Texas State volleyball (20-9, 12-4 Sun Belt Conference) was one of 64 teams invited by the selection committee on Sunday night to compete in the 2023 NCAA Tournament Regionals.
“A lot of people thought this was a rebuilding year for us,” Texas State Head Coach Sean Huiet said in a statement. “But we knew how good this team could be. Our team is playing really good volleyball at the right time. I thought the Sun Belt was deserving of four bids, and we knew we were going to be right there at the end. It was a big sigh of relief. We’re just really excited.”
The Bobcats were selected to the Austin Regional Tournament, where they will make the short trip up I-35 to face Southern Methodist University (25-6, 18-1 American Athletic Conference) on November 30 at Gregory Gymnasium. If Texas State advances, they will play the winner of the Texas, Texas A&M game on December 1st.
“I love playing in Gregory Gym; it’s a fun atmosphere,” Huiet said. “The fact that we can have a big crowd there supporting us is huge. I’m excited that we’re close to home for that reason.”
Texas State’s most recent game against SMU was at home in 2017, where the Bobcats were defeated in a five-set match, losing by only 2 points.
The last time the Bobcats appeared at the NCAA tournament was in the 2020 Omaha Regional, where they defeated Utah Valley University in the first round.
Sunday’s selection marks the seventh time in program history Texas State has been selected for the Austin Regional.
The match between Texas State and SMU is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
