COLUMBIA, Mo. — Maya Sands is ready to leave her mark on NCAA volleyball.
The Rock Falls native started her collegiate career with the Mountain West Conference's UNLV Rebels in 2022. As a freshman, she racked up three MWC Player of the Week honors.
But when her head coach, Dawn Sullivan, left UNLV to take an SEC coaching job at the University of Missouri, Sands went with her.
As a libero, Sands is the player in a different colored jersey on the court. Her job is to be a powerhouse defensive player, capable of making the impossible digs and setting her team up for success.
And if you ask the SEC? Sands is doing it with flying colors.
Shortly before the end of the year, she was named the 2023 SEC Volleyball Libero of the Year.
The 5-foot-7 playmaker has also been named to the 2023 All-SEC Team and was a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week in 2023.
In her first season at Mizzou, she started in all 31 matches, completing a career-high 542 digs and 106 assists. Sands also compiled a career-high 34 service aces in her sophomore year.
Sands joined The Current on News 8 to discuss her SEC Libero of the Year award, what it's been like to assimilate into Mizzou's team and culture and the lessons she carries with her from her time in Rock Falls. You can watch her full interview in the above video.
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