LAKE CHARLES—McNeese volleyball (7-11, 3-4, SLC) will close out its week with a Southland Conference home match Saturday by hosting Northwestern State.  First serve is at 1 p.m. and the match will stream on ESPN+.
 
McNeese is coming off its first five-set match of the season, a 3-2 win over East Texas A&M on Thursday.
 
Northwestern State (12-10, 4-3 SLC) come into Lake Charles on a two-match winning streak following its straight set win at Nicholls on Thursday.
 
 
MATCH INFO
• Opponent: Northwestern State
• Date: Saturday, Oct. 17
• First Serve: 1 p.m.
• Location: Lake Charles
• Venue: Townsley Law Arena
 
SERIES RECORD
• McNeese leads the series 26-16 dating back to 1976
• McNeese has won seven of the last eight matches against the Demons including the last five meetings.
• McNeese won the only meeting in 2025, a straight set win in Nachitoches
 
Complete McNeese Schedule
 
TUNE IN
ESPN+
 
McNEESE NOTES
• McNeese will close out the week against NW State.  It's the only regular season match against the Demons this season.
• Coming off a five-set win over East Texas A&M on Thursday.
•Thursday's five set match was the first of the season for the Cowgirls
• Enter the match tied for seventh place with Lamar, both having 3-4 conference records.
• Started the SLC schedule against the top five SLC preseason picks as voted by the coaches.  UTRGV (#2), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (#3), SFA (#1), Lamar (#5), and Southeastern (#4).
• McNeese was picked to finish 9th in the SLC preseason poll.
• As a team, McNeese leads the SLC and ranks 12th in the nation in digs per set (16.61).  The Cowgirls also lead the SLC with 11.92 assists per set.
• Freshman libero Sophia Tocmo ranks 5th in the nation with 5.31 digs per set and 18th in total digs with 329 digs heading into Saturday's match.
• Against ETAM on Oct. 15, Tocmo became the first McNeese freshman libero to reach 300 digs in the rally era when she ended the match with 31 digs.
• Tocmo has recorded double figure digs in the last 17 matches and recorded her first career double double with a career high 33 digs and 13 assists against Oral Roberts on Sept. 19.
• Senior setter Megan Grose has dished out double figure assists in all 18 matches including a season high 24 twice this season.  Grose leads the team with 316 assists and 13 aces.
• Junior setter Corynne Hausler recorded her third double double of the season (23 ast., 10 digs) against ORU on Sept. 19.  She has dished out at least 10 assists in 14 matches including 12 of the last 13 matches. She is second on the team with 289 assists.
• Gabbie Maldonado leads the team with 176 kills for an average of 2.84 per set.
• Kayla Wilson is second on the team with 175 kills. Wilson has recorded double figure kills in 10 of the last 12 matches.  Wilson recorded a career high five blocks at LSU New Orleans on Oct. 10.
• Sophomore Ava Henry continues to lead McNeese with 45 blocks and is third on the team with 171 kills.
• McNeese is one of two D1 volleyball programs whose entire staff is in their first year of collegiate coaching.  Indiana State University's staff is the other school.
• The Cowgirls will play 11 home matches this season including two matches in its own Cowgirl Classic.  Of the 11 home matches, eight are conference matches.
• McNeese returns nine players (Corynne Hausler, Carli Banks, Maleah Mutterback, Sophie Twigg, Bailey Foolkes, Mary-Alice Dohmann, Neal Grace Berry, Kayla Wilson, Ava Henry) from last season and one from its 2024 team (Megan Grose).
• The 2026 team also consists of three transfers (Gabbie Maldonado, Harmony Soles, Harmony Jackson) and four freshmen (Sophia Tocmo, Danyele Wallace, Gaby Santiago, Aaniyah Kitchen) 
• Sophomores Ava Henry and Bailey Foolkes are second generation Cowgirls. Ava's mother (Eunice) played basketball and her father (Adam), who serves as the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach, played football at McNeese.  Foolkes' mother (Shannon) played volleyball while her father (Trevor) ran cross country for McNeese.  Adam and Shannon are both McNeese Hall of Famers.
• First year head coach Tayler Gray made her collegiate debut as a D1 head coach against Miami (OH) on Aug. 28 at the Bearkat Invitational. Gray picked up her first career win, a straight set win at Grambling on Sept. 11. 
• When the Cowgirls and Sam Houston met on Aug. 29 at the Bearkat Invitational, it was a mother-daughter D1 head coaches matchup.  Tayler's mother Brenda is the Bearkats' head coach.  They are the only mother-daughter D1 head coaches this season and possibly the first in NCAA history.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
NORTHWESTERN STATE
• Are coached by former McNeese assistant coach Ben Kaszeta
• Picked to finish 12th in the preseason poll
• Enter the match 12-10 overall record and are 4-3 in the SLC.  The Demons enter the match tied for fifth place in the standings.
• Are on a two-match winning streak and have won three of their last four matches. 
• Coming off straight set road win at Nicholls on Thursday.
 
UPCOMING COWGIRL MATCHES
Oct. 17 Northwestern State* (1 p.m.)
Oct. 22 at Incarnate Word* (6 p.m.)
Oct. 24 at Houston Christian* (11 a.m.)
Oct. 29 Southeastern* (6 p.m.)
Oct. 31 LSU New Orleans* (10 a.m.)
Nov. 5 at Stephen F. Austin (6 p.m.)
Nov. 7 at Lamar (11 a.m.)
Nov. 12 Nicholls (6 p.m.)
Nov. 14 at Nicholls (1 p.m.)
 
*- Southland Conference Match