After two weeks of preseason play, the TCU volleyball team finds itself ranked No. 25 on the AVCA poll for the first time in program history under head coach Jason Williams.

The Frogs sit at 2-2 after a huge upset against No. 18 Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 7, as they head into the Fight in the Fort tournament that starts this Thursday. 

The team is hungry for success after falling short in the NCAA tournament last season, falling to No. 9 Arkansas in four sets in the second round. They finished with a season record of 17-15 (conf. 8-10) with three ranked wins. The Frogs also swept No. 20 Baylor in an away series for the first time in program history.

Last season had a lot of broken records and new records set for this team.

Melanie Parra, who transferred to TCU from Texas before the 2023-24 season, was a force to be reckoned with on the court. 

She was the first Horned Frog to be named to one of three All-American teams, earning AVCA Third Team All-American. She was also top 20 in the nation for kills and points per set, with 4.38 and 5.17, respectively. 

This season, Parra is already dominating, leading the team with 85 blocks and nine service aces after four games. She was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time in her TCU career, the last two were awarded back-to-back.

If you thought there wasn’t more to add to Parra’s resume, there is; she also leads the conference in points and aces per set. Along with consecutive Big 12 awards, she was named the AVCA National Player of the Week. 

Other veteran Frogs have stepped up to the net, with Sarah Sylvester leading with 23.0 blocks and Cecily Bramschreiber tying Lily Nicholson with 53 digs. Nicholson also leads the team with 153 assists. 

Williams has turned the program around since joining in December 2021, marking his third year with the team this season. In the following two seasons, he broke attendance records with 1,642 fans in 2022 and set a new record in 2023 of 7,412 when the Frogs hosted No. 6 Texas on Oct. 18, 2023. The record is the highest of any women’s sport on campus.

Williams brought life back to the program, revamping a passion for the sport on campus. His dedication to the team has led to TCU volleyball’s success over the past three years. 

The Horned Frogs will look to climb the ranks entering the Fight in the Fort tournament this Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. They will face Texas A&M Commerce at 1 p.m. CDT on Thursday and the match will be available for streaming on ESPN+.