After a loss to Florida on Friday, things seemed dire for the Mizzou volleyball team. The Tigers sat at 1-4 in SEC play after losing back-to-back matches.
But the team started to right the ship with a big 3-1 road win against Auburn this past Sunday. After losing the first set, Mizzou rallied back with three straight set wins 32-30, 25-17, 25-13.
“The defense is what really stood out to me,” head coach Dawn Sullivan said this week during her weekly media availability. “As a team we were able to serve
that ball really, really tough…they had this mindset, they were not going to lose that match.”
While 2-4 is not an ideal start to conference play, it’s not necessarily surprising looking at the schedule Mizzou has placed thus far; five of the teams they have played are currently ranked in the top seven of the SEC. This gives the Tigers a chance to flex their muscles against the lower half of the conference while building momentum down the stretch.
That starts this weekend with a pair of home matches against Ole Miss and LSU; both teams who sit below .500 in SEC play thus far. Here’s what you need to know before heading to the Hearnes Center on either Friday/Sunday.
Hotty Toddy
On Friday the Tigers host Ole Miss, who has struggled so far with a 1-5 record in conference play. Last week the Rebels lost 3-1 to rival Mississippi State and 3-0 to a ranked Tennessee team.
While Ole Miss led both matchups in kills, they fell behind in almost every other point category including errors, assists and blocks. So while the Rebels’ attack may be volatile, they struggle when it comes to remaining accurate; not to mention playing strong defense at the net and finding success at the service line. These are areas that Mizzou prides themselves in, showing a clear advantage for the home team.
If Mizzou wants to slow down the Ole Miss attack, it starts with outside hitter Gabi Placide. She has made a major impression in her first year after transferring from Northern Colorado, racking up 286 kills on the season thus far. She has racked up five 20-plus kill performances thus far, including 26 in the loss against Mississippi State. If the Tigers can manage Placide’s offense, then Ole Miss will struggle mightily in Columbia.
Bayou Bengals
It’s a battle of Tigers in Columbia on Sunday as LSU comes to town. They are also 2-4 in the SEC, coming off sweeps to both Alabama and Kentucky.
LSU struggled to slow down its opposition’s offense, losing the kill battle 89-57. In the Alabama match, the Tigers offense was entirely stagnant, finishing with 21 kills to 19 errors. While neither of the matches were particularly close, LSU racked up 10 blocks in the Kentucky match, working to slow down the Wildcats’ offense. Plus there is no reason to count out this team, especially as they took down Florida on the road earlier in the season.
Outside hitter Jurnee Robinson has been a key contributor at the net, leading the team with 323 kills offensively and then 44 blocks defensively. The junior racked up 30-plus kills in back-to-back matches against Tennessee and Florida, carrying the Tiger offense on her back.
This will be a major prove-it match for Mizzou, helping reset expectations heading towards the tail end of the season.
Player to Watch: Tyrah Ariail
One player who picked it up this weekend was middle blocker Tyrah Ariail. The senior finished with 20 kills across the two matches, hitting double digits for the first time in SEC play with 12 in the win against Auburn. She currently sits at 136 kills on the entire season. As a whole Ariail has been extremely efficient in her limited offensive chances, currently with a .382 hitting percentage on the year.
Defensively, Ariail has been a key part of a block that has looked better and better as the season has gone along. This past weekend she finished with eight blocks, with five coming against Auburn. She has 62 blocks in 2025 thus far, right behind Regan Haith for the team lead. Ariail has her season-high of eight blocks on two separate occasions against Arkansas State and Wyoming.
For a Mizzou offense that has continued to look for depth, Tyrah Ariail has opened herself up as a tertiary option that can work alongside the Tigers’ outside hitters.
Arial and the rest of the Mizzou volleyball team returns home for its showdown with Ole Miss at 7 p.m. Friday in the Hearnes Center. The match will be available to watch on SEC Network+ on the ESPN app.
