While most students were trying to relax on their first weekend of the semester, the Lady Frogs volleyball team was too busy winning games to take a break.TCU hosted the Molten/La Quinta Invitational Tournament in the University Recreation Center Friday and Saturday. The Lady Frogs won the tournament championship Saturday night with a 3-1 win over Boise State.
The team started off the tournament with a 3-0 shutout against Loyola Friday afternoon. Then, in front of an energetic crowd Friday night, the Frogs won 3-2 against South Carolina coming back from a 2-game deficit.
“Games one and two, we didn’t finish, and that part was disappointing,” head coach Prentice Lewis said of the South Carolina game. “But we finished games three, four and five because they fought hard and played like a team.”
The Frogs continued their streak Saturday by beating A&M Corpus Christi 3-1.
Freshman outside hitter Lauren Otto displayed her impressive abilities, Lewis said.
“When you watch Lauren Otto, she stands out because she is so dynamic,” Lewis said. “Her jump serve and her hard hits on the outside show that she can do a little bit of everything.”
More than half of the 2006 Lady Frogs volleyball team is filled with younger players. Of the fourteen on the team, eight are freshmen and sophomores.
Even though they are a young team, the outlook for the season is good, senior outside hitter Calli Corley said.
“The team we have this year has been the best I’ve played with,” Corley said. “I’m excited about what our team will be able to accomplish this season.”
The Frogs won the first game Saturday night against Boise State 30-21, but lost the second game 30-17. They were able to regain their energy and win game three 30-24 and game four 30-22.
“We came into the tournament knowing we were definitely capable of winning,” Corley said. “But you have to take it one game at a time and play hard, which is what we did.”
Senior middle blocker Anna Vaughn was named the Mountain West Conference Volleyball Player of the Week for her performance in the tournament.
Vaughn averaged 3.88 kills, 0.62 blocks, 0.62 digs, and .12 assists per game, according to gofrogs.com.
In addition to Vaughn winning an award, junior Emily Allen and freshman Lauren Otto were named representatives to the all-tournament team.
“It feels great to start off with four wins,” Otto said. “We all really enjoy playing together, and we are expecting great things this year.