LAKE CHARLES, La. – The wait is over, Tarleton State Beach Volleyball is ready to begin.
 
The Texans will play four matches at McNeese's Cowgirl Beach Bash to begin their first season of competition in Lake Charles, Louisiana, on Friday and Saturday.
 
Head Coach Tatyana Tuialii-Umi will lead the Texans in their inaugural season with an 11-woman roster consisting of Grayson Schirpik, Emma Halcomb, Isabel Gonzaba, Sydney Garrison, Melina Maldonado Ortiz, Tatum Busch, Allison Bryant, Rajini Fitzmaurice, Faith Wilkins, Charlize Ching and Breanna McDonough.
 
"I'm excited to see the girls rise above all of the challenges we will face this weekend," Tuialii-Umi said. "The McNeese Cowgirl Beach Bash includes well-established programs and we're excited to make a statement as the newcomers on the block."
 
The Texans have a tough opening match scheduled, as they'll be welcomed to competition by a top-20 ranked team, Cal Poly. The Mustangs are slotted No. 20 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Poll, the official recognized poll by the NCAA. Cal Poly is ranked as high as No. 13 by CollegeBeachVB.com. The opening match will start at 11 a.m.
 
It's a two-match day Friday for Tarleton State, who will then turn their attention to the hosts, McNeese. This is also the Cowgirls' first season as a program, and they'll debut against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi at 1 p.m. on Friday. The Texans and Cowgirls will square off at 5 p.m.
 
On Saturday, the Texans will take on the Islanders at 1 p.m., then finish their time in Lake Charles against Nicholls State at 3 p.m. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was picked to win the Southland Conference for the second straight season, following their 25-10 overall and 6-0 SLC marks last year. Nicholls State finished at the bottom of the SLC last season, going 2-28 overall, 0-6 in conference play.
 
There will not be streaming or live stats for any of the matches. Follow Tarleton State Beach Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram for updates.