Friday, August 30
Lincoln, Neb.
4:30 PM
TCU
vs
Oklahoma
Preview: Ameritas Players Challenge
8/29/2024 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Volleyball opens 2024 against Oklahoma and No. 2 Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. – TCU volleyball opens its 2024 campaign this weekend at the Ameritas Players Challenge, taking on Oklahoma and No. 2 Nebraska at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Aug. 30-31.
TCU NOTABLES
• Heading into 2024, TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference, receiving one first place vote. The Horned Frogs also earned 97 votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Senior Melanie Parra was tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year as voted on by the conference's head coaches. She is the first Horned Frog to earn this honor.
• Parra was also a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, joining teammate Jalyn Gibson, who was named to the preseason team.
• Head coach Jason Williams looks to take TCU to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season in 2024. In just two seasons with the program, he has guided the Frogs to back-to-back Second Round appearances in the Big Dance.
• Williams is just one of 11 other head coaches to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of their first two seasons at the helm joining the likes of John Cook (Nebraska), Jerritt Elliot (Texas), Kevin Hambly (Stanford), Kelly Sheffield (Wisconsin) and Mary Wise (Florida), among others.
• The Horned Frogs open 2024 with one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Three of TCU's first four matches are against ranked teams: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota.
• TCU returns five starters and eight letterwinners from a season ago, including its stat leader in aces (Parra, 47), assists (Lily Nicholson, 620), blocks (Sarah Sylvester, 138), digs (Bramschreiber, 464) and kills (Parra, 482).
• The Frogs are 15-13 in season openers in the program's 28-year history.
• TCU's 2024 roster features eight newcomers. Williams welcomes four talented freshmen, who rank ninth nationally as a signing class according to PrepVolleyball, and four experienced transfers, including 2023 FIVB U19 World Championship Gold Medalist Becca Kelley, to Fort Worth.
SERIES HISTORY
• TCU faces a familiar foe in its season opener against Oklahoma. The former Big 12 Conference member holds the all-time series lead over the Frogs; however, TCU has won five of the last six meetings, including each of the previous three.
• The Horned Frogs and Huskers have only met once on the court in the two program's history. Nebraska won the lone meeting back in 2016, which came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING REPORT
Head coach Aaron Mansfield (104-85, seven seasons) leads Oklahoma volleyball into a new era as it joins the SEC in 2024. Mansfield enters his second season at the helm after leading the Sooners to an 11-17 record a year ago. OU returns nine players from its 2023 squad; however, the Sooners are looking to replace their top two offensive weapons. Middle blocker Lydia Martyn is back for Oklahoma after being selected to the USAV Women's Collegiate National Team. Last season for Oklahoma, Martyn led the team in blocks and ranked third with 243 kills.
Already off to a 1-0 start after taking down No. 9 Kentucky on Tuesday, John Cook (690-100) heads into his 25th season as head coach at Nebraska. A season ago, Nebraska posted a 33-2 record overall, winning the Big Ten Conference title and advancing to the NCAA Final where the Huskers finished as the National Runner-Up. Picked to win the conference again in 2024 by the league's head coaches, Nebraska opens the season with the No. 2 ranking in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches' Poll behind defending national champion Texas. The Huskers return all six starters and their libero from a season ago, four of whom were AVCA All-Americans.
For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.
TCU NOTABLES
• Heading into 2024, TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference, receiving one first place vote. The Horned Frogs also earned 97 votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Senior Melanie Parra was tabbed the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year as voted on by the conference's head coaches. She is the first Horned Frog to earn this honor.
• Parra was also a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, joining teammate Jalyn Gibson, who was named to the preseason team.
• Head coach Jason Williams looks to take TCU to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season in 2024. In just two seasons with the program, he has guided the Frogs to back-to-back Second Round appearances in the Big Dance.
• Williams is just one of 11 other head coaches to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament in each of their first two seasons at the helm joining the likes of John Cook (Nebraska), Jerritt Elliot (Texas), Kevin Hambly (Stanford), Kelly Sheffield (Wisconsin) and Mary Wise (Florida), among others.
• The Horned Frogs open 2024 with one of the toughest schedules in the nation. Three of TCU's first four matches are against ranked teams: No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota.
• TCU returns five starters and eight letterwinners from a season ago, including its stat leader in aces (Parra, 47), assists (Lily Nicholson, 620), blocks (Sarah Sylvester, 138), digs (Bramschreiber, 464) and kills (Parra, 482).
• The Frogs are 15-13 in season openers in the program's 28-year history.
• TCU's 2024 roster features eight newcomers. Williams welcomes four talented freshmen, who rank ninth nationally as a signing class according to PrepVolleyball, and four experienced transfers, including 2023 FIVB U19 World Championship Gold Medalist Becca Kelley, to Fort Worth.
SERIES HISTORY
• TCU faces a familiar foe in its season opener against Oklahoma. The former Big 12 Conference member holds the all-time series lead over the Frogs; however, TCU has won five of the last six meetings, including each of the previous three.
• The Horned Frogs and Huskers have only met once on the court in the two program's history. Nebraska won the lone meeting back in 2016, which came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING REPORT
Head coach Aaron Mansfield (104-85, seven seasons) leads Oklahoma volleyball into a new era as it joins the SEC in 2024. Mansfield enters his second season at the helm after leading the Sooners to an 11-17 record a year ago. OU returns nine players from its 2023 squad; however, the Sooners are looking to replace their top two offensive weapons. Middle blocker Lydia Martyn is back for Oklahoma after being selected to the USAV Women's Collegiate National Team. Last season for Oklahoma, Martyn led the team in blocks and ranked third with 243 kills.
Already off to a 1-0 start after taking down No. 9 Kentucky on Tuesday, John Cook (690-100) heads into his 25th season as head coach at Nebraska. A season ago, Nebraska posted a 33-2 record overall, winning the Big Ten Conference title and advancing to the NCAA Final where the Huskers finished as the National Runner-Up. Picked to win the conference again in 2024 by the league's head coaches, Nebraska opens the season with the No. 2 ranking in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches' Poll behind defending national champion Texas. The Huskers return all six starters and their libero from a season ago, four of whom were AVCA All-Americans.
For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.
Players Mentioned
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