After a disappointing last two seasons, a coaching and roster change pushed the Tigers into finishing with their best season in recent years
The 2023 Missouri Tigers volleyball finished their comeback season. In 2021, Missouri finished 5-26, 2-16 in the SEC. In 2022, it finished 9-19, 2-16 in the SEC. In 2023, Missouri finished 17-12 and earned its spot in the NCAA tournament in its first appearance since 2020.
What changed? In December 2022, head coach Dawn Sullivan was named the replacement coach for the Tigers after five seasons at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Additionally, after the 2022 season, eight players entered the transfer portal and two graduated, leaving the roster a ghost town.
Sullivan immediately got to work, signing UNLV transfer sophomore Maya Sands and assistant coach Cullen Irons. She then added six transfers and four freshmen in the spring and summer of 2023.
With the roster set, the Tigers opened their season with two home tournaments, finishing 5-1 and losing only to then No. 3 Louisville. Soon after, Missouri began conference play against top 25 ranked teams: Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas. The Tigers’ greatest win came with an on the road sweep against then No. 23 Auburn on Oct. 20. In the team’s final homestead at the end of November, they went 4-1 by defeating Auburn once again along with Georgia.
Despite losing the last three games of the regular season, the Tigers earned their first spot in the NCAA tournament since 2020 as a No. 8 seed. After Missouri swept Delaware in the first round, it fell to No. 1 Nebraska in the second.
By the end of the year Missouri earned a number of accolades for the season. Sands was named the SEC Libero of the Year after a 524 dig season, while Sullivan was named the SEC Coach of the Year.
Junior Jordan Iliff and Sands were added to the SEC All-American team while freshman Sierra Dudley was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after earning 1,100 assists this season. Junior Lauren Forbes was added to the All-SEC Community Service Team in her last season with the Tigers.
In 2023, Missouri finished No. 7 in the SEC and No. 34 in the NCAA RPI rankings. Iliff earned the most kills of the season at 372, while junior Morgan Isenberg earned the highest hitting percentage at .321%. Iliff also led the team in service aces with 42. Isenberg earned 133 blocks this season, miles above second place Iliff’s 67 blocks. Sands led the team in digs followed by graduate Dilara Gedikoglu with 248 digs.
Though transfer announcements have not yet arisen for any Tigers, Missouri volleyball is losing the powerhouse hitter of Gedikoglu and server of Forbes. However, Sullivan has already gained some heavy hitters for 2024 including Claire Morrissey, the No. 2 recruit in Missouri. Sullivan also retains the defensive powerhouses of Dudley and Sands, leaving no gaps in the roster. The Tigers are on an upward trajectory, and the program has a bright future for the foreseeable future.
Edited by Chase Gemes | cgemes@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com
Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com
