Volley Frogs get set for remainder of season
Team loses two matches, but effort there, coaches say

Head volleyball coach Sandy Troudt said her team is not ready to give up on their season. They’re in it for the long haul.

This is especially true now, with the end of the season approaching. However, the Volley Frogs choose not to think too far into the future.

“We want to look at our season as if we only have one more match left,” Troudt said. “If we do this, then we will be all right. Right now all we’re thinking about is Tulsa.”

The Volley Frogs will play seven more matches in the regular season. This includes a match against Tulsa on Friday, followed by a four-match road trip that Troudt said she doesn’t expect to be easy. The Frogs will then return home to play San Jose State and Fresno State in the last two matches of the season.

“It’s become a no-holds barred situation, and we’re still very excited,” Troudt said. “We’ve always played well in November, and we expect the same (this season).”

It is this confidence that Troudt said should help the 12-14 Volley Frogs end the season successfully. Although season goals have, for the most part, stayed constant, the Frogs always look toward further improvement.

In practice, the team is working on a few basics components of the game, Troudt said.

“We’re looking to touch the ball more, read (the ball) better, switch up our offense a little and become less predictable,” Troudt said.

Troudt said she sees her team improving, as they were able to maintain their intensity during two tough losses in matches against Hawaii and Nevada last Friday and Saturday.

“(The losses) really haven’t brought down our confidence,” sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Watson said. “If anything, it’s sparked us to come together.”

The statistics show numbers from both losses that support the team’s confidence.

TCU’s offense didn’t give up easily against the No. 2-ranked Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. The Frogs scored 33 points, the most amount of points they have ever scored in a match against Hawaii. Senior outside hitter Amy Atamanczuk’s 14 kills, junior middle blocker Allison Lynch’s seven blocks and junior setter Lindsay Hayes’ 38 assists were all statistics that had never been compiled by the Volley Frogs against Hawaii in previous matches.

Troudt said she would still like to see her team improve their speed, discipline and confidence. However, she said she saw an incredible effort against two tough teams.

“I always say that playing tough people will make you better,” Troudt said. “We have really conquered that challenge.”

In spite of the losses, assistant coach Barbara Kovacs said the Frogs have continued to give their best effort.
“We’ve seen everyone really recommit to our focus,” Kovacs said. “And we’ve asked everyone to give it all they have got for another three weeks.”

Kovacs said the focus of TCU volleyball has been to deal with each obstacle when it comes and give 100 percent effort during each remaining game or practice.

Of the seven remaining games in TCU’s season, six are against Western Athletic Conference opponents. The Frogs are currently ranked fifth in the WAC standings, which makes these games crucial in how they will finish overall.

Watson said the entire team believes they can win the remainder of its games.

“We just need to keep our heads and our focus,” Watson said. “If we play how we’re capable of, I think we can win all the matches.”

Colleen Casey
c.m.casey@student.tcu.edu

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