FOLEY, Alabama — Texas State Volleyball will head to Foley, Alabama for the start of the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship tournament. The Bobcats will wait to find out their opponent after earning a bye for the first two rounds. The Bobcats will play the winner of the Southern Miss and Marshall game on Nov. 16. The Bobcats' match will be Nov. 17 at 7 p.m..

MATCH INFO:
Nov. 17 | Texas State Marshall OR Southern Miss
7 PM (CT) | Foley, Alabama
TV: ESPN+ 

HISTORY:
The Bobcats did not play Marshall during the 2023 regular season, but they did face Southern Miss where they had two wins, one of which was a 3-0 sweep on the road. The Bobcats are 4-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles. 
 
The Bobcats have only played Marshall once in program history and it was back in 2000, but the Bobcats won 3-0.
 
Texas State has never faced Southern Miss or Marshall in the postseason.

NOTES TO KNOW:
HISTORY IN THE SUN BELT TOURNAMENT: The Bobcats have won four Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championships in program history. The Bobcats won the tournament in 2013, 2018, 2019 and 2020. 
 
In the 2022 season the Bobcats lost to James Madison in the championship game of the tournament. The Bobcats have made an appearance in the final every year since 2017, winning three championships and being runner-up three times in the six years. Since joining the conference in 2013, the only years the Bobcats were not in the Sun Belt Championship was 2015 and 2016.

SUN BELT AWARDS:  The Bobcats have won nine Sun Belt Conference weekly awards this season. KJ Johnson (week one) and Samantha Wunsch (week two and 11) were named Offensive Player of the week. Ryann Torres won Setter of the Week in week two, nine and eleven. Bailey Hanner (week eight), Jade Defraeye (week nine) and Alyssa Ortega (week 11) have won Defensive Player of the Week this season.

FASTEST TO 50: Head coach Sean Huiet sits with an impressive 55-9 (.871) record in Sun Belt Conference play since his tenure as head coach began in 2020. Among active Sun Belt Conference coaches, Huiet has reached 50 conference wins faster than any other head coach.
 
Additionally, of active SBC coaches, Huiet has the highest conference winning percentage outside of Coastal Carolina interim head coach Steve Loeswick, who has just two losses in conference play.
 
RPI RANKING: The Bobcats finished the regular season ranked #35 in the RPI, the only Sun Belt school with a better ranking is James Madison who was ranked 24. South Alabama was the only other school in the top-50 with a ranking at 37.
  
LEAVE NO DOUBT: The 2023 Bobcats decided its team mantra headed is 'leave no doubt' which just is a reminder to leave it all on the court. After back-to-back second place finishes at the Sun Belt Conference Championship and narrowly missing at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament, the Bobcats want people to know they belong in the postseason play and they'll make sure it's in their hands that they get there. This mantra has carried the team throughout 2023.
 
WHERE WE RANK:
Texas State is:
- 3rd in the nation in team total blocks (288.0)
- 6th in the nation in blocks per set (2.82)
- 1st in the Sun Belt for blocks per set (2.82)
- 1st in the Sun Belt in team total blocks (288.0)
 
Jade Defraeye is:
- 2nd in the Sun Belt for blocks per set (1.18)
- 2nd in the Sun Belt in total blocks (116)
- 1st in Sun Belt games in blocks per set (1.36)
 
Bailey Hanner is:
- 4th in the Sun Belt for blocks per set (1.16)
- 10th in the Sun Belt in total blocks (96)
- 3rd in Sun Belt games in blocks per set (1.28)
 
Alyssa Ortega is:
- 4th in Sun Belt games for digs per set (4.72)
 
Ryann Torres is: 
- Fifth in Sun Belt games for assists per set (9.53)
 
Samantha Wunsch is: 
- 6th in Sun Belt games for blocks per set (1.13)
- 9th in Sun Belt games for kills per set (3.38)

THE COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Sean Huiet and Associate Head Coach Keith Anderson return to lead the staff with some new help. Huiet starts his fourth season at the helm of the program after serving as an assistant coach for 15 seasons prior. He entered the season with a 82-32 all-time record. 

Former graduate assistant Charli Fouts was promoted to assistant coach in the spring of 2023 and will stay for her first season in her new role, third overall on the staff.
 
Also joining the mix as an assistant coach is former Conference-USA stand-out Carly Graham. The three-time C-USA Player of the Year and All-American joins the Bobcats staff for her first season.

UP NEXT:  The semi-final the Bobcats advance to would be Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

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