By Paul Freelend skiff staff The Volley Frogs came into their Saturday match with Southern Methodist riding a two-game winning streak. TCU was looking to avenge their previous loss to the Mustangs. But with a win against the Volley Frogs, the Mustangs would clinch the first winning season in the history of its volleyball program. SMU managed to defeat TCU and take a 2-0 lead with wins of 15-12 and 15-10. In the third game, the Mustangs turned up the defensive pressure and limited the Volley Frogs to six points as they won the match.
TCU's next game was Tuesday in a non-conference match with the defending Southland Conference champion Texas-Arlington Mavericks. TCU started slow with UTA creeping out to a 2-1 lead. The Volley Frogs then scored nine consecutive points to a 10-2 lead before the Mavs would score again. UTA came within 10-4 but that was as close as the Mavs would get. The Volley Frogs closed out the game, 15-5. The Volley Frogs opened the next game with a three-point spurt but play remained even as neither team could gain more than a three-point advantage. TCU led 12-11 before the Mavs finished the game. In the third game, UTA gained a six-point lead at 10-4, forcing a TCU time-out. The Mavs then increased their lead to 14-6 before the Volley Frog offense responded. TCU held off four consecutive game points and closed to within 14-11 before UTA would close the match. The fourth game opened with TCU racing out to an early 4-0 lead. The Volley Frogs went on another mini-run, taking a 7-3 lead, but UTA drew even at 7-7. TCU took its last lead at 9-8 as the Mavs claimed the next five points to lead, 13-9. The Volley Frogs fought back and drew to within 13-12 before the Mavs ended the match. Head coach Sandy Troudt placed most of the post-game emphasis on the Volley Frogs' service errors and UTA's increased efforts. "After the first game, UTA just started playing better," Troudt said. "They stopped missing serves after the first game, and we didn't. You can't win and still miss 14 serves." Even with the disappointing outcome, Troudt was still able to find positives in TCU's play. "Even though we lost this is the best that Marci has played in a while," Troudt said. "[Freshman outside hitter] Steph Watson didn't have a lot of kills, but she didn't have a lot of errors either, and Katie Kieffer had a good night, leading us in blocks and kills." TCU was led by King's 17 kills, 15 digs and four service aces while Kieffer had 11 kills, blocked five shots and one solo block. The Volley Frogs' next matches will be against Texas-El Paso Friday night in the Rickel Building and Hawaii Saturday in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
Paul Freelend
By Steven Baker staff reporter On the first day of the NCAA early signing period, the TCU women's basketball team has added four speedy players for next season. "Our goal when recruiting started was to improve our speed end line to end line," head coach Jeff Mittie said. "We have done that with this group, while adding athleticism and versatility." Three 5-foot-10 guards, DeeDee Favors (Daingerfield High School in Daingerfield, Texas), Treecy Montgomery (Hamilton High School in Memphis, Tenn.) and Ebony Shaw (Southwest High School in Fort Worth) were chosen for their speed and defense capabilities. Six-foot-3 Tiffany Evans, who plays forward at Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas, will play one of the three guard positions for TCU next year. Mittie said all four women averaged double-doubles or came close to it in their junior seasons of high school. But their defensive capabilities and their ability to fill voids at multiple positions are most intriguing, he said. "Versatility of this group is really the key," he said. "I don't know that we have the guard depth right now to extend the floor." Favors averaged 25.4 points and 12 rebounds her junior year at Daingerfield. She has also achieved the status of a three-time high jump champion. "Favors has a knack for scoring and a nose for basketball," Mittie said. "She has played inside most of her career, despite standing just 5-foot-10." Montgomery reached an average 17 points and 14 rebounds at Hamilton and was Memphis' top rebounder. "Montgomery has great leaping ability, can play a variety of positions and her penetration and rebounding are her best features," Mittie said. Besides averaging 22.5 points and 10.9 rebounds, Shaw was named to the Texas Junior Olympic AAU team. "Shaw is the strongest player of this group," Mittie said. "She has a very physical body and can overpower guards she is playing against." Evans worked for an average of 16 points and eight rebounds last season at Newman Smith. "Evans is very versatile," Mittie said. "She shoots the three and can put the ball on the floor. She's probably more comfortable facing the basket than with her back to it. She has good range and a nice shooting touch." Also, in high school Favors earned 1998-99 offensive player of the year and all-area, region and conference. Montgomery received her team's most valuable player for 1998-99 and was awarded all-city and all-district. Shaw and Evans were chosen for all-area and all-district teams. "So with this recruiting class we are trying to get some guard depth and some players that can play a variety of positions so that they are interchangeable out on the floor," Mittie said. "The offensive numbers always stand out in recruiting, but the thing that excites me about this class is the ability to play up-tempo, pressure defense."
Steven Baker
By Rusty Simmons sports editor The players from the TCU women's basketball team took their new head coach, Jeff Mittie, seriously when he said, "you will have the freedom to shoot the ball." The Frogs fired 23 three-point shots in their 92-58 win over Russia Shelen Wednesday at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum. Eight of the first 10 TCU shots were of the three-point variety. The Frogs connected on 50 percent of the long-range jumpers for an early 16-6 lead. Senior guard Diamond Jackson hit six of nine from behind the arc, for 18 of her game-high 24 points. Jackson said she enjoys the freedom of Mittie's newly installed offense. "It seems like we're having more fun having freedom inside the play," she said. "The up-tempo play is better for the fans too. They don't want to sit and watch us set up plays." After the first 10 minutes of the game, Russia Shelen came out of the 2-3 zone in an effort to stop the Frogs outside shooting. TCU answered by looking to the post players. Mittie said he was proud of the way the players answered to the Russia Shelen's adjustment on defense. "I was really pleased because we started to mix it up," he said. "We were able to go inside and get some baskets. That is going to be the key for us, being able to go inside." Going into the exhibition with Russia Shelen, Mittie said he was worried that no one had stepped up as a consistent scorer on the inside. But sophomore center Karen Clayton scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Russia Shelen."I thought Karen Clayton played very well tonight," Mittie said. "Karen really stepped up tonight." Mittie said he was especially pleased the inside play because Russia Shelen plays so physical on the interior. Senior forward Shonda Mack, the Frogs' leading rebounder from a year ago, missed the game with a strained hamstring. But junior forward Sally Spencer tied Clayton for a team-high seven rebounds off the bench. With 3:37 left in the first half, Spencer hit a jumper and then Clayton scored six straight TCU points. The Frogs' captured a 32 point lead in the first five minutes of the second half when Jackson scored seven consecutive TCU points, including two more three-pointers. After a Russia Shelen took a time-out, TCU's starters did not see much more action in the game. But late in the game junior guard Amy Sutton found one more opportunity to make a three-point shot. She scored 12 points on four of six shooting and passed out five assists. The Frogs' defense forced 20 turnovers, but Sutton said there are still things the team needs to work on. "All we know right now is man-to-man," Sutton said. "I think we'll mix in some full court pressure later." Although the team is still learning some of the offensive and defensive sets that come with a new coach, both the players and Mittie said they feel like the transition has been simple. "I have two new coaches on my staff (to go along with the new systems I'm bringing in to TCU)," Mittie said. "But I think the transition has been easy and fun." The next transition Mittie said is important is constant improvement. "A win or loss (against Russia Shelen) doesn't make or break us," he said. "We just need to continue to get better each day."
Rusty Simmons
By Chris Harrison staff reporter The TCU men's golf team concluded its fall preseason this past weekend in Hilton Head, S.C., finishing in 15th place in the 18-team tournament. The Frogs shot an 863, 26 shots behind Georgia, who won the tournament with a score of 837. TCU's highest finisher was junior Scott Volpitto, who finished in 25th place with a total of 213. "It was your typical beach course," Volpitto said. "Lots of water and sand. The course was hard, but I really enjoyed playing it again. It's always nice to play golf at Hilton Head. "The playing conditions were perfect. In the past couple of years Hilton Head has been kind of cold and windy. This past weekend the conditions were great for some low scoring. It was in the 70s and there was absolutely no wind." Volpitto said he was pleased with his play in the tournament but wished a few more putts would have fallen in the final round of play. Sophomore Andy Doedon shot a third-round 72 to finish the tournament at even par, 216. "I thought I played pretty decent in this last tournament," Doedon said. "All of the par fives were reachable. There were just a couple of hard holes. I felt good hitting the ball but just missed a few putts. It was a difficult course but we have played harder." Like most of his teammates, Doedon is expecting great things for the Frogs in the spring. "I am looking forward to the spring season, and I know the rest of the team is also," he said. "We have a lot of ability on this team, and we are really starting to work together. The main thing about these preseason fall tournaments is that it gives the team a chance to come together and learn to play together." Junior Sal Spallone, who finished with a three-round score of 219, said he was a little disappointed in the team's overall showing this fall. "I feel we didn't even come close to playing up to our ability," Spallone said. "We have so much talent on the team this year. I think the fall was good for us as a team, but I think we can play much better than we did in the upcoming spring season. "Since we are such a young team we have lots of depth. More depth than I can remember in the past. We are going to have four or five players competing for one spot which will push those guys harder and harder. The competitiveness will be good for the team and help us get ready to face the tough competition ahead of us." The men closed out the preseason in Hilton Head, S.C. They will take some time off over Christmas break and rest up for the second half of their season. The men begin spring play on Feb. 17-19 at the Taylor Made/Big Island In Waikaloa, Hawaii.
Chris Harrison |
Senior outside hitter Jill Pape led TCU's offensive attack
with 14 kills and 12 digs while sophomore outside hitter Marci King had
nine kills and 13 digs. Sophomore setter Lindsay Hayes racked up 43 set
assists and freshman middle blocker Katie Kieffer led the defensive effort
with six blocks.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |