The calculated madness and rapid pace at which Maya Sands played every set revealed a sense of fearlessness fueled by control.
Chaos never looked so clean.
For three years, she was the beating heart of the Missouri volleyball program. After joining a program that was a shell of its former self, Sands helped dig the Tigers out of a hole.
Whether diving headfirst into the scorer’s table or laying out to receive a blistering attack spiked across the gym, Sands’ poise made the remarkable seem routine while fans held their breath and grimaced at the thud that Sands’ body made when she collided with the floorboards.
Missouri head coach Dawn Sullivan doesn’t bat an eye.
“That’s the time I don’t hold my breath. I trust her so much. She has this really calm presence on the court, and she reads the game and controls the court very well,” Sullivan said. “We’re very lucky, very fortunate that she’s here with us at Mizzou.”
Sullivan and Sands possess a special bond that spans two schools, three national tournaments, four seasons and 454 total sets. With years of familiarity between the two, Sullivan can rest assured that Sands’ controlled mayhem is the Tigers’ greatest weapon.
“Maya Sands is one of the best liberos in the nation,” Sullivan said. “She is able to do anything she puts her mind to.”
The relentless effort and unwering trust translated into success. Sands and Sullivan turned around the program, leading Missouri to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a hat-trick of SEC Libero of the Year awards for Sands. Sands’ rise with the Tigers has set the program back on course to the epic highs of past Missouri teams.
“She’s the face of this team, and she works her butt off every single day, and I think all of us feed off of that,” former Missouri teammate Marina Crownover said.
Sands, who was an CA third-team All-American this season, has proved herself as one of the finest defensive specialists in the nation. Her drive mixed with leadership helps her captain any rotation of teammates and steer them in the right direction. These traits make her tailor-made for the libero position, though she didn’t step into that role until her senior year of high school.
The Rock Falls, Illinois, product was a standout all four seasons of high school. She helped the Rockets earn conference titles in three of her four years while leading Rock Falls to a regional crown as a senior. To cap off her final high school campaign, she earned first-team all-conference honors. Still, she did not receive a single power-conference offer. UNLV hit the jackpot with Sands and welcomed her to the desert, where she quickly put the collegiate scene on notice.
Sullivan, who also coached Sands at UNLV, saw what no one else did. She recognized the grit and the determination that would become a staple of their Missouri teams of the future.
“Maya has always been really special from Day 1,” Sullivan said. “It’s her work ethic, the way she takes in information and the way she shares information. It’s a really nice balance where it’s this calmness but also a standard of excellence.”
At the time of Sands’ arrival at UNLV, Sullivan was entering her fifth season with the Lobos. She had turned the midmajor into an under-the-radar powerhouse, creating a fitting environment for Sands to thrive.
In her first year of college, and still just her second season as a libero, Sands placed third in the Mountain West Conference in digs per set at 3.68. She was named a two-time MWC freshman of the week while helping the Lobos to a 26-5 record, along with a 17-1 conference slate. They won the conference and earned a bid to the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Despite a first-round exit at the national postseason tournament, Sullivan was emerging as one of the rising college coaches.
Missouri had a head-coaching vacancy after the Tigers finished last in 2021 and 2022. A 2-16 conference showing in back-to-back years was not up to the standard of the program, which once thrived in the league.
In late 2022, Sullivan got the call from then-Missouri athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois, who had filled the same role at UNLV until 2021. Sullivan was hired to turn around the struggling program. Sands helped with the transition to the SEC and the implementation of a winning culture.
In the early days after Sullivan’s arrival, Sands connected with fellow rising sophomore Janet deMarrais, who opted to stay with the program amidst the changing culture. DeMarrais was comforted by Sands after persisting through a difficult first year with the Tigers. The crowds were thin, and the wins were few and far between. That was about to change.
Sands mentioned deMarrais’ warm welcome to the program and their immediate spark of chemistry as a key factor in her development.
“When I first got here, she (deMarrais) was open arms right away. It made me feel like I was already a part of the team for I don’t even know how long and helped me flourish, not only as a person but even as a player,” Sands said.
Sands described herself as a “shy little freshman” in those days, but after moving across the country, she recalled an immediate connection with her teammate. She remembers getting to know deMarrais during a two-hour car ride. Now, after three seasons together, the two describe each other as best friends.
“Everyone on the team has a special bond, and that’s great. I call everyone on the team my friends, my sister; it’s part of the sisterhood, but it is true,” deMarrais said. “She (Sands) was almost here as long as me. It only took that first spring for us to click. Ever since then, it’s been what we’d like to think is a dynamic duo.”
Through that first year together, it was evident that Missouri was on the brink of something special. The Tigers posted a remarkable recovery in conference play, nearly cutting their final conference ranking in half from the previous year. Sullivan coached Missouri to an 18-13 record while going 9-9 in the SEC, which ranked seventh, up from the 13th-place finish from the preceding years.
Sands broke out at the national level, earning conference acclaim, becoming the first Tiger in program history to be named SEC Libero of the Year — an accolade that would become standard. Sands led the conference in digs for the first time, posting 542 for the season, and earned All-SEC honors.
“Before every match, I’m trying to figure out what the hitters’ tendencies are and also talking with my front row as well, knowing how they’re setting up their blocks so I can play defense behind it,” Sands said. “It’s an effort between me and also the hitters up front, talking about where they’re going, how they’re blocking.”
Sullivan highlights Sands’ speed, something the libero Sands laughs off by saying, “I try to be athletic.”
The Tigers that year made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020, advancing to the second round, while Sands and Sullivan qualified for the tournament for the second consecutive year. They would extend the streak to a three-peat in Sands’ junior year.
Missouri’s breakout year was not a fluke but a promise of consistency in one of the top conferences in the sport.
The sequel to Sands’ debut as a Tiger saw much of the same. She earned the same acclaim as the league’s best at her position, claiming a second Libero of the Year award and an All-SEC nod. She once again led the SEC with 535 digs. Missouri improved its record again, earning a 22-9 record, 11-5 in conference, which tied for third in the league standings. The season was highlighted by a stellar 9-game winning streak, including an upset victory over then-No. 9 ranked Texas.
“The SEC has really great liberos in general,” Sands said. “I he to do my job and I he to play well. It’s always a grind every single game.”
The Tigers’ success didn’t stop at the regular season. Missouri advanced to the second round for the second year in a row. It drew a matchup against No. 10 SMU, seeded second in the tournament. Sands posted 14 digs and four service aces in the upset over the Mustangs. The Tigers qualified for the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017; however, that would mark Sands’ final NCAA Tournament game.
Entering her senior year, Missouri faced high expectations. Sullivan’s squad ranked No. 17 in the 2025 preseason polls. Sands was recognized on the CA preseason National Player of the Year watchlist. To make her offseason even more eventful, she was selected for the 17-person roster for Team USA U23 team that trained for the NORCECA Pan American Cup from this past summer.
The experience on the national stage provides vital experience for young players. Sands continued to make strides through her final college season. Her year culminated in an CA All-American third-team selection. She was one of three liberos selected as All-Americans.
Crownover said Sands was the sole leader on the 2025 squad and an important mentor. Sullivan agreed and reflected on how Sands motivated her younger teammates.
“When other young individuals come in, she understands how to talk with them, lift them up,” Sullivan said. “It’s a really nice balance of really hard discipline and a lot of love.”
While Sands continued to showcase her stellar level of play, the Tigers had a turbulent season and did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament. For the first time since the pair joined forces at UNLV, Sullivan and Sands would not be competing for a national title. Sands’ college career concluded with 2,000 career digs, while she led the conference in the statistic for a third straight year. She once again was awarded the SEC Libero of the Year award.
The final grain of sand has struck the bottom of the hourglass. Sullivan must fill the void left by one of the program’s all-time greats. while Sands will turn to the professional level at League One Volleyball Houston to continue to showcase her calculated chaos. Sands lees Missouri as the all-time leader in digs per set at 4.64. After just three years, Sands ranks third in career digs in a Missouri uniform with 1,588.
“I don’t think there’s a way to replace people,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s the love, it’s the laughter, it’s the standard that she set, put this program on the map, and really, really proud and really thankful that I he that community in my life.”
One final accolade that remains up for grabs is the CA National Libero of the Year award, which will be presented for the first time ever Friday. Sands possesses the decorated track record that warrants consideration for the title. Regardless of who wins, Sands’ legacy remains intact.
“It’s Maya Sands. Point blank, period,” Crownover said in her pitch for Sands to win the award. “I think she, obviously, shows on the court why she should be the winner, but it’s more the small things that we all see behind the scenes. It’s how much a leader she’s been. She’s stepped up.”
Sands will no longer be with the program to reap the benefits of her hard work, but she can still admire the team while still chasing greatness elsewhere.
“I’m excited to continue to see her grow,” Sullivan said.
Sands’ longtime coach will transform from a mentor into a fan. Sullivan’s lessons will continue with Sands through her professional journey while the decorated libero sets a standard of excellence that Missouri’s coach continues to push for with the Tigers.