PROVO — One of the most successful athletic programs on the BYU campus has its road map for the upcoming season.

The women’s volleyball team, led by ninth-year coach Heather Olmstead, released its full 2023 schedule on Friday in preparation for the move to the Big 12. Olmstead has fashioned a 213-29 (88%) overall record since taking over the program in 2015, including a 130-12 mark (92%) in the West Coast Conference. In addition, the Cougars are 113-7 (94%) in the Smith Fieldhouse during Olmstead’s tenure.

BYU serves up its season in Montana at the Ellesyn Invitational, facing Pitt in a 2022 NCAA Tournament Second Round rematch on Aug. 25. The Cougars will play two matches the next day against Texas Rio Grande Valley and host Montana.

Pitt (31-4, 17-1 ACC) and BYU have played each other three times in the last two seasons, with the Cougars last falling at the host and No. 2-seed Panthers in the tournament. Pitt would advance to the Final Four before falling to Louisville in five sets.

Finishing 27-7 last season, UTRGV went 13-1 in the WAC before making a run to the quarterfinals of the Women’s NIVC. Montana went 17-12 (10-6 Big Sky) in 2022, posting the program’s most wins since 1999 and most conference victories since 2013.

Returning to Provo, the Cougars will host former WCC foe LMU on Aug. 30 before welcoming McNeese State and UC Davis to town for the doTerra Classic from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, their lone home tournament of the year.

The Lions (18-10, 13-5 WCC) were one of four West Coast Conference teams to make the tournament last year, with McNeese going 18-16 (13-5, Southland Conference) and UC Davis finishing 15-15 (10-10, Big West).

Making a trip to the Palouse for a tournament at Wazzu, BYU will play Towson and UC Irvine in another doubleheader on Sept. 7 before taking on Washington State for the second time in as many seasons the following day.

Towson (29-2, 15-1 CAA) earned its fourth-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association title before falling to Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, while Irvine went 20-10 overall and 13-7 in Big West play.

BYU swept Washington State (23-10, 14-6 Pac-12) when Wazzu visited Provo for the doTerra Classic in 2022. Washington State would advance to the second round of the tournament before falling to national semifinalist San Diego.

The ensuing week will feature three in-state opponents, beginning with Utah in the Smith Fieldhouse on Sept. 13, while matchups against both Utah Valley and Utah State will be on the road Sept. 15 and 16.

The Cougars and Utes (15-16, 8-12 Pac-12) will continue their rivalry for the third-straight season after BYU took a four-setter in Salt Lake City last year.

Utah Valley (18-11, 10-4 WAC) made a run to the WAC championship match last season, with Utah State (22-11, 11-7 MWC) earning a Mountain West Conference championship before dropping its NCAA Tournament opener to No. 6-seed Arkansas.

2023 BYU Women’s Volleyball Schedule

Ellysen Invitational, Montana

Friday, Aug. 25 vs. Pitt, 2 p.m. MT

Saturday, Aug. 26 vs. UTRGV, noon MT

Saturday, Aug. 26 vs. Montana, 7 p.m. MT

Wednesday, Aug. 30 Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m. MT

doTerra Classic, Provo

Thursday, Aug. 31 McNeese State, 6 p.m. MT

Saturday, Sept. 2 UC Davis, TBA

At Washington State Tournament

Thursday, Sept. 7 vs. Towson, 11:30 a.m. MT

Thursday, Sept. 7 vs. UC Irvine, 6:30 p.m. MT

Friday, Sept. 8 vs. Washington State, 8 p.m. MT

Wednesday, Sept. 13 Utah, 7 p.m. MT

Friday, Sept. 15 at Utah Valley, 6 p.m. MT

Saturday, Sept. 16 at Utah State, 7 p.m. MT

Big 12 Schedule (All times TBA)

Wednesday, Sept. 20 Houston

Saturday, Sept. 23 Baylor

Thursday, Sept. 28 at Texas

Friday, Sept. 29 at Texas

Saturday, Oct. 7 at Oklahoma

Friday, Oct. 13 Texas Tech

Saturday, Oct. 14 Texas Tech

Thursday, Oct. 19 Iowa State

Friday, Oct. 20 Iowa State

Thursday, Oct. 26 at Kansas State

Friday, Oct. 27 at Kansas State

Friday, Nov. 3 Cincinnati

Saturday, Nov. 4 Cincinnati

Thursday, Nov. 9 at UCF

Friday, Nov. 10 at UCF

Friday, Nov. 17 Kansas

Wednesday, Nov. 22 at West Virginia

Saturday, Nov. 25 at TCU

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