Wednesday, September 16
Fort Worth, Texas
6:30 PM
TCU
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UTEP
Preview: Fight in the Fort
9/15/2026 5:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
FORT WORTH – After five consecutive matches on the road, No. 13 TCU volleyball is back at home ready to defend Schollmaier Arena for the annual Fight in the Fort. The Horned Frogs face UTEP, Yale and Rice Sept. 16-18.
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TCU TIDBITS
• TCU went a perfect 3-0 at the South Florida Invitational, picking up wins over USF, Michigan and Dayton to extend its winning streak to four matches.
• Junior libero Alice Volpe was recognized as a member of the Big 12's Starting Seven, averaging 4.40 digs per set last week. She squares off against her mother, Genny Volpe, the Rice head coach on Sept. 18.
• Becca Kelley has established herself as one of the top attackers in the Big 12. The senior ranks second in the conference with 122 kills (4.36 per set).
• The Frogs rank top 25 nationally in three categories: assists per set (11th, 13.32), kills per set (11th, 14.46) and blocks per set (17th, 2.71).
• Heading into the final weekend of non-conference play, TCU boasts the No. 12 toughest schedule in the country. The Frogs have already faced off against four ranked opponents, knocking off No. 8 SMU and sweeping No. 14 Purdue.
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SCOUTING REPORT
UTEP enters Wednesday's match 7-1 and riding a seven-match winning streak. The Miners were picked to win the Mountain West in their first season in the conference after going 25-5, winning the Conference USA regular-season title and earning an NCAA Tournament berth in 2025. The Miners have been one of the stronger blocking teams early this season, averaging 2.66 blocks per set while holding opponents to a .191 hitting percentage. Luvina Oguntimehin leads a balanced attack with 68 kills and 29 blocks, while Mackenzi Davis has added 65 kills. Hannah Crowe leads UTEP with 33 blocks.
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Yale comes to Fort Worth with a 6-0 record for the first time since 1998. The Bulldogs were picked second in the Ivy League Preseason Poll after finishing 15-9 overall and 10-4 in conference play last season. Yale returns a loaded group that includes reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Ava Poinsett and First Team All-Ivy selections Laurece Abraham and Betsy Goodenow. Abraham has been particularly efficient in the middle after hitting .430 last season. She was named MVP of the East Coast Challenge this past weekend after helping Yale sweep New Hampshire and defeat UConn in four sets. Poinsett added a team-high 17 kills against the Huskies.
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Rice enters the Fight in the Fort 6-3 after knocking off No. 15 Creighton in four sets on Sunday. The Owls were unanimously picked to win the American Conference for the third consecutive season after capturing the league's regular-season championship in 2025. Sophomore Sydnee Peterson has emerged as Rice's top offensive weapon, leading the Owls with 126 kills and averaging 3.71 kills per set. She erupted for a match-high 20 kills and 11 digs in the win over the Bluejays, her fourth double-double of the season. Ashlyn Seay has added 92 kills, while Mateo has dished out 305 assists. Arissa Smith anchors the Owls at the net and is hitting .364 while ranking among the team's leaders in blocks.
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HOME SWEET HOME
• Since the start of the 2024 season, TCU is 28-3 on its home court, including a top-10 win over SMU on Sept. 2.
• The Frogs finished their 2025 campaign with 13 wins inside Schollmaier Arena, one shy of tying the program record set in 2007 and 2024.
• Further, Williams is 45-14 at home during his tenure as a head coach.
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FAMILY AFFAIR
• For the third consecutive season, TCU and Rice will meet for the match in non-conference play.
• It's become a family affair for the Volpe family as the mother-daughter duo of Genny and Alice get to compete against each other in the sport they love.
• Coaching for the past 23 seasons, before Alice was even born, Genny Volpe has guided the Owls to 10 NCAA tournaments and is the winningest head coach in program history.
• Alice holds a 2-0 advantage against her mother, totaling 30 digs in those matches, including 20 in last season's win.
TAMPA TAKEOVER
• TCU went 3-0 at the South Florida Invitational, picking up wins over USF, Michigan and Dayton. The Frogs dropped just two sets all weekend.
• The offense was firing on all cylinders in Tampa, racking up 168 kills while hitting .304 across 11 sets.
• Becca Kelley led the charge with 58 kills, averaging 5.27 kills per set while hitting .361. The senior highlighted her weekend with a career-best 23 kills in the win over Michigan.
• Evan Hendrix also added 43 kills over the three matches, including 19 kills against Michigan and Dayton.
• The Frogs also played strong defense with Alice Volpe anchoring the back row with 43 digs and De'Andrea McMillian locking down the net with 12 blocks.
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For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.
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TCU TIDBITS
• TCU went a perfect 3-0 at the South Florida Invitational, picking up wins over USF, Michigan and Dayton to extend its winning streak to four matches.
• Junior libero Alice Volpe was recognized as a member of the Big 12's Starting Seven, averaging 4.40 digs per set last week. She squares off against her mother, Genny Volpe, the Rice head coach on Sept. 18.
• Becca Kelley has established herself as one of the top attackers in the Big 12. The senior ranks second in the conference with 122 kills (4.36 per set).
• The Frogs rank top 25 nationally in three categories: assists per set (11th, 13.32), kills per set (11th, 14.46) and blocks per set (17th, 2.71).
• Heading into the final weekend of non-conference play, TCU boasts the No. 12 toughest schedule in the country. The Frogs have already faced off against four ranked opponents, knocking off No. 8 SMU and sweeping No. 14 Purdue.
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SCOUTING REPORT
UTEP enters Wednesday's match 7-1 and riding a seven-match winning streak. The Miners were picked to win the Mountain West in their first season in the conference after going 25-5, winning the Conference USA regular-season title and earning an NCAA Tournament berth in 2025. The Miners have been one of the stronger blocking teams early this season, averaging 2.66 blocks per set while holding opponents to a .191 hitting percentage. Luvina Oguntimehin leads a balanced attack with 68 kills and 29 blocks, while Mackenzi Davis has added 65 kills. Hannah Crowe leads UTEP with 33 blocks.
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Yale comes to Fort Worth with a 6-0 record for the first time since 1998. The Bulldogs were picked second in the Ivy League Preseason Poll after finishing 15-9 overall and 10-4 in conference play last season. Yale returns a loaded group that includes reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Ava Poinsett and First Team All-Ivy selections Laurece Abraham and Betsy Goodenow. Abraham has been particularly efficient in the middle after hitting .430 last season. She was named MVP of the East Coast Challenge this past weekend after helping Yale sweep New Hampshire and defeat UConn in four sets. Poinsett added a team-high 17 kills against the Huskies.
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Rice enters the Fight in the Fort 6-3 after knocking off No. 15 Creighton in four sets on Sunday. The Owls were unanimously picked to win the American Conference for the third consecutive season after capturing the league's regular-season championship in 2025. Sophomore Sydnee Peterson has emerged as Rice's top offensive weapon, leading the Owls with 126 kills and averaging 3.71 kills per set. She erupted for a match-high 20 kills and 11 digs in the win over the Bluejays, her fourth double-double of the season. Ashlyn Seay has added 92 kills, while Mateo has dished out 305 assists. Arissa Smith anchors the Owls at the net and is hitting .364 while ranking among the team's leaders in blocks.
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HOME SWEET HOME
• Since the start of the 2024 season, TCU is 28-3 on its home court, including a top-10 win over SMU on Sept. 2.
• The Frogs finished their 2025 campaign with 13 wins inside Schollmaier Arena, one shy of tying the program record set in 2007 and 2024.
• Further, Williams is 45-14 at home during his tenure as a head coach.
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FAMILY AFFAIR
• For the third consecutive season, TCU and Rice will meet for the match in non-conference play.
• It's become a family affair for the Volpe family as the mother-daughter duo of Genny and Alice get to compete against each other in the sport they love.
• Coaching for the past 23 seasons, before Alice was even born, Genny Volpe has guided the Owls to 10 NCAA tournaments and is the winningest head coach in program history.
• Alice holds a 2-0 advantage against her mother, totaling 30 digs in those matches, including 20 in last season's win.
TAMPA TAKEOVER
• TCU went 3-0 at the South Florida Invitational, picking up wins over USF, Michigan and Dayton. The Frogs dropped just two sets all weekend.
• The offense was firing on all cylinders in Tampa, racking up 168 kills while hitting .304 across 11 sets.
• Becca Kelley led the charge with 58 kills, averaging 5.27 kills per set while hitting .361. The senior highlighted her weekend with a career-best 23 kills in the win over Michigan.
• Evan Hendrix also added 43 kills over the three matches, including 19 kills against Michigan and Dayton.
• The Frogs also played strong defense with Alice Volpe anchoring the back row with 43 digs and De'Andrea McMillian locking down the net with 12 blocks.
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For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.
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Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
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