RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – With the 2023 Great American Conference volleyball regular season complete, the league announced the bracket and schedule for the GAC Championships. After a year hiatus, the event returns to the Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The venue has hosted eight previous GAC Championships.
Play starts at 10 a.m. on Thursday with four quarterfinals. In the opening match, third-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State faces East Central. The Bulldogs won both regular-season meetings - a five-set triumph in Ada on September 19 and a three-set home win on October 26. The two have never met at the GAC Championships.
The second contest features No. 2 seed Oklahoma Baptist and No. 7 Ouachita Baptist. The Bison closed the regular season by winning nine of their last 10 to share the regular-season title with Harding. The lone loss came at the hands of Ouachita Baptist, a four-set decision in Arkadelphia on October 19.
Harding earned the top seed for the second-straight year. Last year, the Lady Bisons won their third GAC Championship title. They take on Southeastern Oklahoma State. After winning just four games overall and one in league play in 2022, the Savage Storm improved to 12-16 this season, 7-9 in conference play. They pulled off their first ever win in Searcy with a four-set win on October 20.
The quarterfinals conclude at 5 p.m. when No. 4 Henderson State meets No. 5 Southern Arkansas in a rematch from Thursday’s regular-season finale. The Muleriders defeated the Reddies in four sets to level the regular-season series. Henderson State won in three sets on September 26.
Friday’s semifinals begin at 2 p.m. Saturday’s final takes place at 2 p.m. The GAC Sports Network will stream the tournament in its entirety. For complete coverage and additional information, visit the
Volleyball Championship Central page.
2023 GAC Volleyball Championships Schedule
Thursday, November 16
Quarterfinal #1: 10:00 AM - No. 3 Southwestern Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 East Central
Quarterfinal #2: 12:30 PM - No. 2 Oklahoma Baptist vs. No. 7 Ouachita Baptist
Quarterfinal #3: 3:00 PM - No. 1 Harding vs. No. 8 Southeastern Oklahoma State
Quarterfinal #4: 5:30 PM - No. 4 Henderson State vs. No. 5 Southern Arkansas
Friday, November 17
Semifinal #1: 2:00 PM - Winner of Quarterfinal #1 vs Winner of Quarterfinal #2
Semifinal #2: 5:00 PM - Winner of Quarterfinal #3 vs Winner of Quarterfinal #4
Sunday, November 18
Final: 3:00 PM - Winner of Semifinal #1 vs Winner of Semifinal #2