WEEKEND INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS *13-17 (5-11 GAC)	NORTHWEST MISSOURI BEARCATS *16-12 (9-7 MIAA)	FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS *12-14 (4-12 MIAA)	ROCKHURST HAWKS *21-8 (10-3 GLVC)	CAMERON AGGIES *2-26 (2-14 LSC)
* - Records from 2024 season	Friday, September 5 | 11:30 a.m. Gross Memorial Coliseum | Hays, Kan. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Friday, September 5 | 7 p.m. Gross Memorial Coliseum | Hays, Kan. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Saturday, September 6 | 11:30 a.m. Gross Memorial Coliseum | Hays, Kan. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO	Saturday, September 6 | 3:30 p.m. Gross Memorial Coliseum | Hays, Kan. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

 

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FIRST SERVE
A new era of Arkansas Tech volleyball team will get underway this weekend as the Golden Suns will start their 2025 season under first-year head coach Hannah Wuest at the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Fort Hays State. In their first weekend of regular season action, the Golden Suns will play four matches total with two on Friday, September 5 and two and on Saturday, September 6.
 
Friday's matches will see the Golden Suns take on Northwest Missouri and host Fort Hays State. The Northwest Missouri match is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. start while the Fort Hays match is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
 
On day two of the invitational, the Golden Suns will take on Rockhurst at 11:30 a.m. and then play Cameron at 3:30 p.m. later that day.
 
The entirety of the classic will have live stats and live video for all matches. Video coverage is pay-per-view through the MIAA Network. Links for stats and video are available at www.ArkansasTechSports.com/coverage
 

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TECH(NICALLY) SPEAKING
The Golden Suns enter their 2025 season with a rejuvenated energy and optimism as they embark of the first season under new head coach Hannah Wuest, who comes to Tech after a highly-successful five-year stint as the top assistant at nationally-prominent, Ferris State.
 
In her first season leading the Golden Suns, Wuest will have the benefit of the return of 11 letterwinners from a year ago.
 
Highlighted among those returners are their top-two attackers in Savannah Meyer and Henley Hooks. Those two had over 300 kills each with Meyer, an Honorable Mention All-GAC selection, leading the team with 394 kills. Additionally, the Golden Suns return their primary setter from last year in Emma Kiser. In her first season, Kiser totaled 969 assists and had nine double-doubles (assists/digs).
 
In addition to the returners, the Golden Suns bolstered their roster with eight newcomers.
 

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SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Northwest Missouri
Last season, the Bearcats finished with a 16-12 overall record and were 9-7 in the MIAA. This year, the Bearcats were tied for sixth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bearcats are once more led by Amy Woerth, who will be entering her 14^th season as head coach at Northwest Missouri. She carries a career record of 228-150 and has five seasons with 20 or more wins.
 
Senior setter Ella Caffery is Northwest's lone all-MIAA returnee. Caffery was Honorable Mention All-MIAA status last season and led the team with 813 assists (7.60 assists/set) while also ranking second on the squad in blocks (57).
 

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Fort Hays State
Invitation hosts, Fort Hays State finished the 2024 season 12-14 overall and 4-12 in the MIAA. This season, the Tigers were picked to finish eighth in the MIAA according to the league's head coaches in their preseason poll. Fort Hays is led by eighth-year head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins. In her time at Fort Hays, Wood-Atkins is 65-119. Prior to leading the Tigers, Wood-Atkins spent five years as head coach at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs where she went 78-69. Overall, Wood-Atkins has a career record of 143-188.
 
The Tigers enter 2025 with a veteran roster that includes 14 returners and five newcomers. The squad is made up of five seniors, two juniors, eight sophomores and four freshmen.
 
Highlighted among the returners are a pair of All-MIAA performers in two-time selection Gracie Rains, who earned second team status last year at outside hitter, and setter Caiya Stucky Reyes, who was an honorable mention pick in 2024.
 

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Rockhurst
Last season, the Hawks finished with a 21-8 overall record and were 10-3 in the GLVC. This year, Rockhurst is picked to finish third in the 14-team GLVC according to the preseason coaches poll. Receiving a pair of first-place votes in that poll, the Hawks made their 10th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season and return two Second Team All-GLVC front row players from last season in senior Sarah Pyle and junior Ali Olson.
 
Pyle finished third in the GLVC in aces per set (0.41) and aces (46), along with placing second on the team in kills (319). Olson led Rockhurst in solo blocks (13) and total blocks (93), as well as contributing 136 kills with a .327 hitting percentage
 
The Hawks are led by Trent Jones, who enters his sixth season at the helm of Rockhurst. He currently holds a 95-43 record at Rockhurst. Prior to joining Rockhurst, Jones was the head coach at Missouri-St. Louis for three seasons and posted a 64-28 record. Overall, Jones has a career record of 157-71.
 

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Cameron
The Aggies come into the 2025 season picked to finish 17^th in the 18-team Lone Star Conference (LSC). Last year, Cameron was 2-26 overall and 2-14 in the LSC. They are being led by first-year head coach Melissa Avila. Prior to coming to Cameron, Avila spent eight years as Western Texas College and was head coach there the last six.  
 
Presleigh Roest, Shelby Rusch, and Rachael White were named as Players to Watch in the LSC. Roest was named an Offensive Player to Watch and joins the Aggies for her first season after transferring from fellow LSC foe Midwestern State.
 
Rusch picked up Defensive Player to Watch honors as the senior libero totaled 302 digs over the course of the 2024 season.
 
White rounded out the Aggie Players to Watch as a setter. Last season, she posted 325 assists and eclipsed 1,000 career assists. She also contributed defensively with 104 digs and 7 block assists.