CHEYENNE — The 2026 volleyball season gets underway Friday for Green River and Rock Springs, with both Sweetwater County programs opening the year against some of the top competition in Class 4A at the Cheyenne Invitational.
Green River enters the season coming off a 26-6 campaign that ended with a Class 4A state runner-up finish. The Lady Wolves are ranked No. 2 entering the season and will begin their pursuit of another deep postseason run with three matches Friday and Saturday.
Rock Springs enters its second season under head coach Casey Rood with the benefit of returning its starters and key substitutes from last year’s team. The Lady Tigers finished 12-21 last season and placed third in the 4A Northwest Conference, behind Kelly Walsh and Green River, which went on to meet in the Class 4A state championship match. Rood said the experience gained by younger players last season should help the team take another step forward this fall.
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Both teams will be tested immediately in Cheyenne, with the tournament featuring several of the state’s top programs.
Green River opens Friday at noon against Campbell County at Central High School before facing No. 4 Sheridan at 6 p.m. at East High School.
The Lady Wolves return to action Saturday at 10 a.m. against Central at Central High School. They will then face South at noon before closing the tournament against No. 3 Laramie at 2 p.m. at East.
The tournament gives Green River an opportunity to establish its identity against a demanding slate after a preseason focused heavily on building chemistry and continuing the program’s strong work ethic. Second-year head coach Andri Dewey said the goal entering the season is not to recreate last year’s team, but to develop the best version of this year’s squad.
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For Rock Springs, Friday begins with a 1 p.m. match against East at East High School. The Lady Tigers then face No. 1 Kelly Walsh at 3 p.m. at South High School before taking on No. 5 Thunder Basin at 5 p.m., also at South.
The Lady Tigers’ returning experience will be put to the test immediately, with three ranked opponents on Friday’s schedule.
Rock Springs continues Saturday at 10 a.m. against South at South High School before facing Campbell County at noon at East.
The early-season tournament also provides both Sweetwater County programs with an opportunity to see where they stand against a variety of opponents before the conference portion of the season takes shape.
Green River and Rock Springs will meet later in the season in their annual county rivalry matchup, but both will first have plenty of work to do in Cheyenne.
