Missouri’s State tournament operates uniquely to any other state we have covered thus far. Once a team has made it to the Final Four, the teams will fall into a round-robin bracket and play each of the other three teams once in a two-set match (Missouri high school volleyball plays the best two out of three sets). At the end of it, the top two teams will rise to go to the final match, and the bottom two will face off for third place.

Even if teams split wins, 1-1, in the round-robin playoff, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) will look at the number of sets won to determine the ranking, followed by head-to-head wins, and points.

This format makes it seem that ultimately, the Missouri State Champion really went through the ringer to earn its title, which is exactly what four teams had to do.