Tayler Gray has been named McNeese volleyball head coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics Heath Schroyer announced the hiring on Wednesday.
 
Gray, a former Sam Houston assistant coach spent two stints with the Bearkats following a short stint as assistant coach at UT-Arlington. 
 
“When searching for someone to take the reins of our volleyball program, it was important to me to find an energetic coach who recruits tenaciously, is a fierce competitor and is passionate about developing athletes both on and off the court” said Schroyer.
 
“Coach Gray checks every box. We’re thrilled to welcome her to our university, and I can’t wait to see the mark she’ll make on this program and within our community.”
 
Gray has spent a total of 16 years at Sam Houston, both as a student-athlete and a member of the coaching staff.  She has also served as a Health and Kinesiology adjunct professor since 2014.
 
“First and foremost, I give all glory to God for this incredible opportunity,” said Gray.  “I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Athletic Director Heath Schroyer, Senior Woman Administrator Bridget Martin, and the entire hiring committee for their trust and belief in my vision to lead the McNeese Volleyball program.
 
“I am thrilled to be returning to the Southland Conference and am beyond excited to get to work building something special at McNeese. Lastly, I want to thank my family for their unwavering love, support, and belief in me throughout this journey.”
 
From 2014-2020, she was a member of a Sam Houston staff that accumulated 87 SLC wins, several all-conference selections, 10 student-athletes were named to the All-Academic Team, two Student-Athletes of the Year and over 25 Player of the Week honors. 
 
In 2019 Sam Houston advanced to the second round of the NIVC and in 2020 advanced to the WAC Championship.
 
The dual-sport athlete was a member of the volleyball team from 2010-13 and the softball team from 2011-14.  Gray was a member of the 2012 Southland Conference Volleyball Championship team, a two-time all-SLC performer on the volleyball court where she earned All-SLC first team honors in 2012 and second team honors in 2013.  She was named team MVP in 2012 and 2013 and was selected Sam Houston’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2013.
 
In the classroom, Gray was twice named to the SLC All-Academic team (2012, 2013) and served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee both those years.
 
She concluded her volleyball playing career with 2,352 assists, where she still ranks in the Top 10 at Sam Houston.
 
Gray also spent one season (2018-2019) as an assistant coach at UT-Arlington before returning to Sam Houston.
 
Gray also has experience on the national level, serving as assistant coach for the 2024 USAV All-Star Championship (17U Team).
 
Gray graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (2013) along with two master’s degrees, Master of Arts in Health (2015) and a Master of Business Administration (2020), all from Sam Houston.
 
COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE
2014-2025       Assistant Coach, Sam Houston
2018-2019       Assistant Coach, UT-Arlington
 
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2010-2013       Sam Houston (VB)
2011-2014       Sam Houston (SB)
 
HONORS
2013                All-SLC (1^st team/VB)
2012                All-SLC (2^nd team/VB)
 
EDUCATION
2020               Master of Business Administration (Sam Houston)
2015                Master of Arts in Health (Sam Houston)
2013                Bachelor of Science in Public Health/Minor in Psychology (Sam Houston)
 

NORFOLK, Va. (December 10, 2025) – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) uncovered its men’s track & field weekly awards where Howard University sophomore Drew Dillard (Silver Spring, Md.) claimed the league’s Field Athlete of the Week. The announcement came Wednesday afternoon.
 

At the HBCU & Ivy Challenge (Dec. 5), Dillard won the high jump with a MEAC-best mark of 2.07 meters, which currently ranks 21^st nationally.
 
Senior sprinter Dylan Gaines (Houston) received honorable mention after winning the 200-meter dash a time of 21.52.
 
North Carolina Central sophomore Zion Amadi was named MEAC Track Athlete of the Week.
 
On Dec. 13, HU returns to the Northeast for the Seahawk Shootout, hosted by Wagner College.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com or the MEAC website at www.MEACSports.com.

Ahead of regionals, Michella Chester re-ranked the 16 teams still standing. Here are her top five before regional action tips off on Thursday:

1. Nebraska (No. 1 seed)
This one seems obvious. The Cornhuskers are the team to beat as the only undefeated squad in DI. 

2. Kentucky (No. 1 seed)
With just two losses all season, it’d be hard to move the Wildcats any lower even though they were the only No. 1 seed to drop a set in the first two rounds. 

3. Texas (No. 1 seed)
The Longhorns had one of the toughest second round matchups with No. 8 Penn State, but they posted an impressive sweep, holding the Nittany Lions to just nine points in the second set. 

4. Pitt (No. 1 seed)
The Panthers swept Michigan in the second round, but maybe not as easily as they would’ve liked. Sets one and two were each just two-point wins, but with the reigning AVCA Player of the Year Olivia Babcock on their side, it’s hard to count out Pitt. 

5. SMU (No. 2 seed)
The Mustangs are the first 2-seed to crack the re-rankings after setting an NCAA tournament record with a .618 hitting percentage in the first round. This team is hot right now heading into regionals. 

👉 Click or tap here to find all 16 teams re-ranked

By: Tim Flynn

COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado School of Mines freshmen long jumpers Alejandro Philippart and Violet Williams have earned the RMAC’s Field Athlete of the Week awards to open the indoor track & field season.

The duo had debuts to remember on Dec. 5 at the Mines Alumni Classic as each won their respective long jump competitions. Philippart turned in Mines’ best long jump mark in a decade – 7.38m (24-2.5) – to take the early RMAC lead and tie for third on the NCAA Division II national performance list. Meanwhile, Williams smashed the Mines record with her mark of 6.21m (20-4.5), the best in the RMAC since 2021 and second on the national list after the opening weekend. Williams also ran an impressive 7.70-second 60m dash on Saturday, becoming the #3 performer all-time at Mines in the sprint event.

The Orediggers return to action this weekend at the Colorado Running Company Pre-Holiday Invite at UCCS. 

 

RMAC Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week, Dec. 10
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Kidus Begashaw, Adams State
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Alejandro Philippart, Colorado School of Mines
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: Helen Braybrook, CSU Pueblo
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: Violet Williams, Colorado School of Mines
 

ARLINGTON, Texas – Abilene Christian swept the first Western Athletic Conference weekly track honors of the indoor season, the conference announced on Wednesday. Miguel Hall was named the University Credit Union Men’s Track Athlete of the Week, while Madelyn McFadden earned Jersey Mike’s A Sub Above Women’s Track Athlete of the Week accolades.

It’s the first conference recognition of both student-athletes’ careers after they competed at Texas A&M’s McFerrin 12 Degree Invitational last week. The Wildcats got their season started with two victories and eight top-three placements at the Fasken Indoor Track & Field in College Station, Texas.

Hall began his junior campaign with a third-place performance in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, clocking in with a time of 8.03 seconds, only a few fractions off his personal best. He completed the event just five hundredths of a second off of first place. Hall’s performance ranked 37th in the nation through the first week of action.

McFadden, a freshman competing in her first collegiate meet, landed in the top three in both events she participated in. The Franklin, Texas product finished in second place amongst 12 student-athletes in the women’s 600-meter, recording a time of one minute and 35.12 seconds. McFadden was one of two Wildcats in the top three, as Jalyn Childers came in at 1:36.23.

McFadden later capped ACU’s 4×400 relay that placed second in 3:50.94. She completed her split in 58.24 while teaming up with Anna Vyn, Emma Santoro and Gracee Whiteaker. The relay’s time is the 40th-best in the country.

The Wildcats return to action in 2026 at the Corky Classic, hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas on Jan. 16-17, 2026.