Editor’s note: This story is published in the Austin Sports Journal’s 2025 Austin Volleyball Preview™, only available to subscribers. It is part of the 20-page college preview inside the magazine that previews all major Division I and Division II colleges in the state.
By Chuck Licata
Austin Sports Journal contributing writer
In three seasons, Jason Williams has finally got the TCU volleyball team on the right track.
Williams, who enters his fourth season with the Horned Frogs (22-8), has even bigger hopes for 2025 after a historic season last year.
TCU garnered its first AVCA coaches poll national ranking in program history last year, finishing the season ranked No. 16.T The Horned Frogs also had their first 20-win season (22-8) since 2011 and most-ever conference wins (13).
TCU made its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance where they defeated Hawaii 3-0 in the opening round before losing to No. 14 Oregon. To top things off, senior Melanie Parra (573 kills on .264 hitting, 66 blocks) became the programs’ first ever first team All-American.
That momentum along with a solid group of newcomers has Williams looking to build on its 2024 success.
Williams and his staff got aggressive in recruiting and brought in junior setter Rosemary Archer (6-foot) from Pepperdine. Archer, a Texas native, won three state titles with nearby Lovejoy High School and tallied 970 assists for Pepperdine in 2024. The Horned Frogs also brought in Archer’s Pepperdine teammate, 6-0 outside hitter Ella Foti.
Williams also snagged 6-4 junior middle blocker Lauren Murphy from Ohio State and 6-2 senior transfer middle blocker Emily Van Groningen (Pacific), who led her team with 92 blocks in ’24.
Also new to TCU is freshman Samara Coleman, who flipped her commitment from Pittsburgh to TCU. The 6-1 outside hitter was a two-time state champion at Conroe Grand Oaks High School.
That group of newcomers will join a solid group of returnees that includes senior Jayln Gibson (6-2, OH), an All-Big 12 selection, and sophomore Becca Kelley (6-3 OH), an All-Big 12 Freshman team selection. Gibson tallied 380 kills, while Kelley had 226 kills on .227 hitting with 50 blocks
Sophomore libero Alice Volpe (5-6) is back after digging 308 balls. Senior middle blocker Sarah Sylvester (6-3) led the team with 146 blocks and hit .314 (83 kills) and is back to lead the net defense along with redshirt junior middle blocker Alexis Roberson (6-3), who chipped in 121 kills (on .272 hitting) and 77 blocks.
Williams could very well roll out this starting lineup: Gibson, Kelley, Roberson, Sylvester, Volpe and Archer, with Murphy, Coleman and Van Groningen vying for starting spots as well.
Projected starters
OH — Jalyn Gibson (#5), 6‑2, sr., San Antonio, Texas
OH — Becca Kelley (#11), 6-3, r-soph., Rockwall, Texas
OPP — Anna Rice (#8, 6‑3, fr., Edmond, Oklahoma
MB — Alexis Roberson (#1), 6‑3, r‑jr., Missouri City, Texas
MB — Sarah Sylvester (#4), 6‑3, sr., Livonia, Michigan
S — Reese Wilburn (#6), 5‑5, fr., Bryant, Arkansas
L — Alice Volpe (#0), 5‑6, soph., Cypress, Texas
Breakout player
Smara Coleman, fresh., OH
Coleman jumped her commitment to Pittsburgh to head over to Fort Worth and play for Williams and the Horned Frogs. She helped her high school team, Grand Oaks High School out of the Houston area, to win two UIL Class 6A volleyball state championships. Coleman is explosive; she hammered over 1,600 career kills (4.4 kills/set) at an effective .312 hitting percentage. She also tallied 987 digs and 132 blocks.
Our take
TCU is built to take another step forward this season. With experienced attackers like Gibson and Sylvester, and an infusion of young talent, the Frogs have the pieces to be a top-half Big 12 team. The biggest storyline will be how quickly the offense gels with a freshman setter at the helm, but the defensive stability should help smooth the transition. If TCU’s serve-and-pass game holds steady, they have the firepower to pull off big wins and position themselves for another NCAA Tournament berth in 2025.
