Mizzou volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan, outside hitter Mychael Vernon and three other players on the Tigers’ roster earned American Volleyball Coaches Association Central Region honors Tuesday.
Vernon was named the 2024 AVCA Central Region Player of the Year after leading the Tigers with 493 kills this season. The former Oregon State player is no stranger to accolades, with the graduate student earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention and Jamaica Volleyball Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2023 with the Beavers.
Vernon also earned All-SEC honors this season, with the league naming her Newcomer of the Year and to the league’s first team Dec. 1.
For Sullivan, the second-year MU coach was tabbed the AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year after pushing the Tigers to No. 25 in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament. Under Sullivan, Mizzou is 22-8, finishing SEC play with an 11-5 record, which included an eight-game winning streak against league foes.
Four Tigers were listed on the 2024 AVCA Central All-Region team. Jordan Iliff, Maya Sands, Marina Crownover and Vernon were all selected. This is the highest number of MU players to receive AVCA All-Region honors in a season since 2016, when Melanie Crow, Carly Kan, Kira Larson and Alyssa Munlyn earned AVCA Southeast All-Region honors.
The Tigers look to push further in the NCAA Tournament after upsetting No. 2 seed SMU 3-1 on Friday. Seventh-seeded MU faces No. 3 seed Kentucky (22-7, 14-2 SEC) in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Pittsburgh.