Volleyball | 4/16/2015 4:17:00 PM

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State Volleyball announced the team's 2015 schedule on Thursday. The Bobcats will face highlight teams in Illinois, Oregon, Kentucky, Arizona, defending Sun Belt Conference Champion UALR, SMU, Baylor, Wichita State, UTSA, TCU, Indiana and more.
 
"I am thoroughly excited about our 2015 schedule," said Head Coach Karen Chisum. "It may be one of the toughest we've put together in years, but it will help us prepare for Sun Belt Conference play."
 
The Bobcats will be participating in three early season tournaments, including hosting Texas State's annual Delta Zeta Classic. In addition, the Bobcats will compete at the SMU Invitational in Dallas to open the season and travel to one of the nation's best tournaments, the Shocker Volleyball Classic on the campus of Wichita State in Wichita, Kansas.
 
The Bobcats will go up against three top 20 programs and 13 top 80 programs in the country according to the NCAA's 2014 RPI rankings. Illinois, a team Texas State will face at the Shocker Volleyball Classic, finished last season ranked 11^th nationally by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association. Not too far behind in the final rankings, coming in at 14^th, was Oregon, a team the Bobcats host at Strahan Coliseum on Sept. 8.
 
At Wichita State, the Bobcats will also face Kentucky, ranked 17^th at the end of the season. Then, in conference play, Texas State hosts UALR on Oct. 1 after the Trojans finished 2014 ranked 24^th in the country.
 
For the complete schedule, click here.
 
The Bobcats open the season on the road in Dallas at the SMU Invitational on the weekend of Aug. 28. In addition to SMU and TCU, Texas State will also face Pac-12 opponent Arizona, a team that finished 18^th in the NCAA RPI rankings.
 
After that, the Bobcats will open Strahan Coliseum with their home opener against I-35 Rival UTSA in the first match of the Delta Zeta Classic at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 3. The Roadrunners finished 2014 as co-champions of Conference USA. The Bobcats will also host Big Ten foe Indiana, Lamar and Prairie View A&M throughout the weekend.
 
Next, Texas State will face another Pac-12 opponent, welcoming Oregon to San Marcos on Sept. 8. The Ducks finished 12^th in the NCAA's 2014 RPI rankings. The tough competition will continue the following weekend when the Bobcats travel to Wichita, Kansas, to face Illinois, Kentucky, Wichita State and Northern Illinois in the Shocker Volleyball Classic. Illinois and Kentucky represent two of the NCAA's top 20 teams from last season.
 
After that, Texas State will face Sam Houston State on the road at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 for a tune-up before the Bobcats begin Sun Belt action against Georgia State and UL Lafayette on the weekend of Sept. 18^th. Texas State will return from a road trip against Georgia State and Appalachian State to host UALR, Georgia Southern and UT Arlington before heading to Waco, Texas, to face Big 12 opponent Baylor.
 
From there, it will be a four-match road trip for the Bobcats against UT Arlington, Arkansas State, Troy and South Alabama before returning home to host UL Monroe and Troy on Halloween weekend. Then, Texas State will hit the road again for matches against UL Monroe and UL Lafayette before returning home for the regular season finale against South Alabama at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 13.
 
The Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament is set for Nov. 20 – Nov. 22 in Statesboro, Ga. In Texas State's first two seasons in the Sun Belt, the Bobcats have made it to the championship match both times, winning it in 2013.