COLUMBUS – Columbus State University women's basketball Head Coach Matt Houser has announced the addition of a new member to the program, bolstering the coaching staff with a graduate assistant hire.

The Lady Cougars program is pleased to announce the hire of Hya Haywood as a graduate assistant. Houser and staff are pleased to strengthen the corps with an additional graduate assistant coach in Haywood. Hya began her coaching journey as the head girls coach for North Junior High in Evansville, Ind. In her first season, she guided the team to a championship game appearance, finishing with a strong 12-2 record.

"I'm thrilled to have Hya on our staff," Houser said. "She was an outstanding player at Glenville State and brings with her experience from a system very similar to ours."

Prior to coaching, Haywood began her playing career as a graduate of Montverde Academy, averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game in high school. From there, she played for a year at Western Kentucky University before transferring to Three Rivers College, where she earned an associate's degree in arts.

During her time at Three Rivers, Hya's leadership and on-court performance were key to the team's success. She averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game. As a team captain, she led her squad to an undefeated regular season, as well as conference and regional championships. Her individual performance earned her First-Team All-Conference and First-Team All-Region honors. Hya's contributions also helped the team reach the Final Four, where she earned All-Tournament Team honors.

Hya's journey continued as she transferred to Lincoln University, competing in the MIAA conference, and later to Glenville State College, where she finished her collegiate playing career. Haywood competed for GSC, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration.

In the 2022-2023 season, she averaged 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and led her team with 74 steals, helping GSC win regular season, conference, and regional championships. Her performance earned her All-MEC Honorable Mention and All-Tournament Team honors. The team's success culminated in an appearance in the Final Four with a 33-3 record.

In her final season at GSC, she led the team in scoring (18.3 ppg), assists (2.9 apg), and steals (106), while also averaging 3.8 rebounds per game, earning First-Team All-Conference and Second-Teram All-Region nods.

"Hya's ability to give back and share her knowledge, especially with our guards, will be a tremendous asset," Houser mentioned. "With her passion for the game and strong understanding of it, I have no doubt that she will grow into a great coach."