Valdosta state guard Tamiya Francis (1) directs traffic during a Gulf South Conference semifinal game against Lee March 5, 2022 at the Pete Hanna Center in Birmingham, Ala.

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Coming off the first Elite Eight appearance for the Valdosta State women’s basketball program since 1984, fourth-year head coach Deandra Schirmer announced the 2022-23 schedule Friday.

The schedule features 13 home games, including 12 Gulf South Conference home contests for this season at The Complex. This season, the GSC moved to playing each conference opponent twice, once at home and once on the road. “This will be the first time since I have been at VSU that we will play all conference teams twice during the regular season, Schirmer said. “I think it will provide a unique opportunity to face quality opponents night-in-night-out.”

The Lady Blazer South Region title defense begins with the South Regional Crossover in West Palm Beach, Fla., where VSU will open the year with 2022 NCAA regional participant Eckerd College and then will play host Palm Beach Atlantic, Nov. 11-12.

“This season we have a very challenging schedule that we are hoping will prepare us for the post season, Schirmer added. “We start off the year on the road against a top 25, in-region opponent in Eckerd College. We then finish our opening tournament with host team PBA, which will be two important region games for us.”

With the addition of the added GSC games, conference play begins much earlier this season as VSU opens the 2022-23 home slate with rival Lee on Nov. 17, followed by a home date with Shorter on Nov. 19. VSU ended Lee’s season in 2022 with a thrilling 70-44 victory in the second round of the NCAA South Regional, avenging a loss to Lee in the GSC semifinals a week earlier.

“We then host another top 25 opponent from last season to finish off our non-conference schedule in Georgia Southwestern,” Schirmer said. “We are hoping these tough opponents early will prepare us for a very challenging Gulf South Conference schedule.”

VSU won 78-69 at Georgia Southwestern last season as the Hurricanes finished the season 23-7 and 14-4 in the Peach Belt Conference, losing to Lander in the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional in March.

The Lady Blazers finished the 2021-22 season with a 26-6 record and went 17-2 in Gulf South Conference play in Schirmer’s third season. VSU finished sixth nationally in the final 2021-22 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25, one spot behind Union, who VSU defeated on its home court in the NCAA South Region Championship, 66-58. Along with VSU and Union, Eckerd was 24th in the final poll last season, while Georgia Southwestern and Lee were among others receiving votes.

After facing Georgia Southwestern, the Lady Blazers return to GSC play for the rest of the regular season, beginning with the long trek to Delta State and Mississippi College on Nov. 26 and Nov. 28, respectively. West Georgia comes to The Complex on Dec. 1, to begin the second month of the season and a three game home stand with Union (Dec. 11) and Christian Brothers (Dec. 13) to follow. The Lady Blazers round out pre-Christmas play with a trip to West Florida on Dec. 18.

Following the Christmas holiday, VSU plays at Auburn Montgomery on Dec. 31 and at Montevallo on Jan. 2, to open the 2023 portion of the schedule, before hosting Alabama Huntsville and West Alabama, Jan. 5 and Jan. 7, respectively. Return trips to Shorter (Jan. 12) and Lee (Jan. 14) follow and the Lady Blazers return to the friendly confines of The Complex to host Mississippi College on Jan. 19 and Delta State on Jan. 21 for Hall of Fame Weekend.

A three game road swing begins at West Georgia (Jan. 28), followed by trips to Christian Brothers (Feb. 2) Union (Feb. 4), before the final three regular season home games with visits from West Florida (Feb. 11), Montevallo (Feb. 16) and Auburn Montgomery (Feb. 18). Road dates at West Alabama (Feb. 23) and Alabama Huntsville (Feb. 25) close out the regular season.

Gulf South Conference “Super Tuesday” is set for Feb. 28 on campus sites, as the GSC Semifinals and Championship return to Birmingham, Ala., Mar. 4-5. The NCAA South Regional is scheduled for Mar. 10-13, usually at the regional top-seed.

This year, the Elite Eight will be broken into two locations as the national quarterfinals and semifinals will be Mar. 21-22, in St. Joseph, Mo., and the NCAA Division II National Championship Game will be Apr. 1, in Dallas, Texas, in conjunction with the Division I Women’s Final Four.