The final whistle had already blown.
Players embraced near the net after Missouri’s SEC Tournament first round loss to Ole Miss, a result that closed the book on the Tigers’ most disappointing season of the Dawn Sullivan era. Seniors lingered a little longer. Coaches shared quiet conversations. For some players, it was the last time they would wear black and gold.
The offseason had begun, and unlike previous years under Sullivan, this one would not simply be about building on success. It would be about rebuilding
pieces of a program that had spent three seasons establishing itself as one of the Southeastern Conference’s rising contenders.
If First Serve tells the bigger story of Missouri volleyball every Monday, The Fifth Set takes readers beyond the final score every Friday, exploring the roster moves, trends and turning points that shape the season long before the first whistle. This week’s story begins with change.
Lots of it.
Missouri enters the 2026 season coming off a 17-11 campaign and an 8-7 mark in SEC play, the first step backward of Sullivan’s tenure. The Tigers failed to build on consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 2024, and exited the SEC Tournament in the opening round.
The result did more than end a season.
It ushered in the most significant roster transition Sullivan has faced since arriving in Columbia.
Graduation claimed some of the program’s most recognizable names. Three time SEC libero of the year Maya Sands and 4 year letterman Janet DeMarrais departed after helping establish the culture that fueled Missouri’s rise. Middle blockers Regan Haith and Tyrah Ariail also exhausted their eligibility, leaving behind experience, leadership and a formidable presence at the net.
Then came perhaps the biggest offseason surprise.
All-SEC setter Marina Crownover entered the transfer portal, leaving Missouri for Oregon. Without the player who orchestrated its offense over the past two seasons. Replacing a setter is never as simple as filling a spot on the depth chart. The position dictates tempo, distributes opportunities and often serves as the emotional heartbeat of a team.
The changes extended beyond the roster.
Assistant coaches Jhenna Gabriel and Cullen Irons also departed the program, giving Sullivan the task of reshaping not only her lineup but portions of her coaching staff as well.
Programs with championship aspirations rarely stand still, however.
Neither has Missouri.
Sullivan’s offseason has been less about replacing names and more about replacing roles.
The Tigers addressed one of their biggest defensive needs by signing senior libero Ainoah Cruz from Evansville. Across three collegiate seasons, Cruz accumulated more than 1,300 digs while adding hundreds of assists and service aces, bringing the type of experience Missouri lost through graduation. Veteran liberos often become extensions of the coaching staff on the floor, and Cruz arrives with the résumé to fill that responsibility immediately.
At the net, Missouri landed perhaps its most immediate impact addition.
Former Utah State middle blocker Lauren Larkin enters Columbia after helping the Aggies reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Larkin led Utah State with 100 blocks last season while hitting better than .400, production that addresses a position where Missouri suddenly lacked collegiate experience after losing Haith and Ariail.
If Cruz brings stability and Larkin supplies size, Missouri’s freshman class offers something different.
Possibility.
Among the newcomers is Turkish outside hitter Ceylin Kuyan, whose international résumé stands out even before she steps onto an SEC court. Kuyan competed professionally in her home country while representing Turkey at the international level, helping capture gold at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival and competing at the Girls U19 World Championship.
Her addition reflects Sullivan’s willingness to recruit beyond traditional borders in pursuit of elite talent.
The Tigers also accelerated the arrival of outside hitter Maizy Agnello after the Illinois standout reclassified into the 2026 class. Agnello rewrote record books at Prairie Ridge High School, earning all-state honors while helping her school reach consecutive state finals.
She joins a growing freshman class that signals Missouri’s investment in long-term development without sacrificing immediate competition.
The changes are not limited to the players.
Missouri also added assistant coach Lauren Cost, whose playing career at Kansas State included a conference championship and Sweet 16 appearance before she built one of Texas’ most respected club volleyball programs. Her experience developing talent could prove to be essential for a roster blending proven veterans with young players expected to contribute early.
The timing of those additions matters.
Missouri’s newly released SEC schedule presents an opportunity unlike any Sullivan has faced. The Tigers will host national powers Texas, Texas A&M and Florida inside the Hearnes Center while playing eight conference home matches compared to seven on the road.
On paper, the schedule offers balance.
Whether Missouri capitalizes on it may depend less on the opponents than on how quickly this new roster becomes a team.
Chemistry cannot be signed through the transfer portal or announced on National Signing Day. It is built during summer workouts, preseason practices and the long bus rides between SEC arenas.
That process has already begun.
The faces have changed. The expectations have not.
For Sullivan, this season represents more than a chance to return to the NCAA Tournament. It is an opportunity to prove last year’s disappointment was a anomaly rather than the beginning of a trend.
And for Missouri volleyball, the next chapter will not be written by the players who left.
It will belong to the ones who have just arrived.
Next Friday, The Fifth Set returns to look beyond the headlines once again, while First Serve continues every Monday with the stories that define Missouri volleyball’s season from the opening serve to the final point.
