Travers Inexperienced has constructed a constant winner at Wright State. His volleyball program has received three Horizon League match championships and three regular-season titles within the 4 seasons since he was employed in 2022.
Earlier than this run, Wright State had topped the regular-season standings twice (2019 and 2020) and received one match title (2020).
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“There’s not a assure that simply because we have received previously that we’ll proceed to do this,” Inexperienced stated. “We’re lucky to have folks which were part of that success. They’ve seen different folks lead in that area. They study by way of that course of. That is an enormous factor that pulls folks to Wright State. As folks get built-in into our program, they perceive that that is their program. They commit right here as a result of they need to be part of a profitable program. Now they develop into the items that permit us to maintain that success.”
Wright State opens the 2026 season at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, in opposition to Santa Clara on the Nutter Middle within the Raider Invitational. The Raiders then play Japanese Illinois at 1 p.m. Saturday and Marquette at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The occasion additionally options highschool matches involving Bellbrook, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and Centerville. Varsity groups will play on the Nutter Middle. Junior varsity groups will play at C.J. McLin Gymnasium.
“That is the primary 12 months that the NCAA has allowed for this to occur, so it is uncharted territory,” Inexperienced stated. “However when it comes to the expansion of the game, it is a implausible alternative for highschool groups to compete within the Nutter Middle.”
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Wright State completed 21-11 total and 13-5 within the Horizon League final season. It completed second to Northern Kentucky however beat the Norse 3-0 to earn an NCAA match berth for the fifth time in 5 seasons.
Seven of the ten gamers who noticed motion within the Horizon League remaining or in a 3-0 loss to Purdue within the NCAA match return this season.
Wright State was voted the preseason favourite within the Horizon League this season on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
“We return quite a lot of items from final 12 months’s group,” Inexperienced stated, “after which we add some new items as effectively to that puzzle. I am excited for the season. We performed in a few exhibition matches. We explored various things to assist with lineup choices. I am happy with how we carried out. However the true take a look at comes once we begin taking part in this opening weekend. Now we have a fairly robust non-conference schedule. Seeing how the group responds to these challenges can be an enormous take a look at for us.”
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Wright State returns 4 gamers who earned All-Horizon League honors final season.
Lauren Yacobucci, now a senior setter, and Reilly Zegunis, a senior center blocker, made the primary staff.
“They have been core items for us,” Inexperienced stated. “Reilly’s performed since her freshman 12 months, and Lauren began her sophomore 12 months. Each had been early recruits for me as I took over this system, so it has been good to see their development as volleyball gamers, but additionally extra importantly as folks as effectively. They’re clearly very skilled and really gifted.
“Reilly’s a really offensive center. Lauren simply does a very good job of operating our offense. Two years in the past, she led the nation in assists per set. She’s simply actually good with choices. We have been making an attempt to problem her to go just a little bit quicker with our tempo, and he or she’s carried out a very good job of accepting that problem.”
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Mya Ayro, now a senior exterior hitter, and Katie Sowko, a junior exterior hitter, made the second staff.
“They’ve had some fairly good performances within the exhibitions,” Inexperienced stated. “Each have had a few 20-kill-plus matches. They have been tremendous efficient for us.
“Mya’s a strong, aggressive attacker. She performs in what we might name our O-1 place. She’s up on the setter extra. She will get quite a lot of head turns with how a lot energy she places on the ball.
“Katie can rating in her personal proper. She performs six rotations for us. She’s an elite passer and has all the time been constant since her freshman 12 months in that space. We actually rely closely on her from a ball-control standpoint.”
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Amongst Wright State’s newcomers is Haidyn Sokoloski, who performed softball the final 4 years. She spent two years at Oklahoma State after which two at Missouri.
“She entered the portal and despatched us some video of her taking part in at a membership that I do know effectively,” Inexperienced stated. “That caught my eye. We began speaking to the folks there, and so they stated quite a lot of actually constructive issues about her. She provides quite a lot of worth from her expertise of taking part in 4 years of high-level school softball. Anytime you’ll be able to add somebody with that have and maturity, they will all the time have a constructive impression on this system.”
Inexperienced expects freshman Abbey Knight, an out of doors hitter, to play an enormous position after seeing her performances in exhibition matches in opposition to Cincinnati and Miami.
“She’s carried out a very good job of including extra dimensions to our offense within the back-row assault,” he stated. “Her passing usually has been actually strong for us.”
