The UConn Huskies are heading back to the big dance—and they're bringing plenty of Texas flavor with them.

STORRS — Riding the momentum of their second straight Big East championship, the UConn softball team learned its NCAA Tournament destination Sunday night, and it's a homecoming for some key players. The Huskies will travel to College Station to face Texas A&M in Regional play, with first pitch set for Friday at 2 p.m.

"I'm excited," said a confident Huskies squad. "We have Emma Willers on our team from Texas, plus a couple of recruits from Texas, so it's going to be special to go there and make some noise. We're going to pour into each other, play 1-to-21 UConn softball, and that's how we're going to win."

This marks the Huskies' second consecutive NCAA appearance—a milestone for a program that hadn't made the tournament since 2001 before last year's run, which included two games in Baton Rouge. That experience, combined with this year's Big East dominance, has the team feeling battle-tested.

The Huskies' path to the title was fueled by standout performances in the Big East tournament. Freshman Emma Willers, a Dallas native, crushed two home runs in Friday's semifinal win over Butler. Then, in Saturday's decisive championship game, Big East Player of the Year Cat Petteys went a remarkable 4-for-5 with a home run, while Providence transfer Jessica Walter delivered a complete-game gem to beat Creighton 8-3.

Texas A&M enters as the No. 15 overall seed in the 64-team field, boasting a 36-16 record. The Aggies will host a double-elimination Regional that also includes Arizona State and McNeese, meaning the Huskies will need to bring their A-game from the opening pitch.

For a team that's already proven it can rise to the occasion, this trip to Texas could be the stage for another memorable chapter in UConn softball history.