TAMU-C reveals full volleyball schedule

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  The Texas A&M-Commerce Lions volleyball team prepares to break the huddle during a game against Tarleton last season. The Lions have released their complete volleyball schedule for the 2024 season, including 11 home games. Lion Athletics Photo by Michael Wade

  The Texas A&M-Commerce Lions volleyball team prepares to break the huddle during a game against Tarleton last season. The Lions have released their complete volleyball schedule for the 2024 season, including 11 home games. Lion Athletics Photo by Michael Wade

COMMERCE — Texas A&M University-Commerce has released the full 2024 volleyball schedule, as announced by coach Joe Morales.

The 2024 schedule features 11 home matches on the Hunt Regional Healthcare Court in the Field House, including the fourteam Lion Invitational, on August 30-31 to start the season. The 11-match home slate marks the most for the Lions in the Division I era.

Morales said, 'we are excited about the schedule, our non-conference schedule will definitely test us early but our team is ready and excited about the challenges. We would not have it any other way.'

'This is just a glimpse of what direction we want to take this program moving forward. Our administration and university are behind us and even though there will be some bumps along the way, we cannot wait to hit the ground running this fall.'

The Lions play four Power Four conference teams this season as well as four teams that played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

Prior to beginning the season, the Lions host the annual Blue and Gold Scrimmage on Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. as well as hosting an exhibition match against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Aug. 27, admission for both matches is free.

The four teams in the Lion Invitational are A&M-Commerce, Little Rock, Central Arkansas, and Tarleton. It is the first time that the Lions are playing at home to begin a full season since 2011. A&M-Commerce began the COVID-19-shortened Spring 2021 season at home.

The Lion Invitational is the first regular season tournament hosted by A&M-Commerce since 2014.

A&M-Commerce begins the Lion Invitational on Aug. 30 against Little Rock and Central Arkansas at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. The Lions renew the rivalry with Tarleton on Aug. 31 at 3 p.m., it is the first meeting in Commerce for the two teams since 2018 and it is the 17th meeting all-time between the two rivals in Commerce and 47th overall.

The next weekend, the Lions head to East Carolina for the Pirate Invitational in Greenville, North Carolina. A&M-Commerce plays Western Carolina on Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. and the hosts, East Carolina, at 7 p.m. The final match of the weekend comes on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. against North Carolina A&T. It is the first time that the Lions are playing all three teams.

The Lions return to Texas for Fight in the Fort at TCU. The Lions play the hosts, Horned Frogs, on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. and UCLA later in the day at 4 p.m.

TCU played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, advancing to the second round, while UCLA has won seven National Championships. It is the first meeting against both teams.

A&M-Commerce closes out the Fight in the Fort on Sept. 13 against Prairie View A&M at 1 p.m., marking the third consecutive season that the two teams are playing each other.

The final set of non-conference matches come in Houston On Sept. 19-21, hosted by Houston. A&M-Commerce plays the Cougars on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m., the Cougars also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.

The Lions then face Tennessee State on Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. and close out the week against Ole Miss on Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. All three opponents are first-time meetings for A&M-Commerce.

The meeting against Ole Miss is the second meeting all-time for the Lions against a SEC opponent as A&M-Commerce downed Alabama in five sets last year at UAB.

The 16-match Southland Conference schedule was released last month and remains unchanged.

'With the conference getting stronger, the early competition will help us navigate through some tough terrain and hopefully prepare us for an exciting SLC schedule,' said Morales. 'The coaches in our conference are doing a great job to help minimizing travel for our student- athletes.'

'This is a team effort and Lion fans, you are a part of that. See you soon in the Field House!'

The Lions begin the conference slate on the road at Northwestern State on Sept. 24, followed by home matches against the University of the Incarnate Word and McNeese on Sept. 26 and 28, respectively.

The month of October will start with four straight matches on the road: Lamar on Oct. 3, Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 5, A&M-Corpus Christi on Oct. 10, and the University of Texas of the Rio Grande Valley on Oct. 14. The Ladyjacks also played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago.

The Islanders and the Vaqueros make the return trip to Commerce on Oct. 17 and 19, respectively. The Lions continue the home stand against Houston Christian on Oct. 26.

After a quick road trip to Nicholls on Nov. 2, the Lions are back home to face Northwestern State on Nov. 5, before heading south to Houston Christian and UIW on Nov. 7 and 9, respectively, for the final two road regular season matches.

The regular season concludes with a home match against defending SLC champion and NCAA Tournament participant Southeastern on Nov. 14 and Senior Day on Nov. 16.

Information on season tickets as well as single- match tickets for the 2024 season will be released at a later date.

2024 LION VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

• Aug. 22: Blue and Gold Scrimmage. 6 p.m.

• Aug. 27: vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State.

5:30 p.m.

• Aug. 30: vs. Little Rock. 1 p.m.^

• Aug. 30: vs. Central Arkansas. 7 p.m.^

• Aug. 31: vs. Tarleton. 3 p.m.^

• Sept. 6: vs. Western Carolina. 11 a.m.^^

• Sept. 6: at East Carolina. 7 p.m.^^

• Sept. 7: vs. North Carolina A&T. 11 a.m.^^

• Sept. 12: at TCU. 1 p.m.^^^

• Sept. 12: vs. UCLA. 4 p.m.^^^

• Sept. 13: vs. Prairie View A&M. 1 p.m.^^^

• Sept. 19: at Houston. 7 p.m.

• Sept. 20: vs. Tennessee State. 3 p.m.

• Sept. 21: vs. Ole Miss.

2 p.m.

• Sept. 24: at Northwestern State. 6:30 p.m.*

• Sept. 26: vs. UIW. 6:30 p.m.*

• Sept. 28: vs. McNeese. 1 p.m.*

• Oct. 3: at Lamar. 6:30 p.m.*

• Oct. 5: at SFA. 12 p.m.*

• Oct. 10: at A&M-Corpus Christi. 6:30 p.m.*

• Oct. 14: at UTRGV. 2 p.m.*

• Oct. 17: vs. A&M-Corpus Christi. 6:30 p.m.*

• Oct. 19: vs. UTRGV. 11 a.m.*

• Oct. 26: vs. Houston Christian. 1 p.m.*

• Nov. 2: at Nicholls. 11 a.m.*

• Nov. 5: vs. Northwestern State. 6:30 p.m.*

• Nov. 7: at Houston Christian. 6:30 p.m.*

• Nov. 9: at UIW. 12 p.m.*

• Nov. 14: vs. Southeastern. 6:30 p.m.*

• Nov. 16: vs. New Orleans. 10:30 a.m.*

• Nov. 21-24: Southland Conference Tournament ^Lion Invitational ^^Pirate Invitational ^^^Fight at the Fort *Denotes conference games