The road to SEC play is getting shorter, but Mizzou volleyball still has one more weekend of nonconference work ahead.
After facing No. 1 Nebraska and No. 5 Louisville earlier in the week, the Tigers returned home and took care of business at the Mizzou Invitational, finishing the weekend 3-0 against their tournament competition.
The perfect weekend offered a different kind of test.
Instead of facing nationally ranked opponents with little room for error, Mizzou had an opportunity to build confidence,
experiment with its depth and continue finding consistency within a roster still learning how all of its pieces fit together.
That depth showed throughout the weekend.
The Tigers continued to lean on a mixture of veterans and newcomers, with players such as Kimani Johnson, Grace O’Reilly, Ceylin Kuyan, Eva Smith, Maizy Agnello and others contributing across the tournament. Mizzou’s younger players have continued to gain valuable experience, while the veteran leadership has helped provide stability through the team’s early-season growing pains.
Against FGCU on Saturday, Mizzou battled through four sets to complete its tournament sweep. The Tigers used contributions from throughout the lineup, with O’Reilly, Johnson, Kuyan, Agnello and the team’s frontcourt making plays as Mizzou closed another home victory.
The weekend also represented another step in the process for a team that entered 2026 with plenty of questions about chemistry, youth and consistency.
Those questions have not disappeared, but Mizzou has started to find answers.
Now, the Tigers head back on the road for the Bowling Green/Toledo Invitational, where they will face Bowling Green, Toledo and Dayton in their final tournament-style weekend before the schedule turns toward SEC competition.
Bowling Green and Toledo will give Mizzou another opportunity to prove it can maintain its momentum away from the Hearnes Center, while Dayton presents another quality nonconference test as the Tigers continue preparing for the grind of conference play.
For Dawn Sullivan’s group, the goal this weekend is simple: keep building.
The Tigers have already experienced the highs and challenges of an ambitious early schedule. They have played in a major venue at Wrigley Field, even though the Nebraska match was ultimately canceled because of weather, traveled to Louisville to face a top-five opponent and now put together an undefeated weekend at home.
The next challenge is carrying that progress onto the road.
Mizzou has one more weekend to sharpen its identity before SEC play begins. The Tigers leave Columbia with momentum. Now, they will see if they can bring it with them.
The Fifth Set will be back Friday recapping the first two games of the tournament. First Serve will return next Monday as Mizzou continues its march toward conference play.
