COWGIRL CLASSIC

• Date: Thursday, Sept. 17 McNeese vs. Grambling (6 p.m.)
• Date: Friday, Sept. 18 Grambling vs. Oral Roberts (6 p.m.)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 19 McNeese vs. Oral Roberts (1 p.m.)

 
Complete McNeese Schedule
 
TUNE IN
ESPN+
Grambling
Oral Roberts
 
Livestats
Grambling
Oral Roberts
 
 
 LAKE CHARLES—After beginning the season on the road for its first nine matches, McNeese volleyball returns home this weekend to host its own Cowgirl Classic. 
 
The tournament is set for Thursday thru Saturday with all home matches played at the Townsley Law Arena.  Admission is free. 
 
McNeese (2-7) will host Grambling (2-6) at 6 p.m. Thursday in the opening match of the tournament.  Grambling and Oral Roberts (5-4) will take the court Friday at 6 p.m.  McNeese and Oral Roberts will close out the tournament in a 1 p.m. match on Saturday.  Only McNeese matches will stream on ESPN+. 
 
The Cowgirls are coming off straight set wins over Grambling and Louisiana Tech last week during its North Louisiana swing.
 

McNEESE NOTES
• Will host Grambling in its home opener Thursday in the first match of its own Cowgirl  Classic
• The tournament will be the third and final regular season tournament for the Cowgirls. McNeese also took part in the Sam Houston Bearkat Invitational and the Rice Invitational.
• This weekend's matches are part of a three match homestand that will end with the Cowgirls Southland Conference home opener against UTRGV next Wednesday, Sept. 23.
• As a team, McNeese ranks 10th in the nation in digs per set (16.36)
• Freshman libero Sophia Tocmo ranks 6th in the nation with 5.29 digs per set and 49th in total digs with 148 heading into Thursday's match.
• Sophomore Ava Henry continues to lead McNeese with 75 kills and 20 blocks.
• Senior Megan Grose leads the team with 131 assists.
• Tocmo has a team high 148 digs.  Tocmo has recorded double figure digs in the last eight matches and recorded a career high 31 at UL-Monroe last Thursday.
• Kayla Wilson is coming off a weekend where she led McNeese in kills in all three matches.  Wilson record at least 10 kills in each of the three matches including a season high 14 against UL-Monroe last Thursday.
• 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 OPPONENTS
GRAMBLING
• Member of the SWAC
• McNeese leads the series 8-0 since 2007 and haven't dropped a set (21-0) to the Tigers since 2007
• Will be the second meeting of the season with McNeese picking up its first win of the season against the Tigers last Friday during its North Louisiana swing.
• Are 2-6 heading Wednesday's match at Nicholls.
• McNeese is one of three Southland Conference schools Grambling has played this season besides Northwestern State and Nicholls.
 
ORAL ROBERTS
• Are a member of the Summit league
• Enter the weekend with a 5-4 record
• Enter the tournament having lost their last three matches including two against Abilene Christian.
• McNeese is the third SLC school the Golden Eagles have played this season (Nicholls, LSU New Orleans)
• Have played the Cowgirls in Lake Charles in four of the five matches of the series
• The Golden Eagles lead the series 5-0 over the Cowgirls and a 15-2 set lead
• The last meeting against McNeese was a 3-0 win over the Cowgirls in Lake Charles in 2014