By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Ruston High volleyball opened its offseason with three different college coaches working with the program this summer, and Head Coach Mandy Cauley said that investment — paired with a deep, ambitious schedule — has the Lady Bearcats ready to build on last year’s momentum.
“Anytime the kids can get coaching from collegiate level coaches, it’s just better for them,” Cauley said. “We’re really grateful that they still choose to come here and work with our girls.”
The Lady Bearcats have been conditioning three days a week since the first week of June, with multiple open gyms mixed in. Cauley said the college coaches who worked with the program this summer touched every level, from varsity down to the sixth graders who made the junior high team.
This season, Cauley will be fielding both a JV Red and a JV White team in 2026, a change she made after an unusually strong freshman class pushed for spots on the roster.
“That’s not every year; that’s an adjustment I made this year because we had an impeccably strong freshman class, and everybody knows how strong those eighth graders were last year,” Cauley said. “They came in and showed out and took away some of those spots on JV and varsity, and I want to continue to give kids chances to develop.”
Schedule-wise, the Lady Bearcats’ varsity squad will open the preseason Aug. 25 with a scrimmage against Neville at the inaugural Bayou Jamb, an event Cauley said the program is excited to be part of.
“That’s something that we’re excited about,” Cauley said. “We appreciate what Bayou Jamb is trying to do for local sports coverage.”
Cauley said several Shreveport-area programs, particularly Benton and Calvary, should again be among the area’s strongest, along with a typically solid Airline squad. Ruston scrimmages Airline at home Aug. 28 before facing Benton on the road Sept. 15.
Ruston opens the regular season the following weekend at the St. Michael’s Tournament in Baton Rouge, Sept. 4-5, before hosting a marquee home match Sept. 10 against Madison-Ridgeland Academy, last year’s MAIS state champion in Mississippi. The Lady Bearcats follow that Sept. 12 by hosting a tri-match against Episcopal School of Acadiana, Byrd and Natchitoches Central.
Ruston also hosts its annual Bearcat Brawl Sept. 18-19, a tournament that draws more than 20 teams from across the state. October brings road trips to the Houma Christian Tournament Oct. 2-3 and, two weeks later, to the Isidore Newman Tournament in New Orleans, Oct. 16-17.
The Lady Bearcats’ district slate begins Oct. 6 at Ash and continues Oct. 13 at home against Pineville. The Bearcats close district play Oct. 20 on the road at West Monroe, a match Cauley expects to draw a lot of spectators.
“That’ll be a tougher match because West Monroe tends to bring in a good home crowd,” Cauley said.
Ruston returns five seniors — Baylor Cauley, Ava Crowe, Jane Ramsey, Brooklyn Bissell and Kayden Walker — for the 2026 season, and Cauley said the group has the pieces to push deep into the playoffs.
“We’re excited that Ava Crowe’s back and healthy. We’re going to have five seniors looking to go out and make an impact,” Cauley said. “The goal is to continue to go deep in the playoffs, and I think this group has a really strong chance to do that.”
2026 Ruston High Volleyball Schedule (times included next to home/away)
Aug. 25 — vs. Neville (scrimmage), Bayou Jam, away, TBA
Aug. 28 — vs. Airline (scrimmage), home, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 1 — at Parkway, away, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 4-5 — St. Michael’s Tournament, away (varsity)
Sept. 8 — vs. WOHS, home, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 10 — vs. Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Miss.), home, 5 p.m./ 6p.m.
Sept. 12 — Tri-match vs. Episcopal School of Acadiana, Byrd, Natchitoches Central, home (varsity)
Sept. 15 — at Benton, away, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 18-19 — Bearcat Brawl, home (varsity)
Sept. 22 — vs. Haughton, home, 5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 24 — at Airline, away, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Sept. 26 — Airline/Parkway Tournament, away (JV)
Sept. 28 — vs. Jackson Academy, home, 4 p.m./5 p.m.
Sept. 29 — vs. Ouachita, home, 5 p.m./6 p.m.
Oct. 2-3 — Houma Christian Tournament, away (varsity)
Oct. 6 — at Alexandria Senior High School*, away, 4 p.m./5 p.m.
Oct. 8 — vs. Captain Shreve, home, 5 p.m./6 p.m.
Oct. 13 — vs. Pineville*, home, 4 p.m./5 p.m.
Oct. 16-17 — Isidore Newman Tournament, away (varsity)
Oct. 20 — at West Monroe*, away, 4 p.m./5 p.m./6 p.m.
Oct. 22 — vs. Northwood, home, 5:30 p.m./6:30 p.m.
Oct. 24 — Tri-match vs. Curtis Baptist, Chapelle, St. Louis Catholic, home (varsity)
Oct. 27 — vs. Evangel (Senior Night), home, 5 p.m./6 p.m.
Nov. 3-7 — First and second round playoffs
Nov. 12-14 — State tournament
*Denotes district match
2026-27 Ruston High Volleyball Roster
Varsity
Baylor Cauley, Senior
Ava Crowe, Senior
Jane Ramsey, Senior
Brooklyn Bissell, Senior
Kayden Walker, Senior
Bridget Crittenden, Junior
Ava Madden, Junior
Naomi Smith, Junior
Ellie Williams, Junior
Lily Bissell, Freshman
Josie Cauley, Freshman
JV Red
Meredyth McFadden, Junior
Linzie Williams, Junior
Adelyn “Addie” Powell, Junior
Addy Lou Gressett, Sophomore
Kennedy Willis, Sophomore
Parker Winkelpleck, Sophomore
Emma Bissell, Freshman
Bess Cotton, Freshman
Reese Pyles, Freshman
JV White
Destyni Bergeron, Sophomore
Ava Good, Sophomore
Rhyan Hester, Sophomore
Faith Crawford, Freshman
Pyi Khyaing, Freshman
Lydia Nankya, Freshman
Harper Wilkerson, Freshman
Managers: Jake Taunton, Junior; Parson Lary, Sophomore
Coaches: Amanda “Mandy” Cauley, Ashley Wells, Jessica Szymanski, Nya Willis-Ross
