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The Arkansas Tech Golden Suns volleyball team traveled to Topeka, Kansas, to compete in their first tournament of the 2026 season (Washburn Invitational).
Their first match took place on Aug. 28, when they took on the Westminster Griffins. Set one was split evenly until the Griffins went on a six-point run to take a commanding 18-11 lead. The Suns closed this gap with resilient efforts by Erika Hernandez and Ashtyn Werth, which closed the gap and brought the score to 22-19. Despite the comeback, the Griffins held on to capture the first set 25-20.
The teams carried the same energy into the next two sets as each scored 20 or more points in both. After a hard-fought battle, the Suns took a set of their own 25-23. The following set held an even closer score, as the Suns and Griffins took it to the limit and forced extras. This set gained tension, and both teams went on phenomenal runs to take sizable leads. The first occurred when ATU created a 10-point gap, making the score 22-12. The Griffins responded with an 11-point run of their own to take a 23-22 advantage. Neither team wanted to give way and go down a set, which produced a 25-25 tie, forcing overtime. The Suns fell behind 2-1 and dropped the third set 27-25.
The fourth set was much of the same from both sides, but the Suns got hot mid-set and won 25-17, tying the match at 2. Their good fortune would continue into the fifth and final set, as they picked up a three-point lead to start. The Suns continued to fight on in the fifth set, and they won with a final score of 15-7.
After starting off the season 1-0, the Golden Suns moved on to play the number eight ranked Washburn Ichabods. Head Coach Hannah Wuest’s squad were never able to gain traction, and they lost their second match in straight sets, 25-21, 25-19, and 25-19, respectively. Although the Suns lost, they kept all three sets close in score.
After losing to the host team, the Golden Suns moved on to play Oklahoma Christian in their third match of the year. The Suns dealt with rough fortune yet again, losing 3-1, making their record 1-2. Oklahoma Christian won the first set 25-21, but the Golden Suns picked up their lone win in the second set, 25-23. After knotting the set count at 1-1, OCU found their groove and won two straight sets, with both final scores being 25-19.
Falling to a record of 1-2 is not how the Golden Suns envisioned their season starting, but they did a phenomenal job of bouncing back in their fourth match against William Jewel. ATU would dominate this match in many statistical categories, which resulted in a four-set win. Henley Hooks and Erika Hernandez led the way through these sets, as they helped the Suns tally 55 kills as a team (13 from Hernandez).
The Suns now move into the new week with an even .500 record at 2-2 and set their eyes upon the Gorilla Classic. This will take place on Sept. 3-4 at Pittsburg, Kansas. On this two-day trip, the Golden Suns will take on Missouri Southern, reface William Jewel, battle Truman State, and conclude against Pittsburg State.
