Game #1 • Friday, Aug. 29 • 5 p.m. CT
No. 17 Mizzou (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. James Madison (0-0, 0-0 SBC)
Alico Arena • Fort Myers, Fla.
SERIES HISTORY: JMU leads 1-0 • STREAK: L1
LAST GAME: L, 3-0 vs. Texas State (Foley, Ala. • Nov. 22, 2024)
OPPONENT WEB: jmusports.com
Game #2 • Saturday, Aug. 30 • 12 p.m. PT
No. 17 Mizzou (0-0, 0-0 SEC) at Florida Gulf Coast (0-0, 0-0 ASUN)
Alico Arena • Fort Myers, Fla.
SERIES HISTORY: MIZ leads 1-0 • STREAK: W1
LAST GAME: L, 3-0 vs. Marquette (Salt Lake City, Utah • Dec. 5, 2024)
LIVE STREAM: ESPN+
OPPONENT WEB: fgcuathletics.com
Mizzou volleyball will commence its 2025 season with a weekend doubleheader against James Madison and Florida Gulf Coast in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Tigers will face the Dukes in the first leg of the three-team invitational and follow that with a match up against the home squad. Mizzou opens the season against JMU starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29 and end their time down south against the home squad, FGCU at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30 with both matches being held at Alico Arena.
Missouri’s match up against the Eagles on Saturday will be streamed via ESPN+ with Kelly Burke on the call.
The Tigers kick off the season ranked as they are one of five SEC schools in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national poll.
SERIES HISTORY
- JMU leads the all-time series with Mizzou, 1-0.
- The Tigers met up with the Dukes one time back in 2018, JMU ended up winning the matchup 3-1 in Harrisonburg, Va.
- Mizzou leads the all-time series vs. FGCU, 1-0.
- The Tigers swept the Eagles back in 2015, at the South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
PRESEASON HONORS
- Mizzou posted two players on the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List with senior transfer outside hitter Caylen Alexander and senior libero Maya Sands.
- Alexander joined the Tigers in 2025 after transferring from Hawai’i, where she was named an AVCA All-American after leading the NCAA in kills with 611, averaging 5.09 kills per set.
- Sands has headlined Mizzou’s defense for the past two years, as she heads into her senior season as the two-time reigning SEC Libero of the Year and AVCA All-American in 2024.
ABOUT THE TIGERS
- The 2025 campaign is the third year for head coach Dawn Sullivan. Sullivan led the Tigers to their fifth NCAA Sweet Sixteen in program history and earned AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year.
- Last season, Sullivan led Missouri to a record of 22-9, including an 11-5 record in SEC play.
- During the year, the Tigers picked up two top-10 victories (at No. 9 Texas; at No. 10 SMU). The latter victory over the Mustangs advanced the Tigers from the NCAA Second Round to the NCAA Round of 16 for the first time since 2017.
- Mizzou recently earned the No. 17 spot in the 2025 AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason poll, announced on August 6. During the 2025 campaign, the Tigers will face six top-25 teams, including four top-10 squads.
- The Tigers return three of their seven starters from 2024, including All-SEC performers Maya Sands and redshirt junior Marina Crownover.
APPROACHING MILESTONES
- Libero Maya Sands is 11 digs away from 1,500 for her career.
- Last season, the now-senior recorded 535 digs, following her 2023 campaign that saw her post 542 digs. Sands began her career with UNLV, where she compiled 412 digs in her freshman season before transferring to Mizzou.
- Head coach Dawn Sullivan is one win away from 150 wins for her career.
- Sullivan is currently 149-60 (.713) in her career after recording a record of 109-38 (.741) in her five years with UNLV. With the Tigers, the third-year coach is 40-22 (.645) overall.
SEC PRESEASON
- Mizzou was picked to finish fourth in the 2025 SEC Preseason Poll with 182 points.
- Kentucky, the defending conference champion, was picked to repeat in the SEC after earning 218 points.
- Senior Maya Sands was selected as the lone player from Mizzou on the Preseason All-SEC Team.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
• For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
