Volleyball Set To Host TCU Invitational
8/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2011
FORT WORTH, Texas - The 2011 TCU volleyball season gets underway Friday afternoon when the Horned Frogs play host to the TCU Invitational featuring Texas Tech, UConn and Grambling State. The Frogs first match of the season is set for Friday night against Texas Tech at 7 p.m. at the University Rec Center.
Tournament Schedule:
Friday, Aug. 26
4:30 p.m. UConn vs. Grambling State
7 p.m. TCU vs. Texas Tech Gametracker | Watch
Saturday, Aug. 27
10:30 p.m. Texas Tech vs. UConn
1 p.m. TCU vs. Grambling State Gametracker | Watch
4 p.m. Grambling State vs. Texas Tech Gametracker
7 p.m. TCU vs. UConn Gametracker | Watch
THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West this season.
• The roster will get a boost with the return of All-American setter Megan Munce and libero Sarah Joeckel, who both missed the majority of last season with injuries.
• The Horned Frogs return eight letterwinners, including four starters from a year ago.
• TCU welcomes six newcomers to the roster in 2011.
• Megan Munce and Kristen Hester were named preseason All-Mountain West.
TEXAS TECH NOTABLES
• Texas Tech is entering a new era under first-year head coach Don Floro.
• Returning outside hitter, senior Amanda Dowdy was named a preseason all-conference performer.
• The Red Raiders have five returning starters and welcome 12 newcomers.
GRAMBLING STATE NOTABLES
• Grambling State was selected to finish fourth in the Western Division of the SWAC and garnered four first-place votes.
• The Tigers are welcoming three newcomers in 2011.
CONNECTICUT NOTABLES
• The Huskies were picked to finish 11th in the Big East this season.
• UConn returns five starters, including the libero, from last year's squad.
• Connecticut welcomes six newcomers to the squad.
SERIES HISTORIES
• Texas Tech leads the all-time series 3-1.
• TCU's lone win in the series came on Sept. 12, 2008 in Lubbock when they claimed a 3-2 victory.
• Texas Tech won the only meeting between the schools in Fort Worth. The Red Raiders took home a 3-0 win on Sept. 5, 2000.
• TCU is 4-0 all-time against Grambling State.
• All four meetings have come in Fort Worth.
• The Horned Frogs have dropped just one set to the Tigers in the four meetings and that came back on Sept. 25, 2004.
• The Frogs won 3-0 in their last meeting on Aug. 29, 2009.
• Against Connecticut, the series is tied at a game apiece with both meetings coming at UConn.
• The Frogs defeated the Huskies in the last meeting between the schools, winning 3-2 on Sept. 5, 2009.
• UConn's victory came on Aug. 31, 2011 when it defeated TCU 3-0.
PARTY AT THE REC
• TCU ranked 24th nationally in attendance, averaging 1,319 fans per match in 2010.
• In total, 21,097 fans passed through the doors of the University Rec Center.
• Eight of the top 10 crowds in program history came during the 2010 campaign.
• All ten of the best crowds have come in the last two seasons.
• The Frogs largest crowd was 1,684 fans against BYU on Oct. 23, marking the second-largest crowd in school history.
• TCU will play 12 home games during the 2011 season.
THE INJURY BUG
• The injury bug played a big role in the 2010 season as the Frogs were without the services of two key cogs on the court.
• Megan Munce and Sarah Joeckel were lost to the team early in the season and combined to miss 54 contests.
• Yvonne Igodan missed a game due to an injury giving TCU a total of 55 man games lost in 2010.
• Illness also cost the Frogs a chance at a win when a stomach virus forced the cancellation of the Prairie View A&M match on November 2.
THE SCHEDULE
• The Frogs are slated to play at least 31 games, possibly 33, in the regular season.
• TCU will play five matches against teams that participated in the NCAA tournament a year ago.
• The home schedule will see the Frogs play 12 contests at the University Rec Center.
• In addition to the conference slate, the Frogs will play host to Texas Tech, Grambling State, UConn, Baylor and Texas.
• TCU will play in three preseason road tournaments, including one at SMU, one at Villanova and one at Seton Hall.
• The Mountain West Conference tournament returns after a three-year hiatus.
• The three-day tournament will be played in Albuquerque, N.M. Nov. 18-20.
• The regular season concludes with two matches at the Aztec Turkey Time Tournament in San Diego.
THE ROSTER
• The 2011 roster is a healthy mix of veterans and newcomers.
• The Frogs return eight players from last year's squad and welcome six newcomers.
• Two of the six newcomers are transfers in Courtnee Davis and Fleming Smurthwaite.
• Three members of the Horned Frog roster hail from Newport Beach, Calif., two of which (Megan Munce and Maddy Brown) played at Newport Harbor HS.
• The junior class is the largest group with six members.
• The senior class is the smallest with just two members (Kristen Hester and Jordan Raines).
• Mattie Burleson (Oklahoma) is the lone Horned Frog that doesn't hail from the state of Texas or California.
THE FROGS ON TV
• Once again, the Horned Frogs will be a prominent feature on The Mtn. with four schedule home matches set to air on the network.
• TCU's matches against Texas (Sept. 20), San Diego State (Oct. 6), Air Force (Oct. 27) and Colorado State (Nov. 10) are slated for broadcast.
• Additionally, The Mtn. will televise the entire Mountain West Conference Tournament.
• The championship match will air on CBS Sports Network on Nov. 20.
