JOPLIN, Mo. – Missouri Southern volleyball rightside hitter/middle blocker Tiana Simmons was selected as a student-athlete demonstrator scholarship recipient for the 2025 American Volleyball Coaches Association's Convention.
 
Simmons, a junior from Overland Park, Kansas, is one of 36 student-athletes who will serve as a demonstrator for on-court educational sessions during this year's AVCA Convention held in Kansas City, Missouri, Dec. 17-21.
 
Simmons has competed in six matches for the Lions in 2025, notching 20 kills on a .280 hitting percentage with four digs and 10 blocks. She tallied a season-high seven kills against Arkansas Fort Smith on Halloween.
 
Simmons also added five kills and four blocks against Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 7.
 
Now in its fifth year, the successful AVCA student-athlete demonstrator scholarship program has included more than 135 players. 
 
In addition to responsibilities during on-court sessions, the players will be able to attend other educational seminars—many of which focus on professional and personal development for coaches—and learn more about the profession by networking with the hundreds of coaches attending the Convention. One of the factors in the selection of the demonstrators was their interest in pursuing a coaching career.
 
The 2025 demonstrators are a diverse group that includes 31 indoor players and five beach players. They come from many levels of collegiate competition, as there are 16 Division I players, 11 Division II players, eight Division III players, and one NAIA player. The demonstrators play for 31 different schools and represent a good mix of positions and classes.