Team headed to New Orleans
Mary Hollis

The TCU women’s volleyball team completed its regular season schedule with a victory over East Carolina last weekend, increasing the Frogs record to 19-12 and 5-8 in Conference USA.

The 19 victories are the most wins compiled by a TCU volleyball team in the program’s history.

Now, the team must forget about the program’s record-setting season and shift its focus to the C-USA tournament in New Orleans, La. where the Frogs are the 10th seed.

The tournament in New Orleans will not only mark the end of a successful season for the Frogs, but it will also mark the end of two TCU collegiate volleyball careers. Senior defensive specialist Jessica Fleming and senior setter Tori Barlow will play their final few matches in a TCU uniform this upcoming weekend.

Fleming said this year has been a great year for the team and that the Frogs have come a long way from the beginning of the season.
“Throughout the season we have improved mentally, physically and have been able to adjust to (head) coach Prentice (Lewis’s) strategy, which is why we have been so successful,” Fleming said.

She said she is looking forward to the upcoming tournament, and the opportunity TCU has to demonstrate what kind of team it is.

“I'm really looking forward to showing the other teams what we are made of and how hard we’ve worked,” Fleming said. “We will need to play to our potential.”

Barlow said in regards to this season, she has really enjoyed her role as a leader on the team and has seen many new strengths in the team this year.
“My role on the team has been different being a senior because it puts me in a leadership role, and I like that role,” Barlow said. “The chemistry on the team has been exceptional this year. Even though we are young, we were deeper in talent.”

Barlow also said the work ethic of her teammates has been another reason the Frogs have been so successful this year. She said every team will present a tough competition in the tournament.

“We have to go into it with an attitude of nothing to lose,” Barlow said. “We have to go out and play our hardest and continue to play hard and work together.”

Lewis agreed with Barlow, adding that every team will be a tough opponent.

“It’s great going into the tournament with two recent wins,” Lewis said. “It has been a long, tough season, and it’s not easy to get up for that many matches, but all the players have been playing well.”

The C-USA tournament begins Friday in New Orleans. The Frogs will be facing Alabama-Birmingham in the tournament’s first round, who they defeated three games to two in the only regular season meeting.