Match 33	Texas State (26-6) vs. Rice (24-6)
Time/Date	4 p.m./Thursday, Nov. 29
Location	Austin, Texas
Arena	Gregory Gym
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Television	Longhorn Network
Audio	KTSW
Stream	LHN
Match Notes	Texas State
Series History	Texas State trails 17-11

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas State volleyball team (26-6) looks to continue its historic season when the Bobcats open NCAA Tournament play with a single-elimination first round match against Rice (24-6) on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Gregory Gym at Texas. The match will be nationally televised on the Longhorn Network and can be heard on KTSW (89.9).
 
The winner of Thursday's match will advance to Friday's 8 p.m. second-round match against the winner of Thursday's 7 p.m. meeting between No. 5 seeded Texas (20-4) and Stephen F. Austin (32-2).
 
Teams winning both matches will move on to regional play Dec. 7 and 8. Regionals for the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship will be held at four non-predetermined campus sites, which will be announced after play concludes, on Dec. 1. At each site, four teams will compete in single-elimination regional semifinal competition.

To view the complete 2018 NCAA bracket, click HERE.
 
Texas State looks to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Bobcats are making their 10^th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, their first since 2013, after winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Appalachian State in the title match on Nov. 18 in Atlanta.
 
Texas State and Rice have played in each of the last two seasons and are meeting in a postseason tournament for the second straight year. The Bobcats won a five-set match earlier this season when Texas State handed the Owls their only home loss of the season. The two schools also met in the opening round of the 2017 NIVC when Texas State swept Rice, 3-0.
 
The Bobcats enter the 2018 NCAA Tournament having won 21 of their last 22 matches. During that stretch, TXST recently wrapped up a 17-match win streak, which was the longest since 2000 and third-longest in school history.
 
Texas State won the Sun Belt Conference regular season championship for the first time in program history before winning its second Sun Belt Championship tournament. The Bobcats also won the 2013 Sun Belt Championship in its first season as a league member.
 
Five Texas State players were named to the 2018 All-Sun Belt Conference teams, including four first-team selections. Senior Madison Daigle, junior Cheyenne Huskey and freshmen Janell Fitzgerald and Emily DeWalt were all named to the 2018 All-Sun Belt First Team. Senior Amy Pflughaupt was selected to the 2018 All-Sun Belt Second Team.
 
DeWalt was named both the 2018 Sun Belt Setter and Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. She became the first rookie in conference history to win both awards.
 
Karen Chisum was named the 2018 Sun Belt Coach of the Year. It is her sixth coach of the year accolade and first in the Sun Belt.
 
Senior Madison Daigle was named the Sun Belt Championship tournament's Most Outstanding Player, becoming the first Bobcat since 2013 to win the honor. Joining her on the Championship All-Tournament Team were junior Cheyenne Huskey and true freshman Janell Fitzgerald.