TCU volleyball climbs to No. 11 after ranked wins over SMU and Purdue, then heads to Tampa for matches against USF, Michigan and Dayton.
TCU volleyball is heading to Tampa with serious momentum.
The Horned Frogs climbed seven spots to No. 11 in the AVCA Coaches Poll after knocking off No. 8 SMU and No. 14 Purdue last week.
Now TCU continues a five-match road swing at the South Florida Invitational, where it will face USF, Michigan and Dayton from Sept. 10-12.
The rise in the rankings is only part of the story.
TCU also made Big 12 history this week by becoming the first program to sweep all four conference volleyball awards.
Rosemary Archer, Becca Kelley, Alice Volpe and Kinsley Young each earned weekly honors after helping fuel one of the strongest stretches of the season.
The Frogs have already faced four ranked teams through five matches, going 2-2 in those contests.
Their biggest statement came at Purdue.
TCU swept the No. 14 Boilermakers and held them to a .172 hitting percentage. Kelley led the attack with 18 kills while hitting .471, committing just two errors on 34 swings. She also added nine digs and four blocks.
That followed an emotional five-set win over No. 8 SMU in Fort Worth.
TCU rallied after dropping the opening set and finished the match with 19.5 blocks, while Kelley, Jalyn Gibson and Evan Hendrix combined for 47 of the Frogs’ 62 kills.
That defensive identity has become one of TCU’s biggest strengths.
The Horned Frogs are averaging 3.07 blocks per set, which ranks among the best marks nationally.
There’s also growing depth.
Reese Robins has provided a major lift off the bench, recording 25 kills while hitting .452 over her last three matches. Her .433 hitting percentage for the season ranks among the national leaders.
The schedule won’t get easier in Tampa.
USF enters the tournament at 1-4 after a difficult early slate that included matches against Kentucky and Stanford.
Michigan is 5-1 and riding a three-match winning streak, while Dayton was picked to win the Atlantic 10 for a third straight season.
TCU will meet Michigan and Dayton for the first time in program history.
For a team picked to finish second in the Big 12, this weekend offers another chance to prove the recent surge is real.
TCU has already beaten two ranked opponents.
Now the Frogs get three more chances to build on it.
