UTRGV will host the 2022 Western Athletic Conference Tournament after playing a schedule that features 29 matches, including 11 at home, the school announced Thursday.
This is the second time UTRGV has hosted the WAC Tournament after doing so in 2017. UTRGV welcomed two of the nine largest crowds in program history during that tournament, including a then-program record 1,634 fans for the championship match against CSU Bakersfield, a total that now ranks second, and 1,256 fans for the semifinal match against Utah Valley, a figure that ranked third at the time and now ranks ninth in program history.
In total, the Vaqueros will host 19 matches at the UTRGV Fieldhouse, including matches as part of both a non-conference tournament Sept. 9-10 and the WAC Tournament from Nov. 17-19.
Season tickets, which include tickets to all 19 matches, are on sale now and can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com, by calling (956) 329-0884 or (956-222-2935), or through email at [email protected].
“We’re super excited to be hosting the WAC Tournament.” UTRGV head coach Todd Lowery said. “The last time we hosted we had a super fun environment, and it was great for our young women to participate in that. I think for the community to see a weekend of championship-style volleyball is so much fun, and to have it here on our campus is great.”
UTRGV opens the season at the North Texas Invite with matches against UNLV, Jacksonville, and North Texas Aug. 26-27 before playing the home opener against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as part of the South Texas Showdown on Aug. 30.
UTRGV closes out non-conference play with the Red Raider Classic against SMU, host Texas Tech and Oral Roberts on Sept. 16-17 and a trip to UTEP on Sept. 20.
“It’s important for us to have a really competitive non-conference schedule to get ready for WAC play,” Lowery said. “As the WAC continues to develop, we need to continue to develop our non-conference schedule to keep up with it. Having teams like Texas Tech and UTSA on the schedule will be fun. Louisiana just continues to get better. I expect them to be at the top of the Sun Belt Conference this year. We have the showdown against Corpus Christi and a match at UTEP as well. Those were tremendously competitive matches last year. There are a lot of fun matches on the schedule that are going to get us ready for WAC play.”
UTRGV opens WAC play with three straight home matches, including Sept. 24 against Incarnate Word, Sept. 29 against Utah Tech and Oct. 1 against Southern Utah.
UTRGV closes out WAC play Nov. 12 at home against Tarleton.
The top eight teams advance to the WAC Tournament. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
UTRGV won the WAC Tournament in 2016, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. The Vaqueros returned to the postseason last year, taking part in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
| UTRGV 2022 Volleyball Schedule |
||
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| North Texas Invite | ||
| Aug. 26 | UNLV at Denton | 1 p.m. |
| Aug. 26 | Jacksonville at Denton | 4 p.m |
| Aug. 27 | North Texas at Denton | 2 p.m. |
| Aug 30 | vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sawyer Camillo Memorial | ||
| Sept. 2 | UTSA at Lafayette, La. | Noon |
| Sept. 2 | Louisiana at Lafayette | 7 p.m. |
| Sept. 3 | Ark.-Pine Bluff at Lafayette, La. | 9 a.m. |
| Sept. 6 | at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | 6:30 p.m. |
| UTRGV TOURNAMENT | ||
| Sept. 9 | Prairie View A&M vs. Montana | 2:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 9 | Montana | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 10 | Prairie View A&M | 11 a.m. |
| Sept. 10 | Montana | 2:30 p.m |
| Red Raider Classic | ||
| Sept. 16 | SMU | 10:30 a.m. |
| Sept. 16 | Texas Tech | 3 p.m. |
| Sept. 17 | Oral Roberts | 11 a.m. |
| Sept. 20 | at UTEP | 8 p.m. |
| Sept. 24 | Incarnate Word* | 2 p.m. |
| Sept. 29 | Utah Tech* | 6:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 1 | Southern Utah* | 1 p.m. |
| Oct. 6 | at Sam Houston* | 6:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 8 | at Lamar* | 1 p.m. |
| Oct. 13 | New Mexico St.* | 6:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 20 | at Grand Canyon* | 8 p.m. |
| Oct. 22 | at California Baptist* | 3 p.m. |
| Oct. 27 | Stephen F. Austin* | 6:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 29 | UT Arlington* | 2 p.m. |
| Nov. 3 | at Seattle U* | 8 p.m. |
| Nov. 5 | at Utah Valley* | 2 p.m. |
| Nov. 10 | at Abilene Christian* | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 12 | Tarleton* | 2 p.m. |
| Nov. 17-19 | WAC Conference Tournament | |
| at UTRGV Fieldhouse | ||
| Dec. 2-17 | NCAA Tournament |
* Indicates Western Athletic Conference Match