Mizzou volleyball officially released its full schedule for the upcoming fall season. The entire slate features 27 matches starting with a season-opening doubleheader against Western Illinois and Towson on Aug. 28.
Here’s the key things to know heading into year four under Dawn Sullivan as the Tigers attempt to return to the NCAA
Tournament.
Happy at Hearnes
What stood out on first glance was how many home games Mizzou will have next season. The Tigers will play at the Hearnes Center a whopping 15 times next season, the most since 2023. This includes two tournaments through the first three weeks of the season, where Mizzou will welcome seven other teams to Columbia.
The Tigers have been extremely successful at home under Sullivan, posing a record of 26-9. This home-crowd advantage will pay dividends against high-caliber opponents including Oregon, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M. Mizzou should aim to win double-digit games at the Hearnes Center next season, winning the games against some of the weaker opponents while pulling off the ocassional upset.
The Big Stage
In addition to the plethora of home games, the non-conference slate includes critical showdowns against Nebraska at Wrigley Field and a road showdown against Louisville as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
These are the two toughest games away from the SEC slate on paper, as both teams reached the Sweet 16 last season. Plus, they are two of the biggest names in collegiate volleyball These opportunities show just how far and how much respect Mizzou volleyball has received under Sullivan in a relatively short time. While the Tigers will likely be underdogs in both matchups, we have seen them pull of these sorts of upsets before.
SEC Showdowns
Two of the most pivotal losses for Mizzou volleyball came on the road against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. Both of those teams were considerably weaker than the Tigers and these losses severely hurt the team’s resume heading into Selection Sunday.
But now they will have a chance to right these wrongs, facing the two teams to start the season. Mizzou will host Vandy before traveling to Oxford. These are both games Mizzou is likely to win, but securing a 2-0 start in SEC play while burying some of the ghosts of the past is a good way to start conference play.
Perhaps the most important stretch of the season is from October 30-November 8, where the Tigers take on the four teams who finished top four in the SEC last season. It starts off tough as they take on Kentucky in Lexington, a team that Dawn Sullivan has never beaten and Mizzou has failed to knock off since 2016.
After that the Tigers have three consecutive home games against Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M. Sullivan and the Tigers have found more success against each of these teams. Plus a home court advantage will help make the difference in these crucial showdowns.
Looking at the schedule, a crucial three-game stretch comes from Oct. 9-18, where Mizzou has four straight home games against several other SEC teams that finished middle of the pack last season. The most crucial game comes against Florida, which has constantly been a thorn in the side of Sullivan’s teams.
If Mizzou wants to finish .500 or above in SEC play for the fourth consecutive season, they need to go 3-1 or even 4-0 during this crucial stretch.
