By Paul Freelend Skiff staff After three shorthanded and unpredictable seasons, the TCU volleyball team now has its holsters fully loaded and ready to take on its challengers. The Volley Frogs enter the 1999 season with a large number of players with athletic scholarships, a first for a program which came into existence in 1996, as well as a roster that head coach Sandy Troudt said features youth, leadership, height and an abundance of talent. All six starters are returning from last year's squad. The Volley Frogs lose only letter-winner, Jill Franz, while 11 others have returned to the team. Outside Hitter The deepest position for TCU, as the case has been in years past, is outside hitter. Senior co-captain Jill Pape and sophomore Marci King will share the limelight and - if last year's statistics are any indication - the bulk of the offensive load for the Volley Frogs. Between them, Pape and King accounted for 46 percent of TCU's offense in 1998. Joining Pape and King at outside hitter are seniors Bethany Toce and Amy Atamanczuk and freshmen newcomers Jennifer Cuca and Stephanie Watson. "Stephanie will provide our team with solid performances both with her attack but more so in her ball control game," Troudt said. "She has played a great deal of middle blocker so the quicker sets are natural to her, and we are excited to feature her in our offense. Cuca is an excellent passer and defensive player and she'll work on her power and shot-making ability." Setter The Volley Frogs have downsized the setter position from last season when they crammed the roster with three setters. Instead, Troudt developed a new plan of attack. Sophomore Lindsay Hayes, who solidified herself as the team's number one setter last year, will head up the position again with fellow sophomore and converted middle blocker Rachel Shirley waiting in the wings. "Lindsay has worked on her game considerably in every aspect. Rachel has learned the position quickly and I expect she will challenge Lindsay for the starting spot," Troudt said. "The setter spot will be one that will demonstrate the most growth from our 1998 season." Middle blocker The future looks bright for the TCU on the defensive side of the net with an abundance of both returning experience and new faces. Of all the returning middle blockers, only senior Jessica Rangel returns as an upperclassman. Sophomores Allison Lynch and Jennifer Sebastian and freshman Katie Kieffer will all push Rangel for playing time while forming their own place in the rotation. Defensive specialist Senior co-captain Stacy Olson and junior Crissy Grimm head up the defensive specialist position for the 1999 Volley Frogs. While the name suggests a more defensive role in the workings of the team, Troudt said there could be a few wrinkles from the duo. "Stacy had a tremendous spring providing leadership both on and off the court," Troudt said. "She is determined to finish her career in superb style. Crissy can be a defensive monster. I am looking forward to both Olson and Grimm showing off a jump serve this fall." Outlook With the secessions of the members of the now Mountain West Conference, the Volley Frogs' Western Athletic Conference schedule shrunk but did not lose any of its potency. After the season opener with the University of North Texas, TCU will embark on a stretch where they will play three tournaments within the span of three weeks. The Oregon State Volleyball Showcase, Jayhawk Classic and TCU Invitational are broken up by home matches against Big 12 opponent Baylor University and NCAA Tournament qualifier Southwest Texas State University, while Final Four participant University of Hawaii and NCAA Tournament participants Fresno State University and San Jose State University highlight the WAC schedule. "I am so excited about the reconfigured WAC," Troudt said. "Hawaii is the traditional power and Fresno State and San Jose State are up and coming programs. The University of Texas at El Paso features a new coaching staff and Rice had one of their best seasons ever last year. SMU will continue to be a battle for us and when our teams get together on the court it is a fight to the finish. Volleyball in the WAC will continue to be nationally prominent, and I anticipate it will improve in the years to come."
By Victor Drabicky Skiff staff Just when the participation in intramurals sports reached its highest point, the number of participants may have to be limited this fall. The destruction of the old track and the construction of the Morris (football practice fields) have pushed the intramural sports onto fields without lights. In past years, the majority of the outdoor intramural sports were played under the lights, and junior business major Shawn Wallace said the lack of that option will hamper the intramural sports program. "The biggest thing we need is lights," Wallace said. "Hopefully, through student petitions and help of Chancellor Ferrari, we can get some put in." Steve Kintigh, director of recreational sports, said he thinks the new lights will be installed within a year. "It is disappointing, but we must go forward and make the best of it," he said. The intramural sports program will discuss exactly how to move forward in its recently formed intramural sports council. The 12-member council, was developed last fall, and it decides on everything from what sports are being played to how to deal with troublemakers. Intramural sports director Lance Steffen said the council will benefit the future of the intramural program. Over the past two years, the program has seen some major changes including greater campus involvement and the implementation of a new points system. Steffen said the council has made an effort to reach out to the entire campus. "Last year we launched a huge, campus-wide campaign," Steffen said. "We visited every activities fair, sorority and fraternity house and residential hall." The visits were met with great enthusiasm, Steffen said. Participation was up with more than 7,500 participants in the spring. Steffen said much of the success was a result of the new intramural sports points system. "The new points system allows groups to compete in any or all events," said Steffen. "The better they finish, the more points they get. At the end of the year, the team with the most points wins." Last year's winners included the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity in the men's division, the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority in the women's division and Brachman Hall in the coed division. The reigning winners will begin to defend their championships on Sept. 14 when the 24-event intramural sports season kicks off with a sand volleyball tournament at the Rickel Building and concludes with an awards banquet in the spring. |
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