A new in TCU athletics begins this year with the inaugural season of the TCU Volleyball program. And, as with any groundbreaking expedition, the first year for the Volleyfrogs looks to be a tough one. However, head coach Sandy Troudt has initiated a plan which will guide the program through its challenging developmental stages.
Troudt said that though building a new program from scratch is challenging, it can also be fun.
"Beginning a new program is tough. From an administration standpoint, to recruiting quality , athletes, to building new traditions. But in the end, I believe the results will be well worth the effort," said Troudt.
In this initial campaign, Troudt will be looking to athletes such as Annie Gant, Jill Pape, and Jessica Rangel to lead the way through the transition.
"I recruited Annie because she is an excellent setter and she is smart enough to run every offense we have," Troudt said. "As the team's captain this year, she will have a key leadership roll for the team."
"Jill is one of those players who displays a winning attitude on and off the court, while Jessica was recruited because she is an excellent athlete with tremendous jumping ability," Troudt said.
The Horned Frogs' schedule consists of a combination of traditional volleyball powers such as Oral Roberts and Brigham Young, as well as new and rebuilding programs such as SMU, Rice, and Tulsa.
"The WAC is one of the toughest conferences in the nation, but I'm really excited about our possibilities in our quadrant," Troudt said. "SMU has a brand new program and both Rice and Tulsa are rebuilding their programs from previous years."
The Volleyfrogs will play many of its early matches in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and will eventually travel to more distant sites.
"With a team comprised of mostly Freshmen, I want our girls to get used to traveling short distances during the school year before we try to take on big trips such as Utah and Colorado," Troudt said.
All home matches will be played in the Rickel Center on the TCU campus.