Texas St. volleyball’s long season reaches NCAAS.
As the Texas State volleyball team fell into a rut with a fivegame losing streak last month, coach Sean Huiet sensed his players struggling through the grind.
The Bobcats weren’t used to dropping matches, claiming a Sun Belt Conference championship during a 24-2 run through the fall. But with an unprecedented stretch of almost five months separating the November title from this week’s NCAA Tournament, Texas State’s work was just beginning.
Huiet arranged a spring slate of a dozen matches against mostly Big 12 schools to keep the Bobcats sharp, but the toll of the workload became evident in mid-march. During a span of 14 days, Texas State lost to Kansas and TCU, as well as top-10 opponents Baylor and Texas (twice).
When Texas State traveled to face Houston on March 20, Huiet knew the Bobcats needed a mental health day.
“They went to the mall and went shopping in Houston, or they could sleep all day, if they wanted to,” Huiet said. “We didn’t talk volleyball, and it refreshed them a little bit. That’s been part of it, trying to monitor some of that stuff and make sure they’re mentally and physically ready to go.”
Texas State responded with wins in its final three matches, including a road upset of No. 9 Baylor on April 1.
Entering an NCAA Tournament clash against Utah Valley (14-5) at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Omaha, Neb., Texas State (30-8) is the nation’s most battle-tested squad, having played and won more matches than any team in the field during the unconventional eight-month season.
“It’s definitely been a longer journey, which takes a toll on you,” junior setter Emily Dewalt said. “It’s a grind. You’re more exhausted now than you were back in the fall. But right now, we know it’s time to put our foot on the gas. It’s go time.”
Through August’s preseason practices, Dewalt watched as conference after conference postponed play to the spring.
When the Bobcats’ opener in a tournament at Tulane was canceled, the team quickly pivoted to an event at Stephen F. Austin, finding new travel arrangements on just a few days’ notice. Dewalt said she wasn’t confident the matches would happen until the night before.
Huiet knew COVID protocols might alter Texas State’s roster daily, but he said the Bobcats remained adamant that they would not waver on their goal of reaching the Sweet 16 — a first in program history.
Junior Janell Fitzgerald said the Bobcats held steadfast that an NCAA Tournament would exist, even if they were uncertain when it would be played. With the event pushed to April from its usual December date, most leagues shifted their seasons to the spring. Only the Sun Belt and Big 12 played normal schedules and crowned champions in the fall.
“We were just confused and going with the flow,” Fitzgerald said. “The fact that we got both is the best of both worlds.”
Guarding against burnout, Huiet allowed players their normal winter break of about six weeks, picking up spring matches in February. With players trying to isolate through the season to guard against COVID-19, the time off was a chance to decompress and reconnect with family.
Huiet set to work on the “whirlwind” process of cobbling together a spring schedule, fortunate many Big 12 schools were in the same position. He said the gamut of recognizable opponents provided a recruiting boost and created confidence through the roster that Texas State can compete against any program.
Dewalt said the security of a guaranteed NCAA Tournament berth helped the Bobcats treat the challenging run of matches as an opportunity.
“It was definitely an advantage for us. We got to compete hard,” Dewalt said. “If we win, we win. If we don’t, hey, it made us better, and we learn from it.”
Huiet moved practices away from their typical early morning slot to make sure the Bobcats had time to sleep, and recent weeks’ sessions have been “short and sweet.”
The payoff showed in the win against Baylor, which gave Texas State 30 victories in a season for the first time since 1985. The Bobcats’ 30 wins and 38 matches are the most in the NCAA Tournament field, eclipsing Texas’ 23 wins and Baylor’s 25 matches played.
“To see that we fit in with those types of programs really shows how well we’ve been prepared, how good our team is, and how much we’re really underrated,” Fitzgerald said.
Texas State claimed the Sun Belt tournament for the third straight year this season, but the program has just one NCAA Tournament win in 12 trips, knocking off Rice in 2018.
To reach the goal of the Sweet 16, Texas State has to survive Utah Valley and upset No. 5 seed Nebraska — an obstacle Fitzgerald said the team views as “another Baylor.”
Though the 48-team setup in Omaha is expected to lack full locker rooms and other amenities, Texas State is anticipating an environment similar to the Sun Belt tournament — only with stiffer competition. At the end of a grueling year, Dewalt said the Bobcats believe they “can tackle anything.”
“Let’s play Texas State volleyball and see what we can do,” Dewalt said. “At the end of the day, we’re not going to match up player for player. We just have to stay and compete as a team, and we’ll see what happens.”