LAKE CHARLES—When McNeese freshmen volleyball student-athletes Ava Henry and Bailey Foolkes step on the court for their first collegiate match next Friday, Aug. 29, the two players will continue a long family history of McNeese athletes who have worn the Blue and Gold.
 
Both sets of parents not only attended McNeese but all four were Cowgirl/Cowboy athletes in their respective sports.
 
Ava's mother (Eunice Mayo) played basketball for the Cowgirls from 1999-2001 and still holds the single game blocks record with eight, ranks third in blocks for a season (41), ranks fourth in career blocks with 102 and 20th in career rebounds with 491.   Mayo currently serves as a Youth Pastor as well as a Life Choice Representative for the Calcasieu Marshalls office.
 
Her father Adam, a McNeese Hall of Famer, played football for the Cowboys from 1990-93 where he earned All-Southland Conference honors as a senior.  Henry ranks ninth in career receiving yards with 1,690 and currently serves as the wide receivers coach for the Buffalo Bills.  Uncle Damien Morris and cousins Drew Blanchard and Aaron Adams also played football for the Cowboys.
 
Foolkes' mother, the former Shannon Browning played volleyball for the Cowgirls from 1991-94, was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2015.  The three-time All-SLC and All-Louisiana selection still holds the McNeese assists per set career record with 11.87 assists per set and ranks second in career assists with 4,499.  Foolkes, who spent a total of 17 year at Sam Houston High School (12 as principal and five as assistant principal) is now the Director of Child Welfare and Attendance for the Calcasieu Parish School Board.
 
Her father Trevor and uncles Jason and Allen all were members of the McNeese Cross Country team.  Trevor is a teacher and the boys head soccer coach at Sulphur High School.  Jason is acting principal at Bell City High while Allen is in his 19^th year on the McNeese cross country staff currently serves as an assistant coach.

Trevor was a Southland Conference 5K title holder and a two-time Southland Conference runner-up.  He held the McNeese 3K Indoor record for over 20 years.  As a high school coach, Trevor guided LaGrange High girls track team to the 2006 state championship and was named Coach of the Year.  He was also named the state public school soccer Coach of the Year.  
 
Ava and Bailey have big shoes to follow but are more than willing to create their own legacy.