Sunday Sit-down with Mizzou volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones caught up with Mizzou volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan in this week's edition of Sunday Sit-Down.

You can watch ABC 17 Sports Director Nathalie Jones' full chat with Coach Drinkwitz on ABC 17 SportsZone at 10:30 on KMIZ.

You can also find a full transcript of the interview below.

Nathalie Jones: "Welcome back everyone. It is Sunday Sit-down time, we are joined by Mizzou volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan. Dawn, how's your summer been? It's good to see you."

Dawn Sullivan: "Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Summer's been great."

Jones: "Yeah, I mean, the group is coming together. I mean, the clock is ticking and the season's going to be here before we know it. What do you like about the team you've managed to assemble this year?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I am so excited about this team. They're balanced, you know, we have a really nice group. We have some returners that have some experience, understand the expectation, the culture of this group, then we also bring in some really talented newcomers that bring some wonderful energy and they're hungry. They're ready to get after it this year."

Jones: "You know, we were talking before we sat down here - you had such a fun group last year with, you know, some veterans like Janet deMarrais, Maya Sands...When you graduate those kind of players, who are you looking at now to step up into those leadership roles?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, you know, that's one thing that's really nice about our program is we've had just the people that are still there, they know what this program is about and so they're ready to roll and then the group that's come in, they're moving, right. They're like we wanna be great and so they're just working really well together."

Jones: "Yeah, we were talking about Maya [Sands], as well. I mean, cool news for her signing in Salt Lake [to play professionally]. I mean, how proud are you of just the career she's had and I mean she's been with you since before you came to Mizzou?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, you know, I'm so proud of her and just how hard she works and where she's gotten to and. Just fired up for Maya and can't be more excited."

Jones: "So, this transfer group that you brought in and of course the group of freshmen you brought in as well, tell me about them. Just help us get to know them a little bit."

Sullivan: "Yeah, I'm so excited about them. You know, our libero, we have to replace Maya [Sands]. I mean, Maya is gonna be hard to replace, but she's phenomenal and she's set this wonderful standard. Ainoah Cruz, you know, she's gonna be coming in for us and she just brings this wonderful energy and some high character, communicates huge, you're gonna love watching her play. You know, she's have Zoey Matias-Lopez on the court and then we have a couple of freshmen that have come in, that I think will make a statement on the court. One of them is Eva Smith, you know, she's a middle from North Carolina and even the first day with our team, after she got on the court, because I can't work with them yet in the summer, but they text me right away like she's a stud. So, fired up for everybody to watch her and then we have an outside from Turkey, Ceylin [Kuyan], and so really, really excited to worked with her and just kind of see this whole group come together and take off."

Jones: "Yeah, I mean the mark of this group for years has just been they're so competitive and they love competing with each other and they have fun. Do you kind of get the same sense that this group, this new-look group, kind of has that same energy this year?"

Sullivan: "Oh yeah. So, even this last weekend they went out to Six Flags and they're hanging out, you know, so I think it's really important for us that they're tight, right, as a group, but then also knows the expectation of like this is the standard, this way we're gonna play."

Jones: "Well, you're back at the Hearnes more this season, I know fans are gonna be happy to see that, right? 15 matches at at the Hearnes this season. I mean, how happy are you to just be back on that home court after last year having so many away trips?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, well, we love to play Hearnes, right? Our fans are incredible and hopefully they come on out and support us again as they always do and we're just gonna rock that place."

Jones: "Well, I mean, you have a fun schedule ahead, a tough non-conference slate, as well. I want to touch on the big one, obviously, at Wrigley Field against Nebraska. How did that all come about? I mean, how excited are you to get out there and be on that, that national stage?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, fired up, right? I mean, to go up to Wrigley Field, an iconic stadium and place to play, and I think it's just such a cool experience for our team to one, be in front of Chicago, right, but also play on Wrigley Field probably more than other people in this world. I just want an incredible experience for them, but also a stage I think that we can elevate No. 1 Mizzou, but also volleyball."

Jones: To have your team on the national stage like that, what does that do for this program to be on that national spotlight?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, it's huge. It's huge for anybody...Wrigley Field, I mean, come on, it's incredible and just fired up to be up there and to feel that support and to feel the love."

Jones: "Have you ever had an outdoor match in your career or no?

Sullivan: "You know, no. So, you know, in the spring we set up a court outside and we got to kind of feel the way, feel the wind a little bit and you know, we'll actually set up a court again out in the baseball field this early preseason for us, as well. But no, I have not. I've been taking notes from people, had some conversations with some other coaches and they're like, 'yeah, a little bit of this, a little bit of that,' and so, I've got some tricks in my back pocket."

Jones: "There's some of the obvious that changes when you go outside, but what's some of the big things that you've heard, you know, without giving away any secrets?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, you know, the wind. How do you use it to your advantage? I think with your serve that's gonna be huge, but also with your offense, you know, who do you set, when do you set them and how can you feel that wind kind of shift and how do you use that to your advantage? I think that's gonna be one of the biggest things."

Jones: "To have a tough non-conference slate like you do - facing Nebraska, facing an Oregon, facing a Louisville - I mean, how does that help you when you go into the gauntlet, of course, that that is the SEC?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I mean the SEC is tough, right? So, we gotta prepare ourselves and so I'm really excited for this season. I'm excited for this team and the way they're showing up and the way they're getting after it, but also the experiences they're gonna have through the season."

Jones: "Last year was the first year of the SEC tournament. What did you like about that setting for you guys and how do you feel like that's gonna help teams, you know, in the SEC moving forward here?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I thought it helped the SEC a ton. It helped prepare us a lot of tough competition that, you understand, like when you step on the court, you gotta perform, you know, and so as soon as you get to the NCAAAA tournament, you gotta understand that even better. But, obviously last year the SEC having three of the top four teams in the nation and we're right there with them. So, really excited about this season and what we're doing."

Jones: "What do you make of the slate you guys have this year in the SEC? Obviously some tough stretches there against some tough opponents, but what do you like about how it lays out for you guys?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I mean, the SEC is tough no matter what. You know, however you look at it, it's gonna be tough. I think I'm most excited just about this group and the way they're coming together and I get text messages from people that are working with them from the outside and just the type of people they are and how hard they're working and I'm ready for them to take on the SEC."

Jones: "Yeah, as far as, you know, the NCAA tournament goes, you guys went back to back years in 2023 and 2024. What's the message about getting, getting back to that stage this year?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, we wanna be there. That's the standard. That's where we wanna be every single year and I think this group can do it."

Jones: "What have you learned in your time at Mizzou here? We've had you for a few years, now, and I always like to hear what one of the biggest things you feel like you've learned over these past few years is?"

Sullivan: "Well, Mizzou's fans are incredible, I think that first and foremost. I've learned that just how you lean on this fan base is really important. Also, recruiting, you know, how do you bring people in here? You know, we have some internationals coming in, we got some kids from Missouri to sign for us and so just really excited to continue to elevate Mizzou."

Jones: "To bring in the international kids like that and kids from so many different backgrounds, does that kind of make it a cool environment in your team, to just have so many different backgrounds all come together?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I think that's what makes it so special, right, is you can create this culture that they have totally different experiences, totally different perspectives and how do you mesh those all together and learn from it. I think that's one thing that allows our team to really like to shine."

Jones: "How do you feel like your culture at Mizzou has just grown? You said, you know, when we were talking earlier that these girls already know what the expectation, what the culture is coming in, but how do you feel like it's really built that foundation here?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, you know, that goes back to year one, right. When you go talk about Maya Sands and Janet deMarrais and all those individuals that have come before us. But the culture, I think, is always gonna be huge for us. It's something we spend a lot of time doing and investing in, as just the people. People matter a lot to us and so we always feel like if we can love those people and build those people up, championships will come."

Jones: "Well, I'm curious, when you guys hit the court, how much can you find out about a team in the summer? Is it a kind of thing that you have to maybe progress and learn a bit as the year goes on?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, you know, I can't work with them much in the summer, right? So we could run camps, which we got camps going on today, but you know, for us it's more of like how do they establish themselves, you know, how does the leadership kind of shine through? How do they step up? They can work with their strength conditioning, they work with their athletic trainer, nutritionist, all of the supports that we have, which is incredible. But, I think summer is a time for them to really to come together and showcase just who they are individually within that group and it's like this is who we're going to be, and I think they've done a wonderful job of that."

Jones: "Do you think it helps for that to be so player-led in the summer, when you go into the season that they've already had to kind of do their own thing for a little bit, right?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a big part of our program, right? The players have a big say in a lot of things we do and they lead a lot. I that's really important to me to build strong, confident women that can step on the court and they know who they are, right? I love the fact that they come in here and kind of lead throughout the summer and we give them some direction, right, and then they, they say, OK, let's go, and they even elevate it even further, which is so much more fun."

Jones: "We've got a little exhibition play coming up the beginning of August. What do you like to see in just those early stage exhibition games?"

Sullivan: "Yeah, I'm excited just to see them play and compete, right. We have a little bit of a new group, right? We saw them this spring, but we still added a couple new [players] that will still contribute for us this fall. So, I'm just fired up one to be in Hearnes, right, to face Drake and then we'll get to go down to Springfield and play Tulsa down there. So, just even to be within the state of Missouri is really exciting for me."

Jones: "Well, Dawn, we're looking forward to the season. Thanks for hanging out with us."

Sullivan: "Yeah, awesome. Thank you."

Jones: "For the rest of you guys, we'll be right back after the break."