SACRAMENTO — Sacramento State released its 2023 indoor schedule today, which includes 30 regular season matches - 16 at home, nine on the road, and five on a neutral floor.

Of those 30 matches, 16 will come against Big Sky Conference opposition. The season begins Aug. 25 when the team hosts the three-day, four-team Sacramento State Invitational (Aug. 25-27). The Hornets will play one match three consecutive days during the tournament, and Sacramento State opens the year with a seven-match homestand.

During that homestand, which includes the two-day, four-team Hornet Invitational (Sept. 1-2), Sacramento State will host Nevada, Iowa, Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, San Jose State, Portland and Saint Mary's. The match against Saint Mary's on Sept. 4 concludes the homestand.

Sacramento State finished last season 15-15 overall and 10-6 in the Big Sky. The Hornets were the No. 4 seed at last year's Big Sky Tournament and advanced to the semifinal round before falling in five sets to eventual champion Northern Colorado. Sacramento State has finished 10-6 in league three consecutive years.

The Hornets leave the state of California just once during non-conference play, and that will be Sept. 7-9 in Gainesville at a tournament hosted by Florida. Sacramento State will play in four non-league tournaments, including the Central Cal Challenge in Stockton on Sept. 14-16. The only non-conference matches that do not fall during tournament play will be at home  against Saint Mary's and UC Davis (Sept. 12).

The Big Sky will play the traditional Thursday-Saturday matchups during conference play, although the Hornets do play a pair of Friday contests (both against Portland State).

Of the Hornets' eight Big Sky home games, half will come during a four-game homestand from Oct. 12-21. Sacramento State closes the season with five of its final seven matches taking place on the road, including a three game road trip to complete the regular season (Nov. 10-18). Senior Day, and the Hornets' home finale, will be Saturday, Nov. 4 against Idaho.

The Big Sky is a 10-member league, and Sacramento State will play seven of those teams twice (Northern Arizona, Weber State, Portland State, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Montana and Montana State). They will play two teams just once (Northern Colorado, Idaho State). Northern Colorado is the defending Big Sky regular season and tournament champions, and will host this year's Big Sky Tournament (Nov. 22-25) in Greeley, Colo.

Sacramento State returns 13 players from a year ago, including seven that started at least 16 matches - middles Kalani Hayes and Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin, outsides Bridgette Smith, Caitlin Volkmann, Greta Davis and Ellie Tisko, and libero Caty Cordano. The Hornets did lose five-year starting setter Ashtin Olin who was named second team all-Big Sky each of those five seasons with the program.

Both Smith and Hayes were named first team all-league a year ago, and Kamba-Griffin was named to the second team.