Fort Hays State Volleyball
2025 Tiger Invitational
Friday-Saturday, September 5-6, 2025
Hays, Kan. • Gross Memorial Coliseum
Friday • 2 p.m. • Cameron
Friday • 7 p.m. • Arkansas Tech
Saturday • 2 p.m. • Kansas Wesleyan
Saturday • 7 p.m. • Rockhurst
 
The Fort Hays State volleyball team kicks off the 2025 season at home this weekend when the Tigers host the 2025 Tiger Invitational September 5-6. Five other teams will join the Tigers in Hays for 10 matches across the two days inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
The Tigers will play at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. each day, with FHSU hosting Cameron and Arkansas Tech on day one and Kansas Wesleyan and Rockhurst on day two.
 
2025 Tiger Invitational Schedule
Friday, September 5
9:00 a.m. - Cameron vs. Rockhurst
11:30 a.m. - Arkansas Tech vs. Northwest Missouri State
2:00 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Cameron
4:30 p.m. - Rockhurst vs. Northwest Missouri State
7:00 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Arkansas Tech
 
Saturday, September 6
9:00 a.m. - Northwest Missouri State vs. Cameron
11:30 a.m. - Rockhurst vs. Arkansas Tech
2:00 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Kansas Wesleyan
4:30 p.m. - Cameron vs. Arkansas Tech
7:00 p.m. - Fort Hays State vs. Rockhurst
 
Live video of all 10 matches will be available via The MIAA Network. Access to view an individual match is available for $15, while fans can also purchase a month-long pass with access to all MIAA Network content for $35 or an all-access pass for $140.
 
Live stats for all 10 contests will be available here.
 
Admission to the FHSU Tiger Invitational is available for $10 for adults and $5 for students, youth and seniors. Each day will be held as a single session. Separate tickets must be purchased for Friday and Saturday. Tickets can be purchased in advance online here or at the door.
 
This is the first time the Tigers have opened a fall season at home in 40 years when FHSU hosted St. Mary of the Plains to start the 1985 season. The Tigers did play their first match at home during the 2020-21 campaign that was played in the spring due to the pandemic, but those matches were not considered official contests.
 
The Tigers were recently picked eighth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, mirroring their finish in the 2024 KPI standings to clinch a spot in the 2024 MIAA Championship Tournament for the fifth time in team history.
 
Head coach Jessica Wood-Atkins enters her eighth year at Fort Hays State 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.
 
Fort Hays State return 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.
 
Rains led the squad with 348 kills last season, ranking third in the conference with an average of 3.41 per set. Reyes ranked fifth in the MIAA with 844 assists in 2024, averaging 8.53 per set. Ashlyn Reeves paced the squad with 93 blocks last fall, 12th-most in the MIAA. Kirsten Evans led the way with 426 digs last season, ranking 10th in the MIAA with an average of 4.18 per set.
 
Cameron turned in a record of 2-26 last season, prompting the Aggies to be listed 17th out of 18 teams in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Melissa Avila enters her second season as head coach at CU.
 
The Tigers are 10-3 all-time against the Aggies, including four-set victories in each of the last two seasons. FHSU has won the last three matchups, with Cameron's last win over the Tigers coming in 2015. Gracie Rains led the team with 10 kills in last season's win over the Aggies in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Arkansas Tech was picked ninth in the Great American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing last season 13-17 overall. Hannah Wuest is in her first season at the helm of the Golden Suns volleyball program.

Fort Hays State is 3-0 all-time against Arkansas Tech. This is the first meeting between the teams since 2022 when the Tigers won in five sets, taking the final frame 17-15 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Friday's match will be the first time the Golden Suns have played in Hays, with the first three matches all coming at neutral sites.
 
Kansas Wesleyan has already played six regular season matches in 2025, turning in a record of 3-3 so far this season. The Coyotes were ranked fifth out of 14 teams in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll after going 17-13 a year ago. Head coach Jessica Biegert is now in her seventh season with the Coyotes.
 
The Tigers are 17-3 all-time against Kansas Wesleyan, including wins in each of the last nine meetings. The Coyotes last defeated FHSU in 1981. The Tigers needed five sets to fend off KWU in the most recent meeting two years ago, rallying from two sets down.

Rockhurst made its 10th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season after turning in a record of 21-8. The Hawks were picked third in this year's Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Head coach Trent Jones is entering his sixth season at Rockhurst and is nearing the 100 win plateau, currently at 95-43 lifetime.
  
Fort Hays State is 2-10 all-time against Rockhurst. This is the first meeting between the teams since 2009. Both Tiger wins over the Hawks came in 2004, with Rockhurst winning each of the last three meetings.