Wiley Volleyball releases 2025 Schedule

Published 5:52 pm Sunday, August 3, 2025

The Wiley University volleyball team announced its 2025 schedule on Wednesday. This marks the first season under head coach Frankie Velez and includes a total of 16 matches, with six taking place at Alumni Gymnasium.

Preseason and Non-Conference
The Lady Wildcats will prepare for the regular season with six scrimmages. They will play a tri-match at Panola College against the host Fillies and Southwestern Christian College (Aug. 19). On August 20, Wiley will participate in the Cedar Valley College Tournament – scrimmaging Dallas Christian College, Coastal Bend College and Cedar Valley. Velez stated that the scrimmages in his inherited schedule will help him develop his team without worrying about the outcome.

“It’s in these moments, when wins and losses don’t define us, that we can experiment, iron out kinks, and discover the true potential within each player and our collective unit,” Velez said. “We’re not chasing victories right now; we’re building the foundation for them, brick by brick, through intentional growth and fearless exploration.”

Wiley will open the season on the road against its East Texas rivals, Texas College (Aug. 29) and Jarvis Christian University (Sept. 10). It will host the Lady Bulldogs on September 17 for its home opener. For the third consecutive season, the Lady Wildcats will face Louisiana Christian University during a tri-match at Dillard University on September 13.

HBCU Athletic Conference Play
The Lady Wildcats will begin their fourth season of play in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference at Southern University of New Orleans on September 12, followed by a match against the defending conference tournament champion Dillard University on September 13. This season, the HBCUAC is only having divisional play to limit travel costs. Wiley’s first home conference match will be against Tougaloo College on September 20. It closes the first half of conference play with road matches against HBCUAC newcomers and former Red River Athletic Conference programs, Paul Quinn College (Sept. 26) and Huston-Tillotson University (Sept. 27) and a contest at Philander Smith University (Oct. 2).

Wiley finishes the regular season with four of six matches at home, beginning with rematches against SUNO and Dillard on October 10 and 11. It hosts Paul Quinn on October 22, followed by its Senior Day match against Philander Smith University on October 30. It was scheduled to host Huston-Tillotson University on October 24, but the match was moved to Philander Smith University to accommodate other Homecoming events on campus.

For the third straight season, the 2025 HBCUAC Volleyball Championship will be hosted by Bossier Parish Community College from November 10 through November 12. The top four teams from each division will qualify for the championship.

Team Outlook
The Lady Wildcats are poised for a breakthrough season. With nearly the entire team returning, including their leading hitter, Rachelle Santos and All-HBCUAC Honorable Mention Shyla Starks, they’re bringing back a wealth of experience and talent. Third-year veterans T’aja Hardy, Nadia Cortez, Rejinah Hickman, and Johna Davis are set to lead the charge, ensuring a strong foundation for success. Despite a challenging three-win season and missing the postseason last year, this dedicated squad is ready to build on its past experiences and make a powerful run for the conference title.

For more coverage on the Lady Wildcats, visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/wvball/index.