After an overwhelming amount of roster moves, the Missouri Tigers head into summer with nothing to lose and everything to prove. As of May 13th, the team only has six returning players from the 2022 season, giving Head Coach Dawn Sullivan a clean slate to start her program in her first year. She’s also brought on an entirely new coaching staff and support staff. 

So how does this team look for 2023? A great question. My answer? No idea. The team carried eight players for their spring games. They had an assistant coach playing setter. They’re adding nine new players and we’ve only seen one of them play with the team. But let’s work with what we do know. Here’s a rundown on personnel for the Missouri Tigers Volleyball for 2023.

Outside Hitters:

• Janet deMarrais (SO Returner)
• Dilara Gedikoglu (GS Transfer)
• Chapel Dobbs (FR Commit)

Losing Kaylee Cox and Anna Dixon was tough for Missouri. They were the top two kill leaders in the last two seasons for the Tigers. deMarrais had a rough freshman campaign marred by an inability to hit around the block. That will hopefully change in 2023 with a larger emphasis on up tempo offense. I have high hopes for her. Gedikoglu is a solid transfer from Arizona. She’s undersized but still has a great vertical, a big arm, and spectacular defense. I’m excited to see her as a six-rotation player for Missouri. Her ability to stay on the court should afford the team a defensive specialist for deMarrais. I wouldn’t expect much from Dobbs as a freshman. She also has a strong arm, but I don’t think her vertical is there yet for high level play.

Right Side Hitters:

• Jordan Iliff (JR Returner)
• Naomi Franco (SR Transfer)

I’m very excited about this group. There’s not many teams that boast two right side hitters that can post 200+ kills. I was confused at first as I thought Iliff would be the main event for the Tigers, but you can play both lefties with a 6-2. Even though Iliff has shown a nice topspin and an aggressive back row attack in the spring, both hitters aren’t proven passers and would do nicely as three-rotation players. 

Middle Blockers:

• Madilyn Sell (SO Returner)
• Morgan Isenberg (JR Returner)
• Colleen Finney (GS Transfer)

There was a lack of offense from Missouri middles in 2022. Dawn Sullivan has placed a big emphasis on changing that for the upcoming season throughout Spring, pushing Sell and Isenberg to take swings in a faster offense. It’s been a struggle for the former but both look poised to take starting roles and take pressure off of the pin hitters. Finney is the odd one out here. She posted more than double the amount of kills last year than Sell and Isenberg have combined for their career but I have a tough time putting her ahead of either given that they’ve been with the team through spring. She was a utility hitter at Syracuse and I doubt she came to Columbia to ride the bench. There’s definitely a role for Colleen Finney, I just don’t know where it is.

Defensive Specialists:

• Estella Zatechka (SO Returner)
• Lauren Forbes (JR Returner)
• Maya Sands (SO Transfer)
• Kaylen Rush (FR Commit)

Two different players donned the libero jersey for Mizzou last year and neither will be on the team for 2023. Enter Maya Sands who looks to have already won the job in Spring over Forbes and Zatechka who played good minutes at defensive specialist for the team last year. With a 6-2, I expect Forbes to play back row for deMarrais and Zatechka to be used as a serving sub for a middle. I don’t see much of a role left for Rush with the three girls ahead of her. 

Setters:

• Luisa Vilaca (JR Transfer)
• Sarah White (JR Transfer)
• Tatum Longnecker (FR Commit)

No returners in this department after Riley Buckley and Addison Lyon transfer out. We haven’t seen any of these players in uniform yet, but I’d guess White is the favorite to start after a good season at Ohio State. Vilaca, a JUCO transfer, is an intriguing player at 6’2’’ but I think she needs some polish after looking at her tape. She’s excellent at attacking with her dumps but her sets run high and her footwork looks stiff. With two players with experience ahead of her, I wouldn’t count on Longnecker setting, but she’s a fantastic athlete with great passing. I could see her appearing as a defensive specialist over Kaylen Rush thanks to her versatility. A lot of questions with this group, but Sarah White affords the team some options. A 6-2 is very much on the table but it’s tough to say who goes where without seeing them with the team.