TCU beach volleyball prepares to carry its momentum into the University of Texas Fall Challenge, where the team will face off against UT Austin, Houston Christian University (HCU) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beginning Nov. 2. 

After a successful showing at the AVCA Central Bid Tournament, where multiple TCU pairs finished on the podium, the Frogs look to solidify their winning reputation.

Dominating the AVCA Central Bid Tournament

This past weekend, TCU competed in the AVCA Central Bid Tournament, held in Houston, Texas. 

The Frogs sent three pairs to the Bid Division and eight pairs to the Open Division.

In the Bid Division, Deniela Konstantinova and Tania Moreno emerged as the tournament’s stars, finishing first without dropping a single set in any match. This impressive feat placed them as the No. 1 seed heading into Sunday’s bracket play. The duo faced stiff competition but remained consistent, claiming victories over SFA’s Hansen/Rogers and LSU’s Bailey/Bracken before facing their TCU teammates, Anhelina Khmil and Allanis Navas, in the championship match.

𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 🤩

Congrats to Deni and Tania for placing 1️⃣st at the 2024 AVCA Central Bid Tournament!

Both spots in the Bid division final were TCU pairings and both semifinals in the Open division featured our pairs 💜#GoFrogs🐸🏖️🏐 x #OneTeam pic.twitter.com/OTMx8Lm3Da

— TCU Beach Volleyball (@TCUBeachVB) October 28, 2024

Khmil and Navas were equally impressive, finishing the tournament undefeated in matches before forfeiting the championship game, thus securing second place. This strong performance included wins over Texas’ Hashman/Robertson and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Bobay/Olsson.

The third pair representing TCU in the Bid Division, Olivia Clines and Hailey Hamlett, ended the weekend with a fifth-place finish. They advanced through the bracket with wins over Texas’ Hashman/Robertson but ultimately fell to Konstantinova and Moreno in their final match of the weekend.

Success in the Open Division

In the Open Division, Kaitlyn Bradley and Emma Glagau dominated the Gold Bracket, where they took home first place. Their journey included wins over LSU’s Baker/Finlasson and their TCU teammates.

Following Bradley and Glagau’s success, Luana Araco and Brooke Sheely emerged victorious in the Silver Bracket. Their path to first place saw them overcome pairings from HCU and LSU, as Araco and Sheely clinched yet another title for the team over the weekend.

Several other TCU pairs also found success in their brackets. Anete Namike and Stacy Reeves finished fourth in the Gold Bracket after advancing past LSU’s Hall/Taylor. Josie Sek and Morgan Williams took third in the Gold Bracket, giving TCU another podium finish in the competitive Open Division.

Up Next: University of Texas Fall Challenge

With momentum on their side, TCU beach volleyball sets their sights on the University of Texas Fall Challenge in Austin on Nov. 2. 

The Frogs will compete against teams from UT Austin, HCU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.