SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State’s head volleyball coach Sean Huiet has released the schedule for the upcoming 2020 season. The schedule will see a scaled down Sun Belt Conference slate compared to past seasons due to COVID-19.
Overall, the Bobcats’ schedule features 19 total matches with nine of them at Strahan Arena. Five of this season’s opponents competed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, including NCAA Final Four participant Baylor, Rice, Stephen F. Austin (SFA), Texas, and Texas A&M.
“We knew that there were going to be some changes to our schedule and as much as we did not want things like this to happen, we understand and are grateful to be having a season,” said coach Huiet. “This team knows what our goals are and those goals will not change regardless of when we start or what our schedule looks like.”
The 2020 season will begin at the Tulane Invitational Sept. 4-5 at the Devlin Fieldhouse in New Orleans, La. The Bobcats will open the tournament with a match against Alabama on Sept. 4 before playing SFA and tournament host Tulane both on Sept. 5.
Texas State will then have an entertaining four-match stretch played in front of Bobcat Nation, beginning with the home opener against the reigning Big 12 Champions Baylor, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. TXST will conclude that week with the 2020 Creeds & Crests Classic Sept. 10-12 with matches against Texas and SMU, respectively (times TBD). Wrapping up the homestand will be a midweek clash with Texas A&M at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15. The 2020 campaign will be the first season since 2002 where the Bobcats hosted three Power 5 programs (Mississippi State, Texas, Texas A&M).
The Maroon and Gold’s non-conference slate will end at the Rice Invitational Sept. 18-19 at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston, Texas. The Bobcats will compete against Houston Baptist and Rice. Match date and times are to be determined.
The Sun Belt Conference schedule will be comprised of 10 matches with all matches played within the west division (Arkansas State, Little Rock, Louisiana, ULM, UT Arlington). The Bobcats will play each divisional opponent twice, once at Strahan Arena and the other on the opponent’s home floor. All matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. except Sunday matches which will begin at noon.
For the second consecutive season, the Bobcats will open their conference slate at home vs. the Louisiana schools. First up will be ULM on Friday, Oct. 2, followed by a tilt with Louisiana on Saturday, Oct. 3, concluding the opening weekend of league play. The Bobcats will then play three consecutive road matches beginning with UT Arlington on Friday, Oct. 9 at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The next weekend, TXST will face Little Rock on Friday, Oct. 16 at the Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, Ark. and then take on Arkansas State on Saturday, Oct. 17 at the First National Bank Arena in Jonesboro, Ark.
After a week off from competition, the Bobcats will return to San Marcos for their final three home matches of the regular-season, beginning with UT Arlington on Friday, Oct. 30. On Friday, November 6, Texas State will face Little Rock, and Senior Day will be on Sunday, November 8 against Arkansas State.
The final weekend of the regular-season for the Bobcats will open with a match against ULM on Friday, November 13 at the Fant-Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La., followed by the season finale vs. Louisiana on Saturday, November 14 at the Earl K. Long Gym in Lafayette, La.
The 2020 Sun Belt Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 20-22 and will be hosted by Troy at Trojan Arena in Troy, Ala. The top eight teams in the conference despite division will earn a trip to the conference tournament.
“The one thing that will be so different is that we will not play anyone from the East side until the tournament and when we get there, we all know anything can happen, said coach Huiet. “As a staff, we have been telling the team not just to stay in shape, but also to stay mentally tough. That is something our culture is built on, being Bobcat tough and having a championship mentality at all times no matter what type of opposition we face.”
Texas State is the reigning back-to-back Sun Belt Conference regular-season and tournament Champions after boasting a 24-9 overall record, including and a 14-2 conference mark. The Bobcats reached the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season for the first time in program history and will enter 2020 with a 14-match winning streak at home.
The Bobcats will return 13 student-athletes from last year’s team headlined by the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Setter of the Year, junior Emily DeWalt. The club will also return All-Sun Belt second-team selections in senior middle blocker Tyeranee Scott and junior outside hitter Janell Fitzgerald.
TICKETS AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
More detailed information concerning tickets and facility precautions concerning COVID-19 will be released in the coming weeks.
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