Raiders set for NCAA action on Thursday night

DAYTON — The Wright State volleyball team is set for its fifth NCAA appearance in the last seven years on Thursday night as the Raiders take on Purdue in opening round action. First serve between Wright State and Purdue is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m., or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match between Arkansas State and Baylor. Fans can follow the action via live stats or by watching on ESPN+.

MATCH INFORMATION
Thursday, December 4 - at Purdue - 7 p.m. - Watch - Live Stats

Full NCAA Championship Bracket | NCAA Championship Field Announcement

HERE WE ARE AGAIN
Wright State is set to appear in the NCAA Championship for the fifth time in the last seven seasons. The Raiders have five Horizon League regular season titles in that span, adding HL tournament titles to their resumes in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025 for automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, along with their 2019 at-large selection. The five NCAA appearances in the last seven seasons are the only tourney appearances in program history.

AWARDS SEASON
Wright State grabbed five overall honors on Nov. 20 when the 2025 Horizon League Volleyball Awards were announced, led by first team recognition from Lauren Yacobucci and Reilly Zegunis. Mya Ayro and Katie Sowko each earned second team honors and Elena Dubuc was a Sportsmanship Award finalist. This marked the second-straight first team honors for Yacobucci and Zegunis, while Sowko adds the second team recognition to her All-Freshman nod from a season ago. Dubuc has been a Sportsmanship Award finalist the last two seasons.

ROLLING AT THE RIGHT TIME
Wright State enters the NCAA Championship on a six-match winning streak, its longest of the season and the longest since the Raiders won nine in a row late last season.

POSTSEASON DÉJÀ VU
Wright State travels to Purdue in the opening round of the NCAA Championship for the second time in a repeat matchup from the 2019 tournament at Holloway Gymnasium. The 2019 postseason meeting marks the only other matchup between the schools. While there are no players active from the last meeting, former Raider standout and current Wright State assistant coach Megan Alders was a freshman in the 2019 match, playing in all three sets and finishing with six kills and three blocks in the first of her four NCAA appearances.

KNOW THE FOES
- Purdue begins the postseason 24-6 overall with a 10-4 mark at home. Purdue finished third in the Big Ten, tallied eight top-25 wins and had 10 more victories against teams ranked or receiving votes.
- Arkansas State enters postseason action with a 22-8 overall record with a 8-1 record in neutral site contests. Arkansas State is back in the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2015 and the sixth time overall.
- Baylor begins the postseason 17-9 overall with a 1-1 mark in neutral matches. Baylor is making its 10th straight NCAA appearance (14th overall) and has won four of its last five matches.

MINIMAL MATCHUPS
Wright State has faced the rest of the region field a combined four times in its history.
- Purdue (0-1): Only other meeting was in the 2019 NCAA Championship first round.
- Arkansas State (0-2): Raiders fell in three sets in a neutral match in 1992 before meeting in December 1993 in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, with Arkansas State winning in four sets.
- Baylor (0-1): Raiders dropped a four-set match at a September 1994 Baylor-hosted tournament.

RUNNING THE SHOW
Lauren Yacobucci Lauren Yacobucci enters the postseason averaging 10.59 assists per set, currently No. 17 nationally, while her 1,218 assists are currently No. 6 in the country. She leads a Wright State attack that is averaging 13.8 kills per set, No. 26 nationally. Yacobucci has recorded 15 double-double matches this season and has passed out 25-plus assists in every match this season, including notching 40-plus assists 14 times despite Wright State playing 15 three set matches.

BOW AND AYRO
Mya Ayro enters the postseason with 401 total kills and a 4.01 kills/set average, which are both the most on the Raider roster and Top 5 in the Horizon League. Her 401 kills are currently No. 81 nationally with the 4.01 kills/set ranking No. 61 in the country. Ayro enters NCAA action with 14 straight double-digit kill performances through end of Horizon League Tournament.

KATIE'S SEEING DOUBLE
Katie Sowko has 15 double-doubles in 29 matches to date this season, including an 18 kill, 19 dig effort at RMU on Nov. 1, while turning in 19 kills and 17 digs against Youngstown State on Oct. 11 and adding a 19 kill, 18 dig effort against Ohio State on Sept. 13. Sowko had a career-high 22 kills as part of a double-double against Loyola Chicago (Aug. 30).

Full NCAA Championship Bracket | NCAA Championship Field Announcement

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Players Mentioned

Mya Ayro

Elena Dubuc

Katie Sowko

Lauren Yacobucci

Reilly Zegunis

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