University of Missouri
Wyoming
No. 23 Mizzou Volleyball Takes On Fight In the Fort Invitational
9/10/2025 8:33:00 PM | Volleyball
The Tigers will face Wyoming, Rhode Island and No. 15 TCU in the two-day invitational
Game #6 • Thursday, Sept. 11 • 11 a.m. CT
No. 23 Mizzou (3-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. Wyoming (2-3, 0-0 MW)
Schollmaier Arena • Fort Worth, Texas
SERIES HISTORY: WYO leads 3-1 • STREAK: L3
LAST GAME: L, 3-0 at Wyoming (Laramie, Wyoming • Sept. 11, 2021)
OPPONENT WEB: gowyo.com
Game #7 • Thursday, Sept. 11 • 4 p.m. CT
No. 23 Mizzou (3-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. Rhode Island (2-4, 0-0 A10)
Schollmaier Arena • Fort Worth, Texas
SERIES HISTORY: First Meeting • STREAK: NA
LAST GAME: First Meeting
OPPONENT WEB: gorhody.com
Game #8 • Thursday, Sept. 11 • 11 a.m. CT
No. 23 Mizzou (3-2, 0-0 SEC) vs. No. 15 TCU (3-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Schollmaier Arena • Fort Worth, Texas
SERIES HISTORY: MIZ leads 2-0 • STREAK: W2
LAST GAME: W, 3-0 (Columbia, Mo. • Sept. 8, 2000)
OPPONENT WEB: gofrogs.com
BROADCAST: ESPN+
No. 23-ranked Mizzou continues its nonconference slate with its second of three invitationals. This time, the Tigers will take on three opponents at the Fight in the Fort Invitational.
The Tigers kick off the three-game schedule with Wyoming, followed right after by Rhode Island, and then wrap the invitational up a day later against the home team, No. 15 TCU.
Mizzou will take on the Cowgirls at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, followed by a match against the Rams at 4 p.m. The Tigers will wrap up the invitational with the lone event set to be streamed, with a game against the Horned Frogs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12. That match will be streamed live on ESPN+
SERIES HISTORY
- Wyoming leads the all-time series 3-1.
- Last time, the Tigers faced the Cowgirls they were swept in a neutral match back on Sept. 11, 2021.
- This is the first time that Mizzou will take on Rhode Island.
- The Tigers lead the all-time series against TCU 2-0.
- Last time, Mizzou faced the Horned Frog, it swept them in Columbia, Mo. on Sept. 8, 2000.
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.
MILESTONES
- Libero Maya Sands recorded her 1,500-career dig against James Madison (Aug. 29).
- The now-senior recorded 535 digs during her junior year, 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.
- Sands is one ace away from her 100th career service ace.
- The senior leads the team in the category with eight this season.
- Head coach Dawn Sullivan recorded her 150th career win against James Madison (Aug. 29)
- Sullivan is currently 152-62 (.710) 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 43-24 (.642) overall.
- Redshirt senior Tyrah Ariail recently recorded her 300th career block against Arkansas State (9/5/25).
- Ariail was one block short of tying her career high as she posted eight blocks in the five-set victory.
- The redshirt senior recorded 283 in her four-year career with the USC Trojans.
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.
MAKING AN IMPACT
- The newest Mizzou athletes have already made a major impact as Caylen Alexander leads the team in kills (75), Tyrah Ariail leads the team in blocks (18) and freshman Zoey Matias-Lopez is second on the team in digs (54).
- Freshman Zoey Matias-Lopez has steadily improved every match this season, as she has ten or more digs in four of the five matches played.
FIVE SET STANDARDS
- The Tigers are 1-1 on the season in five set matches but are 11-3 under head coach Dawn Sullivan.
- As a head coach Sullivan is 30-14 all-time in five set matches.
- In 2023 the Tigers went a perfect 5-0 in five-set matches.
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.
