What do you know about Sam Houston State University? If you said nothing or were puzzled that such a place even existed, you are part of the majority on this campus.

In that vast majority of people is the San Diego State women’s volleyball team and head coach Mark Warner. They knew nothing about their opponent for Wednesday night’s first round NCAA Tournament match at Peterson Gym.

“This is a team we haven’t faced before and know nothing about,” Warner said.

What they do know is they have to win.

The SHSU LadyKats racked up a 25-14 regular season record this season despite beginning the season 0-4 and starting four freshmen. Youth was a major contributor to Sam Houston’s poor start, but they were able to get things together as the season went on.

“We just lack experience,” LadyKats head coach Brenda Grey said. “The freshmen don’t truly know what it is like playing college volleyball at the beginning of the season, so it takes them a little while to get into the swing of things.”

The LadyKats were able to win six of their next seven matches, including three game sweeps over Lamar and Alabama. Players like middle blockers Jennifer Cron (38 kills on Sept. 13 against Illinois State) and Tracie Bendele (22 kills on Sept. 17 against Stephen F. Austin) and setter Amy Stavinoha (averaging 12 assists per game) helped put SHSU back into the swing of things.

“We have had a very unpredictable year,” Grey said. “We have had an up-and-down pattern all year.”

Sam Houston was able to win six straight conference games between late September and October, raising their record to 16-10 and propelling them into second place in the Southland Conference, behind conference powerhouse Stephen F. Austin.

“We were at home, and we got the attitude of how losing sucks,” Grey said. “We couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes, especially after starting out the season so poorly.”

The LadyKats were able to put things together and finish second in conference. After defeating Stephen F. Austin in the championship game of the Southland Conference Tournament, SHSU defeated Grambling State University in an NCAA play-in match, which guaranteed them a trip to the postseason tournament.

“If you asked me at the beginning of the year if we would be in the tournament, I would have said ‘No,'” Grey said. “This is not one of my better teams, but we knew if we played well, we would have a shot.”

SHSU fast facts

Location: Huntsville, Texas (68 miles north of Houston)

Enrollment: 12,439

Founded: 1879

Head coach: Brenda Gray (350-139 in 12 seasons as head coach)

Colors: orange and white

Conference: Southland

Huntsville? Population 30,645. Home to Austin Hall, the oldest functioning educational building in Texas.