TOURNAMENT INFO: Rice Invitational I

• Date: Friday, Sept. 4 vs. Rice (6 p.m.)
• Date: Saturday, Sept. 5 vs. Illinois (1 p.m.)
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Venue: Tudor Fieldhouse

 
Complete McNeese Schedule
 
TUNE IN
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Rice
 
Livestats
Rice
Illinois
 
 
LAKE CHARLES—McNeese volleyball will continue its season on the road this weekend when the Cowgirls travel to Houston, Texas to take part in the Rice Invitational I.
 
McNeese (0-4) will have played its first six matches on the road following this weekend's matches.  The Cowgirls are coming off a 3-0 road loss at UL-Lafayette on Tuesday.  The Cowgirls offense has struggled in the first four matches and will look to get on track this weekend.
 
"I was aware our first six matches were going to be tough," said head coach Tayler Gray.  "If I was going to play these hard schools, I wanted to play them in the beginning half of regular season and not the latter half rolling into conference play."
 
McNeese has played matches against teams from the MAC, Big West, CUSA, Sunbelt and will play two matches this weekend against Rice, who is a member of the American Conference and Illinois who is a member of the Big 10.
 
The Cowgirls will open tournament play at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 against Rice and will play Illinois at 1 p.m. Saturday. Only the Rice match will stream on ESPN+.
 
Sophomore Ava Henry continues to pace the Cowgirls offense with 35 kills.  Henry is also the Cowgirls block leader with eight.  Senior Megan Grose and junior Corynne Hausler have shared the setting duties.  Grose has dished out 59 assists while Hausler has 45 to her credit.  Grose also leads the team with four aces.
 
Freshman libero Sophia Tocmo has seen action in all four matches and leads the team with 52 digs for an average of 4.33 per set.
 
McNEESE TEAM NOTES
• McNeese will look for its first win of the season and the first career win for first year head coach Tayler Gray when the Cowgirls face Rice on Friday on the first day of the Rice Invitational I.  McNeese will finish tournament action against Illinois on Saturday.
• The Cowgirls are coming off a straight set loss at UL-Lafayette on Tuesday to start this week's action.
• The Rice Invitational I is the second of three regular season tournaments for the Cowgirls.  McNeese will host its own Cowgirl Classic (Sept. 17-19) which will also be its first home matches of the season.
 • This weekend's matches are the fifth and sixth straight road matches to start the season for McNeese.
• 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 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. 
• 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.
 
McNEESE PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Ava Henry leads McNeese with 35 kills and eight blocks.
• Senior Megan Grose leads the team with 59 assists and four ace.
• Freshman Sophia Tocmo has a team high 52 digs
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
RICE
 • Are a member of the American Conference
• Lead the series 10-0 against the Cowgirls
• Will be the first match against since 2022
• Enter the match undefeated at 4-0
• Opened the season with three wins (South Alabama, Georgia State, Mississippi State)at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic to open the season.
• Coming off a win 3-1 against Tarleton State on Wednesday in its home opener
• Sydnee Peterson leads the Owls with 62 kills and Kaia Mateo has a team high 170 assists. 
 
 ILLINOIS
• Are a member of the Big 10 Conference
• Will be the first meeting against McNeese
• Enter the weekend with a 1-2 record
• Coming off a 3-0 loss to No. 22 Tennessee on Tuesday at the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week in Knoxville.
• Its win was a straight set win over Syracuse on Aug. 30
• Its other loss was a five-set loss against Cincinnati in season opener of Aug. 28.