Dilara Gedikoglu, OH, Arizona
Gedikoglu is an undersized pin hitter with a big arm and plus passing. She’s currently spending her Spring with Arizona’s beach team.
Regarded as the best passing hitter for the Wildcats, Gedikoglu likely transferred due to a lack of time in the front row. She can put some serious zip on the ball, but needs some more work on off-speed shots and tips. Standing at 5’10”, Gedikoglu tallied only 10 blocks for her entire Arizona career but didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities either. Her passing ability was a huge bright spot on a Wildcats team that struggled to find solid backrow defense.
I doubt the OH from Turkey transferred to Mizzou to take the same role she had in Arizona. I’d expect her to compete as a six-rotation OH hitter. She fits a similar mold as Jasmine Dulan as an athletic, two-way hitter that’s just not very tall. Dawn Sullivan did wonders for UNLV’s offense in a short time, so I’ll be looking out for how that part of Gedikoglu’s game develops under her watch. She has two years of eligibility left.