After a heartbreaking reverse sweep at the hands of Oklahoma, the Mizzou volleyball team sits at 1-3 in SEC play, placing them tied for 10th in the conference through three weeks. This isn’t totally new
territory for head coach Dawn Sullivan, as in 2023 the Tigers started 2-4 in the SEC and 2024 the team was 1-2 through three games.
The team managed to turn it around, however, with a three-game winning streak in 2023 and an eight-game streak in 2024. So a slow start is not uncommon, but we are now getting to the time where a Mizzou team ready to take the next step has to start coming away with wins. But that will not be an easy task, traveling to take on Florida and Auburn; two teams that Sullivan speaks very highly on.
“I think they’re both really good teams, to be quite frank with you,” Sullivan said. “I think they’re both very talented in their own different ways.”
Here’s what you should know about each of these Mizzou volleyball matchups this weekend:
In The Swamp
First up on Friday is a trip to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. Florida started the season strong beating current No. 4 Pitt 3-2 in Nebraska. That early season momentum has worn off as the Gators have lost four of their last six games, including an uncharacteristic 2-2 start to SEC play. As a result, they have dropped out of the AVCA polls for the first time since 1991!
Accuracy has been a problem for Florida as of late. In a 3-2 loss to LSU, the Gators lost the last set 15-4 while hitting -0.238 with EIGHT errors.
“When they’re in system, grooving, then they’re on fire, they’re very physical,” Sullivan. “And so can we get them out of system.”
The Florida offense is extremely volatile, racking up 62 kills in a 3-1 win against Auburn; including 39 kills in the last two sets alone. They have a very high-risk, high-reward offense and can either bury an opponent out of strength or hit themselves out of a match.
A great example of this is outside hitter Jordyn Byrd, who leads the team in kills (198) and errors (78). Byrd has racked up double-digit kills in each of her last nine matches, including a career-high of 24 in a win against Alabama. This is her first season seeing the court after transferring from Texas, making an immediate impact with the Gators. Byrd is going to get her swings in, so it’s up to the Mizzou block to force her to be high-error and prevent any chances for easy kills.
War Eagle Soar
Auburn has been one of the biggest surprises in the SEC thus far with a 12-3 record overall and 3-1 in SEC play. The Tigers have lost to Florida but have swept Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss. They are on track to blow their 4-12 record in SEC play from last year out of the water.
One of the biggest strengths for this Auburn team comes from its block. This season the Tigers have outclassed their opponents at the net, winning the block battle 158.5-79. So far in SEC play, that advantage has continued 38-23 for Auburn.
Sophomore middle blocker Kate Mansfield is leading the way with 85 blocks at 1.7 per set. In addition she has been an offensive weapon with 60 kills while hitting .321. This is Mansfield’s first season at Auburn after transferring in from Cal.
If Mizzou looks to win against Auburn on the road, they will need to avoid Mansfield and vary up its attack to use its right side and middles.
With these road matches ahead, we are always talking about the differences for playing at home and on the road. While the crowd can definitely have an impact on the game, Sullivan understands the importance of going on the road and picking up victories; especially in a conference like the SEC.
“It’s just part of the conference. It’s what we do,” Sullivan said. Is, “Your job is to win at home. Our job is to win it when we’re on the road. And so we just have to show up and be consistent and and do the little things really well.”
Player Spotlight: Janet deMarrais
[ADD deMarrais PHOTO]
As a senior leader and the only holdover on the team before the Sullivan era, deMarrais commands a large amount of respect from her teammates. After starting the season on the shelf with a minor injury, the outside hitter has been a mainstay in the starting lineup.
It’s been an inconsistent season for Janet, sometimes as an offensive juggernaut with 17 kills against TCU and sometimes as a complete ghost with only one kill against Texas. This weekend was much stronger for the Texas native will 11 kills in each match against Arkansas and Oklahoma. She was relatively efficient in the home matches, staying under five errors in each match while hitting over .200 in a bounceback performance from negative hitting percentages during the Texas trip.
As Mizzou continues to look for offense from various sources, getting 10-15 kills consistently from deMarrais would be a huge step in the right direction as the Tigers look to start their (seemingly) annual winning streak.
The first step comes against Florida at 6 p.m. on Friday in Gainesville. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+ available on the ESPN app.
