The Longhorns sat in the UT Club in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in front of two screens, as they watched ESPN announce their fate for the next few weeks. Head coach Vic Schaefer sat flanked by his players, taking notes on a legal pad as the March Madness seeds were revealed.

Texas women’s basketball received a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in the Birmingham Region Sunday evening and are set to play two rounds at home in the Moody Center.

When the Longhorns came on the screen, sophomore forward Madison Booker jumped up from her seat as the rest of the team and spectators clapped. This is the second consecutive year Texas snagged a No. 1 seed.

The squad is set to face either No. 16 High Point or William & Mary, depending on the outcome of a game on Thursday. If it wins the first round, Texas will then take the winner of No. 8 Illinois versus No. 9 Creighton.

Senior guard Shay Holle and senior guard Rori Harmon both emphasized what a huge advantage playing the first two rounds at home will be for the team.

“With the fan base we have, knowing that that will be at Moody Center with us, and then sleeping in your own bed, not having to travel. … It’s definitely a blessing to be able to host and (we’re) really honored to do so,” Holle said.

The Longhorns may have a chance to get redemption on South Carolina later on in the tournament, one of two teams Texas has lost to. But head coach Vic Schaefer is still living in the moment, just as he has preached all year long.

For Schaefer, the NCAA Tournament is familiar territory. He has led his teams to eight March Madness appearances in the past few years and brought the Longhorns to the Elite Eight three times in the last four years.

All year, the team has talked about how they feel like they have a target on their back. They have felt like they were the ones everyone was looking forward to beating.

But now, Schaefer is looking to flip the script.

“I’ll turn it around with my kids and tell them, ‘Hey, let’s go hunting,’” Schaefer said. “You know, I don’t want to be the hunted. Let’s go hunting.”