Greg Collins has gotten to know the Hayes family pretty well in recent years, and not for good reasons – until now.

The Western Kentucky women’s basketball coach went up against sisters Anastasia and Aislynn Hayes for two years while they played at Middle Tennessee, but he’ll have one on his side this winter.

Acacia Hayes is preparing to enter her freshman season with the Lady Toppers, who opened practice Sept. 26.

“It’s been awesome being able to have three older sisters go through this before you do,” said Acacia Hayes, a Murfreesboro, Tenn., native. “It’s a big help being able to learn from them and watch them and just kind of go in their footsteps, but also go in your own at the same time.”

Anastasia and Aislynn Hayes played at Middle Tennessee for two seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21 – Anastasia was there a season prior, but sat out to satisfy transfer rules after coming from Tennessee. Both have since transferred to Mississippi State, where they play with younger sister Alasia, who started her career at Notre Dame.

Anastasia Hayes was the 2018 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year while at Tennessee and made an immediate impact once she was able to play with the Lady Raiders. She was named the 2020 C-USA Newcomer of the Year and was a First Team All-Conference selection. The following year she was C-USA Player of the Year and the league tournament’s MVP after leading Middle Tennessee past Rice in the final. She added 2022 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades last season.

At Middle Tennessee, Aislynn Hayes was the 2020 C-USA Freshman of the Year after claiming league weekly awards seven times and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors three times. She was a Second Team All-C-USA selection in 2021.

“(Acacia Hayes) pushes the other guards,” WKU sophomore guard Mya Meredith said. “I would say that she resembles her sisters a lot because they’re like go, go, go. She’s one of them people that’s just go, go, go and she don’t stop.”

WKU bested Middle Tennessee 71-63 at E.A. Diddle Arena in the first meeting of the 2019-20 season, but Anastasia and Aislynn Hayes showed out with 12 and 18 points, respectively, as well as six and five assists. In the second meeting that season, the Lady Raiders edged the Lady Toppers 108-103 in a double-overtime thriller in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Anastasia Hayes had 37 points, eight assists and 11 rebounds in that meeting, while Aislynn Hayes had 25 points of her own.

Anastasia Hayes had 25 points and eight assists to lead Middle Tennessee past WKU 75-66 in the first game the following season, and the next night the sisters combined for 35 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in a 77-60 win.

“We had some battles with her sisters. They’re good players. The whole family wins. She’s got a younger brother that can play as well,” Collins said. “We’re excited about Acacia. She’s just got to get adjusted to this style of play, the physicalness. She’s working on that as well. It’s a learning curve, but even as a freshman her sisters had a little bit of a learning curve as freshmen as well. I expect Acacia to go through some of that, but ultimately she’s going to be a tremendous player.”

Acacia Hayes was rated a four-star prospect and ranked the No. 21 point guard in the Class of 2022 in ESPN’s HoopGurlz Basketball prospects. She prepped at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, where she was named to the all-district tournament team twice, earned all-region tournament team honors, was named to the all-state second team as a freshman and, as a junior was named first team all-area, district most valuable player and a finalist for the Tennessee Miss Basketball Award.

“She’s a winner,” Collins said. “She actually shot better from the 3-point line in high school after her sisters graduated – so when the defense got tougher, she got better. She’s a great student. She wants to be a cardiologist. She’s a super person off the court as well.”

While her sisters played for WKU’s biggest rival, Acacia Hayes decided on coming to college in Bowling Green after a visit.

“It just automatically felt like home,” she said. “Everybody here, the people, they were all just together. I come from a big family, so that was really important to me. The academics here are great and I love coach Collins and all his staff.”

Acacia Hayes is one of three incoming freshman guards – Karris Allen and Josie Gilvin are the others – and Collins says “I think that’s still up to them to define kind of how much and to what degree they’re able to contribute,” while saying they “have tons of potential.”

While still adjusting to college life, Hayes considers herself a floor general on the court.

“(Hayes brings) a lot of confidence. She’s super quick, so that’ll help us a lot. She sees the court really well and she’s a great shooter,” WKU junior guard Hope Sivori said. “All around, she’s a great addition just like everyone else. It’s just going to be exciting. It’s the same thing with all of them – all of them can shoot, all of them can run, all of them can play defense. It’s going to be exciting.”

The Lady Toppers are scheduled to host Lindsey Wilson in a Nov. 1 exhibition, before opening the regular season Nov. 7 at E.A. Diddle Arena against Vanderbilt.{&end}