MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The 2026 volleyball season is officially upon us. Fifth-year Head Coach Alli Harrell prepares her Muleriders for a much different test than in her previous four seasons. To kick off the 2026 campaign, Mulerider Volleyball will be hosting its very own invitational, which marks the first hosted invitational since SAU did so back in 2018. Six teams, including the Muleriders, will be participating in the 12-match event, as SAU is set to host Arkansas-Monticello, Texas A&M-Kingsville, University of Texas at Tyler, LeMoyne-Owen, and Central Oklahoma. The entire invitational will take place from August 27 through August 29.
 
For the full tournament schedule, please use the link provided above.
 
Fifth-year Head Coach Alli Harrell is set to return to the court with some new faces, but plenty of returning ones. The 2026 Mulerider Volleyball squad will consist of five seniors (one redshirt senior), with all five making their return to Harrell's system.
 
Highlighting those returners is Brinklee Dauenhauer, the Blue and Gold's lone All-GAC returnee. At the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, Dauenhauer was named to the All-GAC Honorable Mentions. Following her previous three seasons at Southern Arkansas University, Dauenhauer has already tabbed herself as one of the program's most prolific athletes to don the Blue and Gold. The Springtown, Texas native is currently a part of 12 lists in the program's record book. Most notably, Dauenhauer either leads or is tied for the lead in most kills in a single match (28), most attack attempts in a single match (76), most points in a single match (31.0), most kills in a five-set match (28), most attack attempts in a five-set match (76), and the most points in a five-set match (31.0).
 
Other returning seniors for SAU who all saw significant playing time a year ago include Kendall Toliver, Hayden Pinard, Jessica Porten, and Allie Cooper. Cooper and Toliver both are back after being the second- and third-most point scorers from the 2025 campaign.
 
Vs. UCO (8/27 | 6 PM)
The Blue and Gold aim to start off the new year strong with the home tournament, as the unit will compete in four of the twelve matches, beginning with a 6:00 PM outing on Thursday (Aug. 27) against the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association's Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos will begin their season after capping the 2025 year with a 27-6 record, which was finalized in the NCAA DII Central Regional against Concordia-St. Paul. In the MIAA a year ago, UCO finished with a 12-4 record and fell in the league's semifinals against the conference's regular season and tournament champion, Nebraska-Kearney. Entering the campaign, the Bronchos have been selected as the 12^th-ranked team in all of the land according to the AVCA, while also being voted as the fifth-ranked team in the MIAA's Preseason Coaches Poll.
 
Highlighting the returners for UCO is senior All-American libero Kaitlyn Parrott. The senior comes back after recording 643 digs with 5.74 digs per set a season ago.
 
Vs. LOC (8/28 | 10 AM)
After getting the season kicked off on Thursday, the Muleriders will return for a 10:00 AM outing against the LeMoyne-Owen Lady Magicians on Friday. The match will be one of two matches on the day for the Blue and Gold. A season ago, LOC recorded a 4-24 overall record, while also tallying a 1-14 record in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Lady Magicians ended up accounting for their first win in the league whilst capping off the campaign, as the group defeated the Lane College Dragons with a 3-1 final.
 
The Lady Magicians bring in many new faces for Head Coach Makayla Johnson's second year at the helm.
 
Vs. TAMUK (8/28 | 6:30 PM)
To wrap up Friday for all groups, the Muleriders will take on their third different conference of the tournament, the Lone Star Conference's Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas. TAMUK last season finished with an 18-10 overall record and a 10-7 mark in the LSC. The Javelinas and the Muleriders meet for the second-straight season, with Kingsville winning last season's bout at home in five-set fashion. The unit ended up finishing its season in San Angelo, Texas at the LSC Tournament, falling to Angelo State.
 
Texas A&M-Kingsville had a pair of players on the LSC's preseason Player of the Year watchlists, as Natalee Rush is being eyed for offensive and defensive player of the year, while Alayna Guerrero is on the setter of the year watchlist. Guerrero enters her first season with the Javelinas, transferring from Midwestern State and coming off an All-LSC Honorable Mention 2025 season.
 
Vs. UTT (8/29 | 2 PM)
To wrap all of the festivities of opening weekend inside the W.T. Watson Center, Southern Arkansas will face its second-straight LSC foe, the UT-Tyler Patriots. The Pats come off a season with an overall record of 17-12, which included a 12-5 record in Lone Star play. The unit finished their season in the semifinal round of the LSC's championship tournament, as the group eventually fell to regular season LSC champions, Angelo State.
 
The Patriots return two of their All-LSC members from a season ago. Autumn, the unit's leader in kills from 2025, is back after recording 339 kills a season ago. The group's leader in attack percentage has returned as well, with Alyson Robbins back following a season with a .303 attack percentage.
 
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