Hello Mizzou Volleyball world! This is long overdue, but after a while I decided that the right time to finally get around to writing was after the exhibition games to really see how the starting lineup would shake out. So let’s get right into it.

The startling lineup/rotation looks to be as follows:

OH1: Janet deMarrais (DS: Kiarliz Perez-Catala)

OH2: Mychael Vernon

MB1: Colleen Finney (Serve: Maya Sands)

MB2: Regan Haith (Serve: Alayna Pearson)

RS: Jordan Iliff

S: Sierra Dudley

L: Maya Sands

The big surprise here is Regan Haith over last year’s MB2, Morgan Isenberg (more on this later). Everything else seems well within expectations. Once again, we expect to see a 5-1 formation, but the Black & Gold Scrimmage showed that every setter is capable of being plugged in for a 6-2. The total roster size is a whopping 22 players, meaning we should expect a good amount of redshirts for the team’s six strong freshman class. Looking ahead to next season, where Mizzou will be subject to the 18 player roster cap, the team will be an interesting spot. They’re expected to graduate seven players, but currently have four players committed for the class of 2025, which sets that roster at 19. For now though, let’s take a look at the 2024 Missouri Tigers volleyball team. 

Disclaimer: Stats given are from last season. I decided not to do freshmen this year since high school stats aren’t always reflective of the role they play in college. 

Aspen Maxwell: FR OH/RS – 6’1’’

The 58th overall recruit of 2024, Maxwell is a versatile, right-handed hitter who can hit at all three positions. Recruiting boards listed her primary position at opposite, but Mizzou has listed her at OH/RS. How much stock you put into that listing is really up to you since almost every freshman pin got listed at OH/RS. I’m doubting my memory from the Black and Gold Scrimmage, but I’m pretty sure she played the entire game at right side with the second-stringers. There was a time in this cycle I would’ve thought she’d play MB for head coach Dawn Sullivan, but the roster makeup makes me think they’ll keep her on the pins. There isn’t a whole lot of tape on her passing, which makes me think she’s a front row only player. I don’t see her getting much time with some senior players ahead of her, but if Sullivan decides to empty the bench, I think she’d be out there. I’d say it’s 50-50 on whether she ends up taking a redshirt. 

Colleen Finney: GR MB – 6’1’’

Finney returns to the Tigers as the starting MB after a fantastic 2023 season. To my surprise, she actually wasn’t able to beat her career highs in kills and blocks set in her last season at Clemson (231 kills and 79 blocks), but posted a much higher hitting percentage, over 100 points higher than her 2022 season. She reportedly played through a torn quad for practically all of last season and is looking to cap off her final season with a clean bill of health. It looks like Sullivan & Co. have added some new routes for their middles this season, and through two exhibitions, Finney has looked far more explosive. I think it’s reasonable to expect a big season from Finney.

Sierra Dudley: SO S – 6’1’’

Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2023, Sierra Dudley burst onto the scene for Mizzou as a true freshman and took home SEC All-Freshman honors. She logged over 1,000 assists, which hadn’t been done by a Mizzou setter since Andreas Fuentes did it in 2018. The starting setter job seemed to be up in the air during the Black & Gold scrimmage, but Dudley got the nod in the exhibition vs. Omaha and should build on her freshman campaign. I noticed that she’s really shied away from setter attacks. I thought she had a really strong swing as a lefty, but she attacked far less in the back half of 2023 and didn’t swing at all against Omaha. Either way, she’s an absolute sponge and seems to be getting better each day with her decision making. Her hitting cast is very similar to last year, so I think the numbers will shake out in a similar way for 2024.

Maya Sands: JR L – 5’7’’

Sands quickly answered questions about her abilities in a tough conference by leading the SEC in digs and taking home All-SEC and Libero of the Year honors, the first Tiger to ever win the award. This makes her absence on the 2024 Preseason All-SEC team extremely strange, so the junior enters the season with a serious chip on her shoulder. Sands is  There isn’t much to say about Sands; she’s an extremely good defender in both pass and receive. She’s also above average at the service line. There was little debate on who would be the starting libero in 2024, and that’ll almost certainly be the case in 2025. Sands is a true cornerstone piece for the Tigers. 

Jordan Iliff: SR RS – 6’2’’

The other half of Mizzou’s 2023 All-SEC winners and MU’s sole representative on the All-SEC Preseason Team, Iliff became a go-to option on offense for Sullivan. She could stand to post less errors on the attack and from the service line, but her production is still excellent. She hits harder than anyone in  the gym, and her hybrid serve is lethal when it’s hot. Her frame and athleticism makes her a fine blocker against the opponent’s OHs. She’s not the best passer for a six-rotation player, but her ability to hit the D-ball is enough to keep her on the court. 

I think the name of the game for Iliff is consistency. She’ll log double-digit kills if you give her enough sets, but the errors might stack up. I’d like to see her hit closer to .250 for her senior campaign. She wasn’t at her best against Omaha, as she missed a few swings long. But she was still able to bounce a few balls and, at the end of the day, that’s what most fans want to see. How big of a season she’ll have is entirely dependent on her. She’s got the same setter, same coaches, and almost the same support. Can she keep that ball in the court?

Vivian Parker: FR OH/RS – 6’0’’

Parker gave me a scare when she attended the Black & Gold scrimmage in a boot, but she didn’t have it on during the Omaha exhibition, which makes me think she’ll be ready for the 2024 season. However, that doesn’t mean she’ll play in 2024. She didn’t appear in either exhibition game and, like Maxwell, has a lot of players in front of her on the depth chart. It’s pretty likely she takes a redshirt this year. By all accounts, she’s an amazing leader; we’ll probably have to wait until  next season to see how she does it. 

Kaylen Rush: SO L – 5’7’’

Rush was the only 2023 freshman besides Dudley to see action last  season, but she didn’t really see a whole lot of it. She appeared in a little under half of the sets, but almost exclusively as a serving substitute. I’d argue that she didn’t go on enough runs to justify that role, but a few of those runs came in big moments for the Tigers. Mizzou brought in a couple more DSs in the transfer portal, which doesn’t help her case for playing. Sullivan will probably have to decide to not play Iliff in the back row for Rush to see the court in any capacity. 

Kimani Johnson: JR RS/MB – 6’3’’

Kimani Johnson has been listed at RS/MB, but she’s really a backup, front-row only OH for the Tigers. It wasn’t the most impressive campaign for Johnson who saw extremely limited action. My colleagues would argue that Johnson should see more time given her 6’3’’ frame since Mizzou’s OH2s have been fairly short, which I’ve grown to think is a fair take on the defensive end, especially since the SEC boasts some serious hitters at RS. I still haven’t seen her really punish balls as a hitter and until that develops, I don’t see her cracking that starting lineup. However, like last year she’s the first woman up when a change is needed at OH.

Grace Sweeney: FR OH/L – 5’9’’

Sweeney is an undersized and athletic six-rotation OH. She only played the third set of the Black & Gold scrimmage but I was just really amazed by how quick she is off the floor and high she gets to the ceiling. That sort of versatility should give her a look at DS over some other contenders, kind of like Jasmine Dulan in 2022 as a DS you can have hit out of the back row. Still, there are a lot of contenders and the team might just opt for seniority at the position. I think it’s more likely she takes a redshirt, but I wouldn’t count her completely out to play this season. 

Morgan Isenberg: SR MB – 6’0’’

Isenberg started with the ones in the Black & Gold Scrimmage but did not play in the exhibition vs. Omaha. I put more stock in the latter game, which makes me think Isenberg lost her starting job after an electric season in 2023. She led the Tigers in hitting percentage and blocks as a surprise contributor after two seasons as a third-stringer. I won’t lie, I’m in shambles; Isenberg might just be my favorite player. She had as many blocks as Finney and Iliff (the second and third leaders) combined. She’s fast, efficient, and reliable as a hitter. I think her benching (if that is what’s happening) comes down to her height. She’s the shortest MB in power conference volleyball, and maybe someone taller pushes Missouri further into the season, but that’s a pretty heavy maybe.

Tatum Longnecker: SO L – 5’7’’

My fellow Arizonan, Longnecker took a redshirt last year as S/L, but it looks like the Tigers will invest in her as a defender full time in 2024. I’m a little disappointed. I know there was hope that she’d be able to set for Missouri, but it’s just really tough to succeed at the position at 5’7’’. She was a serving sub for the ones in the Black & Gold scrimmage but was absent for Omaha. Does the 1s team mean anything? I’m leaning towards no. Again, there’s a ton of defensive specialists on the roster and combine seniority with the fact Kaylen Rush played over her, she’s pretty far down the depth chart. 

Regan Haith: JR MB – 6’2’’

It was a bit of a surprise for me to hear Haith announced with the starters against Omaha. My colleagues kept insisting that she was in the running to start, but I didn’t put a whole lot of stock into it. Don’t get me wrong, Haith is a great player. She can hit levels of the court other MBs for Missouri can’t thanks to her height and reach. If I sound negative, it’s because I’m still an Isenberg truther. Haith dropped a bit in production her sophomore year at Illinois State as she dealt with an injury, but wasn’t bad as a freshman. I’m a little concerned at how her hitting fares after just hitting around .250 in the Missouri Valley Conference. There were a couple times Haith served for herself in the exhibition matches, I’m curious to see what falls through during the regular season. Her float doesn’t have a lot of movement, but it’s a bullet down across the court. Compared to Finney and Isenberg, I think she hits more A balls, which should give Mizzou a new look on offense. 

Janet deMarrais: JR OH – 6’2’’

Planet Janet had a huge breakout year in 2023. That hitting percentage will tell you otherwise, but she was miles better than her freshman year and was the 1B option to Iliff by the end of the season. She was a pretty heavy snub for a couple Player of the Week awards last season. I don’t have the exact stats available, but I’d wager most of those errors were logged before that first match against Texas A&M where she really broke out. She played six rotations in the second half of 2023, but it looks like she’ll stick to the front row in 2024. Missouri will take a hit offensively as deMarrais was solid hitting back row and was very aggressive in serve receive. But teams were really beginning to pick on her in serve receive and I think the team needs a change to be better than last year. Both her and Iliff are prone to attack errors, but I think deMarrais tends to get blocked for a point while Iliff misses long to make a comparison. That showed true in the Omaha exhibition as deMarrais got off to a slow start, but I’m confident that she can tune up by the regular season. Dudley can box her in sometimes with her setting, but improvements from both players and I think deMarrais has an All-SEC nod in her future. 

Sarah White: SR S – 6’0’’

It hasn’t been the change of scenery that I think White was expecting after transferring from Ohio State. She spotted Dudley on a few points last season when the Tigers got stuck in a rotation, but there wasn’t really time for her in any other capacity. She might not even get that role this season after Marina Crownover transferred in. I don’t think she’s good enough from the line to be a serving sub and she’s not a good enough passer to be a DS so it really seems like she’s in limbo this season. She redshirted her first year at Ohio State, so she is eligible for 2025 if we’re looking down the line, but I’m sure she’d like to play this year. 

Kiaraliz Perez-Catala: SR L – 5’5’’

Perez-Catala transferred late in the cycle and I wasn’t expecting Mizzou to bring her in after having Sands locked in at libero and bringing in Alayna Pearson from Texas A&M. Perez-Catala has really worked her way up in competition after spending two seasons in JUCO and the last season in the WAC where she won Libero of the Year. She could easily be the libero if Maya Sands wasn’t in the mix. It’s a great addition and she stands to be deMarrais’ DS. Aggressive from the service line and trustworthy in both pass and receive, Perez-Catala is a really great addition for Missouri. I just can’t help but think she’s too good to just be a DS. 

Naomi Franco: SR RS – 6’3’’

Franco played all her points last year when Sarah White checked in to spot Sierra Dudley in a faux 6-2 with Jordan Iliff. She enters her final year with no clear path to playing time. She’s Iliff’s backup but like a few other cases on the roster, she’s too good to just be a backup. She had 257 kills in her last season at Syracuse. I think that should’ve played in the SEC, but nobody is going to bench Iliff. Last preseason, Mizzou flirted with the idea of Iliff playing OH which would open up RS for Franco, but the odds of that happening in 2024 are near zero.

Claire Morrissey: FR OH/RS – 6’0’’

A lot of eyes are watching the no. 4 overall recruit of 2024, but early scouting makes me think we won’t see much of her. She was a serving sub for the 1s in the Black & Gold scrimmage and didn’t attend the Omaha match. It’s tough to get a read on her since she didn’t take any swings this preseason. It makes you think since other freshmen in Maxwell and Sweeney got to play the pins in preseason, is Morrissey behind them on the depth chart? Questions and speculations may run wild for Morrissey, but I think Mizzou can afford to not have her be ready this year. I think she ends up operating similar to Kaylen Rush in her freshman year with a handful of appearances but few points.

Mychael Vernon: GR OH – 5’11’’

Mychael Vernon comes off a career year with Oregon State earning All-PAC 12 Honorable Mention. I was hesitant about Mizzou’s chances of repeating a tourney appearance after losing Dilara Gedikoglu to graduation but Vernon is the perfect mold to fill that role, a shorter but aggressive six rotation OH. Her serving might be a problem, she needed a sub during the Black & Gold game and had an awful aces-to-errors ratio in 2023. But she’s a better athlete than Gedikoglu and had a better resume in the Pac-12. Her jumping ability is remarkable and can really hit over blockers taller than her. However, her passing was awful in the Omaha exhibition and a lot of fans seemed to take notice. Mizzou’s passing and receiving fell heavily on the shoulders of Sands and Gedikoglu in 2023 and if Vernon can’t replace the latter’s production, Mizzou might be in trouble since they don’t have a lot of pins who can pass. It’s one game though and we’ll find out soon enough how Mychael Vernon performs in the SEC.

Morgan Jones: FR OH/RS – 6’1’’

Jones snuck into the Top 150 as no. 140 in the 2024 recruiting class after not being ranked in the previous updates. She was the only player besides Parker to not play in the Black & Gold Scrimmage and Parker was in a boot. I’d say pretty confidently that Jones is looking at a redshirt this year. I am very curious to learn what skills Jones has to get her that Top 150 spot, but I might have to wait till 2025 to find out.

Marina Crownover: SO S – 5’11’’

It looked like Crownover was very close to stealing that setter job from Sierra Dudley after starting with the 1s in the Black & Gold Scrimmage, but she’ll probably be the backup in 2024. I have her ahead of Sarah White since Crownover came in to relieve Dudley in the third set against Omaha. Crownover really impressed me with her speed on the court, flying to balls tight to the net. It takes a lot to walk on to Texas and Crownover definitely has the skills to match. The problem is that her eligibility runs side by side to Dudley’s so if Dudley is the starter, is Crownover second string the entire time? I wouldn’t want that. I doubt she does either. I figure if she was content with a bench role, she would’ve stayed at Texas and contend for more championships. Watch out for her to steal starts at setter.

Tia Phinezy: FR MB – 6’2’’

Phinezy saw a lot of action in the Black & Gold scrimmage as a middle for the 2s. She had some pretty impressive bombs, but I think she’s pretty far away from getting into a game. Nevertheless, I was impressed by what she showcased in that scrimmage and I think some other fans were too. She has positional versatility as a hitter, but her listing implies they’ll keep her at MB.

Alayna Pearson: SO L – 5’6’’

Pearson comes to Columbia after a single season at Texas A&M. The first transfer of the 2024 class for Dawn Sullivan, I think she was an easy replacement and maybe even upgrade for the graduating Lauren Forbes. A Top 150 prospect, Pearson seems to have won a serving sub job this season. She’ll be in line for a bigger role as Perez-Catala graduates following this season. I don’t think there’s much to see this season for Pearson, but I think we can pencil her in for bigger roles in the following years. 

Noa’s Presumed Depth Chart