Volleyball team plays at home in tournament
Volleyball team encourages students to come watch the TCU Invitational this weekend. The VolleyFrogs will go head-to-head with San Jose State, Stephen F. Austin, Miami and the Spartans.
By Jay Armstrong
Skiff Staff

The volleyball team returns home for the first time since last year’s 7-21 season. The team’s 5-2 start, the best in team history, has brought it new life.

However, this weekend’s 6th Annual TCU Invitational may be the toughest test of the young season for the volleyball team.

San Jose State, a former Western Athletic Conference foe, has dominated the Frogs in the past, going 5-1 in six matches against the team. They are also ranked No. 31 by the Ballicora Computer Ranking System.

“They have the tradition mentally and physically to consistently beat teams in the top 100,” junior middle blocker Courtney Beach said.

While the Spartan match figures to be the toughest of the tournament, Stephen F. Austin is also ranked in the top 100 according to Ballicora. Miami University of Ohio is the team’s other opponent in the tournament.

Four hundred fans normally attend each home match for TCU. This is compared to perennial volleyball powers like Florida, which averages 2,000 spectators a game. The opportunity, however, is there for a large turnout because of the football team’s first home game on Saturday.

“It’s probably going to be a big weekend for student involvement,” said junior setter Tori Barlow.

Team members said they feel fans are partly responsible for helping the team win. Part of the home court advantage is a boisterous crowd.

“We want as many students as possible,” Head Coach Prentice Lewis said. “We encourage rowdy crowds: face painting, signs, chanting and singing the fight song.”

Regardless of the outcome of this weekend’s TCU tournament, the team knows it has several strengths and several areas to improve on before the start of conference play two weeks from now.

“We have the chemistry on the floor,” Beach said. “We have the mental side of the game we haven’t had before. We just need to work on finishing the game and not giving the opposing team any points. We can use our style of play to frustrate teams. We don’t have the power hitters that some teams have, but digging the ball from a power hitter deflates the other team.”