DETROIT -- The 2026 edition of the Wayne State University volleyball program is ready to begin its fall campaign. The Warriors will kick off their season at home inside the Matthaei Center as part of the Warrior Invitational on Friday-Saturday, August 28-29. WSU will host a total of nine matches and play in four of them for the two-day event.
"We are looking forward to opening the 2026 season with the annual Warrior Invitational," said head coach
Tim Koth. "This year's field is full of very talented teams that should be very exciting to watch. We hope to see everyone in the Matthaei this Friday and Saturday!"
Starting with
Hillsdale, the Chargers finished 14-12 overall in 2025 (fewest wins since 2014), including a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) mark of 11-4. HC swept Walsh in the G-MAC Tournament quarterfinals before falling to Cedarville in straight sets for the semifinals. Coached by 31st-year leader Chris Gravel, Hillsdale failed to record 20 victories in a single season and appear in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016. With that being said, Gravel has accumulated an overall record of 645-298, which equates to a winning percentage of nearly 70 percent at 68.4. Fast forward to this fall, the Chargers were picked to win the G-MAC's North Division over defending champion Findlay in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. HC's top returners include junior middle hitter Jenna Southland (team-leading 86 total blocks in 2025) and fellow junior in the middle, Caroline Lanicek (team-best 198 kills).
One of three 20-win squads from a season ago competing in this rendition of the Warrior Invitational,
Indiana (Pa.) wrapped up 2025 at 23-9 overall and 9-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The Crimson Hawks opened their PSAC Tournament residency with a 3-0 win over Shepherd before being swept by East Stroudsburg in the semifinals. IUP then made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament -- 3-0 over Fairmont State, 3-1 over East Stroudsburg and 0-3 to Gannon. Indiana (Pa.) is coached by second-year leader Avery Moore, who set a high bar in her debut season with the program. IUP was predicted to finish as the runner-up for the West Division in the PSAC Preseason Coaches Poll with one first-place vote behind Gannon's seven first-place nods. Back from that Atlantic Regional Championship squad for the Crimson Hawks are all but one player, including all three of their All-PSAC performers. That trio includes junior opposite Jessica Neiman, senior outside hitter Delaney Concannon and junior setter Elliott Rauch.
Eleventh-year head coach David Shumaker leads
Northwood after a 2025 campaign that saw his team finish 11-14 overall and 6-9 in the G-MAC before a 3-1 loss to Cedarville in the league tournament. In his previous 10 seasons, Shumaker amassed an overall mark of 128-140, good for a 47.8 winning percentage. For the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll, the Timberwolves were selected to finish third in the North Division. NU returns one of its three All-G-MAC honorees from last fall in senior libero/defensive specialist Laney Kokaly. In her first year as Northwood's full-time libero, Kokaly averaged 4.57 digs per set. That put her third overall in the G-MAC. Kokaly finished in double figures in digs in 24 of their 25 matches and at least 17 digs 13 times.
Joining Wayne State (24-6, 13-3 GLIAC) and IUP as 20-win teams from a season ago is
Quincy, who went 24-7 overall, including 11-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). That version of the Hawks went 2-1 in the GLVC Tournament, losing to UMSL in the finals 3-1, before falling to Ferris State in five sets in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Midwest Regional. QU has turned to the leadership of head coach Mark Jones, who enters his eighth season at the helm this fall with an overall record of 149-59 (71.6 winning percentage) along with four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. That run also includes four straight 20-win seasons and a share of the 2024 GLVC Regular-Season Championship. Leading the group of returners is senior middle blocker Erin Matzke (, one of just two returning starters for the Hawks, along with Selin Turgut. Matzke has started every single one of QU's matches since joining the program and paced the Hawks in total blocks last fall with 75. Turgut also started all 31 matches last fall, while finishing third on the team in both points (263.5) and points per set (2.44).
The Warrior Invitational's entire schedule can be found at the link above as well as live links, ticket information, each team's roster and 2025 stats, and more. Friday and Saturday will mark the 11th installment of the Warrior Invitational, of which WSU has gone 27-8 in the previous 10.
