LAKE CHARLES—McNeese volleyball (8-11, 4-4, SLC) will take to the road this weekend for two Southland Conference matches in Texas.  The Cowgirls will travel to San Antonio Thursday for a 6 p.m. match at Incarnate Word (8-9, 6-2 SLC).  The Cowgirls will end their weekend with an 11 a.m. match at Houston Christian Saturday.  Both matches will stream on ESPN+.  
 
McNeese, winners of its last three matches, have equaled its total wins and Southland Conference wins from last season following its straight set win over Northwestern State last Saturday.
 
The Cowgirls enter the weekend tied for fifth place in the SLC standings.  UIW enters the weekend tied for third place and have won four of its last five matches.
 
MATCH INFO
• Opponent: Incarnate Word
• Date: Thursday, Oct. 22
• First Serve: 6 p.m.
• Location: San Antonio, Texas
• Venue: McDermott Center
 
SERIES RECORD
• It's the 21st meeting with the series tied at 10 wins apiece
• UIW has won the last three matches including the only match between the two teams in 2025, a 3-0 win in San Antonio.
• The last McNeese win over UIW came in 2023 as well as the last McNeese win in San Antonio.
 
Complete McNeese Schedule
 
TUNE IN
ESPN+
 
McNEESE NOTES
• McNeese will make a Texas swing this weekend with a Thursday match at Incarnate Word and end with a Saturday match at Houston Christian Saturday.
• McNeese enters the weekend on a three-match winning streak following home wins against East Texas A&M and Northwestern State last weekend.
• It's the only regular season match between the two teams this season.
• McNeese enters the match tied for fifth place in the SLC standings along with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Northwestern State.
• 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 (16.69).  The Cowgirls also lead the SLC with 12.00 assists per set.
• Freshman libero Sophia Tocmo ranks 4th in the nation with 5.38 digs per set and 21st in total digs with 350 digs heading into Thursday'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 18 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 19 matches including a season high 24 twice this season.  Grose leads the team with 333 assists and 17 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 13 of the last 14matches. She is second on the team with 304 assists.
• Gabbie Maldonado leads the team with 191 kills for an average of 2.94 per set.
• Kayla Wilson and Ava Henry are tied for second on the team with 181 kills apiece.
• Kayla Wilson has recorded double figure kills in 10 of the last 13 matches.  Wilson recorded a career high five blocks at LSU New Orleans on Oct. 10.
• Ava Henry continues also leads the team with 47 blocks.
• 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
INCARNATE WORD
• Lead the SLC and ranks sixth in the NCAA in attacks per set (38.08)
• Second in the SLC in digs per set and kills per set.
• Junior Calissa Allison leads the conference and ranks fifth with five triple doubles this season
 
SERIES RECORD
• It's the 21st meeting with the series tied at 10 wins apiece
• UIW has won the last three matches including the only match between the two teams in 2025, a 3-0 win in San Antonio.
• The last McNeese win over UIW came in 2023 as well as the last McNeese win in San Antonio.
 
UPCOMING COWGIRL MATCHES
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