BYU releases 2023 non-conference schedule

PROVO, Utah — BYU women's volleyball head coach Heather Olmstead announced the Cougars' 12-game 2023 non-conference schedule on Friday morning.

BYU will kick off its season in Montana for the Ellesyn Invitational, facing Pitt in a 2022 NCAA Tournament Second Round rematch on Friday, Aug. 25. The Cougars will play two matches the next day against Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) 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 Wednesday, Aug. 30 before welcoming McNeese State and UC Davis to town for the dōTERRA Classic from Thursday, Aug. 31 to Saturday, 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 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 dōTERRA 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, while matchups against both Utah Valley and Utah State will be on the road.

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. 

Beginning their first season as members of the Big 12, the Cougars will then open up conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 20. View BYU's full 2023 schedule on the Cougars' website.

Among BYU’s nine returnees this fall are All-Americans Whitney Bower and Erin Livingston, as well as Whitney Llarenas and Kate Prior. All four received All-WCC honors as the Cougars finished 22-7 (15-3 WCC) in 2022.