Friday, September 6
Waco, Texas
4 PM
TCU
vs
Wisconsin
Preview: Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge
9/5/2024 11:30:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Volleyball takes on No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota
WACO, Texas – After a 1-1 weekend to open the 2024 season, TCU volleyball continues its non-conference slate at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge with matches against No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota Sept. 6-7 at 4 p.m. CT inside the Ferrell Center.
TCU NOTABLES
• TCU volleyball opened the season with a 3-1 win over Oklahoma and a 1-3 loss at No. 2 Nebraska in the Ameritas Players Challenge last weekend.
• Despite coming up short against No. 2 Nebraska, the Frogs showed flashes of how great they can be, becoming just the fourth non-conference opponent in the last three years to take a set from the Huskers in the Devaney Center in the regular season, joining Kentucky, Creighton and Stanford.
• The Horned Frogs are receiving 62 votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches' Poll, good for 28th nationally.
• For the fourth consecutive season, TCU will participate in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge against Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• After leading the league with 5.44 points per set, senior Melanie Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
• TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference in the 2024 preseason poll, receiving one first place vote.
• 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.
• Four Horned Frogs made their TCU debuts last weekend: Evan Hendrix, Becca Kelley, Alexis Roberson and Alice Volpe.
• 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 (Cecily Bramschreiber, 464) and kills (Parra, 482).
• 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 and Wisconsin have matched up four times in the two programs' history. Three of the four meetings have come in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, with the other being in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Frogs are looking for their first victory over the Badgers.
• The Horned Frogs and Gophers have faced off six times on the court, with Minnesota taking all of the previous meetings. Last season, TCU managed to swipe a set from Minnesota but fell in four sets.
SCOUTING REPORT
For the sixth time in program history and the fourth time in the last five seasons, Wisconsin wrapped up last season with an appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals. One of the most experienced teams in the nation, the Badgers return eight in 2024, including AVCA All-Americans Carter Booth, Sarah Franklin, Devyn Robinson, and Anna Smrek. Ranked No. 6 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, Wisconsin and head coach Kelly Sheffield are off to a tough start this season, falling to 0-3 overall after opening their 2024 campaign against three top-5 opponents. They'll enter the weekend hungry for their first win, led by Franklin, who is averaging 5.00 kills per set (13th nationally).
Head coach Keegan Cook is entering his second year at Minnesota with a revamped roster and high expectations once again. Ranked No. 18 in the nation, the Golden Gophers return five starters from last season's team, including Preseason All-Big Ten Team member Melani Shaffmaster. Heading into the weekend, Minnesota is looking to build on its momentum from Monday night's 3-2 victory over No. 1 Texas. Shaffmaster leads the Gopher offense, recently recording her 4,000th career assist. She has the team hitting at a .252 clip, feeding hitters to 11.20 kills per set. Julia Hanson paces the attack with 3.30 kills per set, including 19 in Minnesota's upset win over the top-ranked Longhorns.
PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
• After a strong start to her senior campaign, Melanie Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
• It marks the third time in her career that Parra has earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. Last season, she won the award twice (Sept. 19 and Oct. 3).
• Parra's 5.44 points per set and 0.88 aces per set led the Big 12, and her 4.25 kills per set ranked third.
• Nationally, her marks in points per set (21st) and aces per set (22nd) sit in the top 25 in all of Division I.
• Against Oklahoma, the Sinaloa, Mexico, native led the Frogs with an offensive masterclass, tallying 20 kills on a .429 clip and a career-high seven aces.
• Parra's seven aces are tied for the second most by a Horned Frog in a single match in program history and the most since 2011 (7, Megan Munce at Wyoming).
• The following night against No. 2 Nebraska, the senior had a team-high 14 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the season.
IT JUST MEANS MORE
• TCU volleyball kicked off its season with a 3-1 win over Oklahoma at the Ameritas Players Challenge last weekend.
• It marked TCU's fourth straight win over Oklahoma, the Frogs' longest winning streak over the Sooners in the program's 29 seasons.
• As a team, TCU turned up the heat at the service line, finishing with 11 assists.
• Parra fueled the Frogs with a 20-kill performance, the ninth time in her career she has eclipsed the 20-kill threshold.
• Junior Jalyn Gibson added nine kills to the scoring effort, including the 500th of her career.
• Redshirt freshman Becca Kelley also tallied nine kills and a pair of blocks in her collegiate debut.
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
• TCU volleyball opened the season with a 3-1 win over Oklahoma and a 1-3 loss at No. 2 Nebraska in the Ameritas Players Challenge last weekend.
• Despite coming up short against No. 2 Nebraska, the Frogs showed flashes of how great they can be, becoming just the fourth non-conference opponent in the last three years to take a set from the Huskers in the Devaney Center in the regular season, joining Kentucky, Creighton and Stanford.
• The Horned Frogs are receiving 62 votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches' Poll, good for 28th nationally.
• For the fourth consecutive season, TCU will participate in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge against Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• After leading the league with 5.44 points per set, senior Melanie Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
• TCU was picked to finish fourth in the Big 12 Conference in the 2024 preseason poll, receiving one first place vote.
• 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.
• Four Horned Frogs made their TCU debuts last weekend: Evan Hendrix, Becca Kelley, Alexis Roberson and Alice Volpe.
• 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 (Cecily Bramschreiber, 464) and kills (Parra, 482).
• 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 and Wisconsin have matched up four times in the two programs' history. Three of the four meetings have come in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge, with the other being in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Frogs are looking for their first victory over the Badgers.
• The Horned Frogs and Gophers have faced off six times on the court, with Minnesota taking all of the previous meetings. Last season, TCU managed to swipe a set from Minnesota but fell in four sets.
SCOUTING REPORT
For the sixth time in program history and the fourth time in the last five seasons, Wisconsin wrapped up last season with an appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals. One of the most experienced teams in the nation, the Badgers return eight in 2024, including AVCA All-Americans Carter Booth, Sarah Franklin, Devyn Robinson, and Anna Smrek. Ranked No. 6 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, Wisconsin and head coach Kelly Sheffield are off to a tough start this season, falling to 0-3 overall after opening their 2024 campaign against three top-5 opponents. They'll enter the weekend hungry for their first win, led by Franklin, who is averaging 5.00 kills per set (13th nationally).
Head coach Keegan Cook is entering his second year at Minnesota with a revamped roster and high expectations once again. Ranked No. 18 in the nation, the Golden Gophers return five starters from last season's team, including Preseason All-Big Ten Team member Melani Shaffmaster. Heading into the weekend, Minnesota is looking to build on its momentum from Monday night's 3-2 victory over No. 1 Texas. Shaffmaster leads the Gopher offense, recently recording her 4,000th career assist. She has the team hitting at a .252 clip, feeding hitters to 11.20 kills per set. Julia Hanson paces the attack with 3.30 kills per set, including 19 in Minnesota's upset win over the top-ranked Longhorns.
PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF
• After a strong start to her senior campaign, Melanie Parra was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
• It marks the third time in her career that Parra has earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors. Last season, she won the award twice (Sept. 19 and Oct. 3).
• Parra's 5.44 points per set and 0.88 aces per set led the Big 12, and her 4.25 kills per set ranked third.
• Nationally, her marks in points per set (21st) and aces per set (22nd) sit in the top 25 in all of Division I.
• Against Oklahoma, the Sinaloa, Mexico, native led the Frogs with an offensive masterclass, tallying 20 kills on a .429 clip and a career-high seven aces.
• Parra's seven aces are tied for the second most by a Horned Frog in a single match in program history and the most since 2011 (7, Megan Munce at Wyoming).
• The following night against No. 2 Nebraska, the senior had a team-high 14 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the season.
IT JUST MEANS MORE
• TCU volleyball kicked off its season with a 3-1 win over Oklahoma at the Ameritas Players Challenge last weekend.
• It marked TCU's fourth straight win over Oklahoma, the Frogs' longest winning streak over the Sooners in the program's 29 seasons.
• As a team, TCU turned up the heat at the service line, finishing with 11 assists.
• Parra fueled the Frogs with a 20-kill performance, the ninth time in her career she has eclipsed the 20-kill threshold.
• Junior Jalyn Gibson added nine kills to the scoring effort, including the 500th of her career.
• Redshirt freshman Becca Kelley also tallied nine kills and a pair of blocks in her collegiate debut.
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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/ Women's VolleyballTCU Volleyball | Big 10/Big 12 Challenge Win Over No. 18 Minnesota
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