Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University's volleyball team is set to begin its season with the Warrior Invitational, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Matthaei. The Warriors will compete against Frostburg State at 1 p.m. and Northwood at 7:30 p.m. on September 6, followed by a match against Ohio Dominican at 4 p.m. on September 7.

This marks the ninth Warrior Invitational in the program's history and the first since 2022, as last year's event was not held. Historically, Wayne State has achieved an overall record of 22-6 in this tournament. While they have previously faced Northwood and Ohio Dominican, their upcoming match against Frostburg State will be a first.

Frostburg State was predicted to finish fourth in the North Division of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Preseason Poll. Last season, they placed fifth in their division with a record of 15-16 overall and a conference record of 5-9. They competed against Wheeling in the opening round of the MEC Tournament last year, marking their first appearance since 2021. Key players returning for Frostburg include Beverly Braun, who led her team in points and kills last season, Fiona Gonzalez Medina, who topped digs, and AJ Thompson, known for blocking.

Northwood is expected to finish third in the North Division of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Timberwolves ended last season with an 18-13 record overall and were eliminated by Findlay in the G-MAC Tournament quarterfinals. Sydney Hasenfratz stands out as a significant player for Northwood; she earned D2CCA Second Team All-Region honors after leading her team with impressive statistics in kills and blocks.

Ohio Dominican is another opponent from G-MAC that Wayne State will face twice this season; their second encounter is set for September 14 during Parkside's Hampton Inn Invitational. Ohio Dominican concluded last season with a record of 17-14 overall and ranked second in their division according to coaches' preseason polls. Lauren Lucas returns as a key player after leading her team in kills and digs last year.