RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Missouri freshman libero Zoey Matias-Lopez prepares to serve on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. | Hannah Henderson/Rock M Nation
The scoreboard will be there. So will the officials, the crowd and another team standing across the net.
But when Missouri takes the court against Drake in its exhibition Saturday, the final score might be the least important number of the night.
For the Tigers, the exhibition is an early test of five questions that have followed them throughout the preseason. With starting roles still up for grabs and players adjusting to unfamiliar positions, Missouri has plenty to evaluate before the games begin to count.
The first test is simple: Can the Tigers stay competitive while experimenting?
Missouri enters the matchup as the favorite, but that does not guarantee a smooth night. With rotations still unsettled, substitutions and positional changes could create inconsistencies. Lapses that might be manageable against Drake could become costly later in the season.
The goal is not perfection. It is finding a rhythm while the pieces are still moving.
The second question comes on the right side.
Claire Morrissey and Kimani Johnson have rarely played the position, but both are expected to see more time there than they have at any point in their college careers. That makes the exhibition an important audition.
If Morrissey and Johnson can attack confidently, make the necessary defensive plays and look comfortable in an unfamiliar role, Missouri will leave with an important answer.
Then there is the battle at setter.
Sierra Dudley and Nina Mandovic are competing for the starting job, giving Missouri two players capable of orchestrating the offense. Against Drake, the Tigers can see whether the offense maintains its identity when the setter changes.
The exhibition will reveal whether Missouri can run its offense smoothly with either player directing traffic, or whether one setter begins to separate herself from the competition.
On the other side of the net, Missouri will also be watching its defensive chemistry.
Zoey Matias-Lopez and Ainoah Cruz will both spend time in the back row, with Matias-Lopez handling the defensive specialist role and Cruz balancing her back-row responsibilities as the Tigers new libero. Their communication could become especially important as Missouri continues defining its rotations.
The final question might be the most intriguing.
Can the freshmen hang with the starters?
Exhibitions are where newcomers get the most opportunities to show that the jump to college volleyball does not have to come with a waiting period. Missouri’s freshmen do not need to take over the match. They need to show they belong.
A few strong rotations, smart decisions or timely plays could give the coaching staff another reason to trust them when the season arrives.
That is why the exhibition against Drake matters.
Missouri is not simply preparing to play a match. It is preparing to make decisions.
Five questions will take the court with the Tigers. By the time they leave it, Missouri hopes to have fewer unanswered ones.
First Serve will be back Monday recapping the Drake Exhibition; and The Fifth Set will return next Friday recapping the Tulsa exhibition.
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