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Mizzou volleyball officially released its afloat schedule for nan upcoming autumn season. The full slate features 27 matches starting pinch a season-opening doubleheader against Western Illinois and Towson connected Aug. 28.
Here’s nan cardinal things to cognize heading into twelvemonth 4 nether Dawn Sullivan arsenic nan Tigers effort to return to nan NCAA Tournament.
What stood retired connected first glimpse was really galore location games Mizzou will person adjacent season. The Tigers will play astatine nan Hearnes Center a whopping 15 times adjacent season, nan astir since 2023. This includes 2 tournaments done nan first 3 weeks of nan season, wherever Mizzou will invited 7 different teams to Columbia. (editor’s note: YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY 😍)
The Tigers person been highly successful astatine location nether Sullivan, posing a grounds of 26-9. This home-crowd advantage will salary dividends against high-caliber opponents including Oregon, Florida, Texas and Texas A&M. Mizzou should purpose to triumph double-digit games astatine nan Hearnes Center adjacent season, winning nan games against immoderate of nan weaker opponents while pulling disconnected nan ocassional upset.
In summation to nan plethora of location games, nan non-conference slate includes captious showdowns against Nebraska astatine Wrigley Field and a roadworthy showdown against Louisville arsenic portion of nan ACC/SEC Challenge.
These are nan 2 toughest games distant from nan SEC slate connected paper, arsenic some teams reached nan Sweet 16 past season. Plus, they are 2 of nan biggest names successful collegiate volleyball. These opportunities show conscionable really acold and really overmuch respect Mizzou volleyball has received nether Sullivan successful a comparatively short time. While nan Tigers will apt beryllium underdogs successful some matchups, we person seen them propulsion of these sorts of upsets before.
Two of nan astir pivotal losses for Mizzou volleyball came connected nan roadworthy against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss successful nan opening information of nan SEC Tournament. Both of those teams were considerably weaker than nan Tigers and these losses severely wounded nan team’s resume heading into Selection Sunday.
But now they will person a chance to correct these wrongs, facing nan 2 teams to commencement nan season. Mizzou will big Vandy earlier walking to Oxford. These are some games Mizzou is apt to win, but securing a 2-0 commencement successful SEC play while burying immoderate of nan ghosts of nan past is simply a bully measurement to commencement convention play.
Perhaps nan astir important agelong of nan play is from October 30-November 8, wherever nan Tigers return connected nan 4 teams who vanished apical 4 successful nan SEC past season. It starts disconnected reliable arsenic they return connected Kentucky successful Lexington, a squad that Dawn Sullivan has ne'er beaten and Mizzou has grounded to sound disconnected since 2016.
After that nan Tigers person 3 consecutive location games against Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M. Sullivan and nan Tigers person recovered much occurrence against each of these teams. Plus a location tribunal advantage will thief make nan quality successful these important showdowns.
Looking astatine nan schedule, a important three-game agelong comes from Oct. 9-18, wherever Mizzou has 4 consecutive location games against respective different SEC teams that vanished mediate of nan battalion past season. The astir important crippled comes against Florida, which has perpetually been a thorn successful nan broadside of Sullivan’s teams.
If Mizzou wants to decorativeness .500 aliases supra successful SEC play for nan 4th consecutive season, they request to spell 3-1 aliases moreover 4-0 during this important stretch.
