All of it belies his previous as a soccer participant at Austin School.
Though there have been a time or two when Williams lets his soccer aspect come out. Simply ask Audrey Nalls. In 2022, Williams’ first season at TCU after a longtime stint as an assistasnt at Baylor, Nalls went from underachieving to overwhelming, as evidenced by her first-team All-Large 12 choice.
“He didn’t attempt to change a complete lot of my type of play,” stated Nalls, a fifth-year exterior hitter from Waxahachie, Texas. “For him and me — and for the entire crew — it was extra like, should you’re a hitter, you’re hitting excessive, and also you’re breaking fingers.”
Williams confirmed the story.
“I put her on a no tip or roll rule,” he stated. “I used to be like, ‘Audrey, you have got a cannon. Why would you utilize a BB gun? Cease doing all this tip and roll crap and simply crush balls and break fingers.’ ”
That straightforward, direct strategy to the sport helped TCU make one of the exceptional turnarounds in Division I in 2022. After going 2-14 in Large 12 play in 2021, the Horned Frogs went a program-best 11-5 final season — 17-11 total — and made it to the NCAA Event for the primary time since 2016. They upset Washington earlier than dropping within the second spherical to Wisconsin.
It ought to be famous that Williams didn’t grasp up his helmet and magically rework right into a volleyball mastermind. After two years of soccer at Austin, he performed seaside volleyball, serving principally as a setter. He additionally married a setter, the previous Cory Sivertson, the primary volleyball participant inducted into Baylor’s athletic corridor of fame. Not coincidentally, their daughter, Callie, performed at Baylor and after transferring to TCU additionally made the Large 12 first-team final 12 months,
From there he labored his manner by way of the membership and junior ranks earlier than touchdown as an assistant at Baylor. He was with the Bears from 2015-22 then was able to tackle the problem of getting his personal program.
Earlier than Williams’ arrival, TCU had six consecutive seasons of sub-.500 volleyball within the Large 12. Curiosity throughout campus had waned, and this system appeared to be caught in impartial.
So what led to the abrupt turnaround, the most important by any Energy 5 crew final season? Williams attributed it, partially, to being an older first-time coach. He had been across the block and had seen Baylor obtain a great quantity of success in his time on the sidelines there.
He additionally credited his assistants, together with Kyle Luongo, he held over from the earlier teaching workers.
“I’ve a rockstar workers,” Williams stated. “They’re throughout the identical age, mid-30s, they usually’ve all been within the recreation a very long time. That’s the most effective items of recommendation I ever received: Rent individuals smarter than your self, and also you’ll be OK.”
Williams stated he additionally tried to maintain issues easy. To make certain, he set sure requirements he anticipated to be met. In any other case, he didn’t attempt to pile an excessive amount of on his gamers.
The ultimate piece of the puzzle was Callie. A setter – shock, shock – Callie Williams completed at TCU for her remaining season below her father’s watch. She amassed greater than 1,000 assists (9.29 per match).
“It was undoubtedly an enormous turnaround,” stated Nalls, who had 424 kills final season (3.85 per set). “Jason coming and bringing his daughter alongside … we wished a brand new pleasure for volleyball. We wished to like the sport once more.
“It’s actually lots of the arrogance as properly. A number of us ladies who had been right here, we form of misplaced confidence. We go 0-14 — or no matter it was — and it’s simply a right away change the following 12 months. So it was gaining again the belief and the arrogance.”
The turnaround wasn’t instantaneous. Williams stated it was a great eight to 9 months earlier than his gamers totally understood his system and his expectations. The brand new, aggressive type took some getting used to as properly. Williams stated the crew misplaced some video games early as a result of he “wouldn’t allow them to get into these pillow fights that I name it. Be aggressive as a result of it’s going to pan out down the street.”
The proverbial gentle bulb got here on throughout a late-September match towards Baylor in Waco.
After the Bears cruised to a 25-13 win within the first set, TCU battled again to power extra time within the second set earlier than falling 29-27. The Frogs then earned a breezy 25-15 victory within the third set.
And although Baylor ended up profitable in 4, Williams stated he might sense one thing was occurring. His instinct was confirmed three days later when his crew earned a 24-26, 25-16, 25-19, 25-18 win over Iowa State.
The senior class hadn’t crushed the Cyclones earlier than.
“A number of gamers have been like, ‘We’re not that removed from Baylor,’ ” Williams stated. “The final couple of years, they thought beating Baylor was actually unattainable.
“After which we beat Iowa State at residence the following recreation, and I feel at that time, everyone thought, ‘OK, we are able to really win some video games within the convention this 12 months.’ ”
Added Nalls: “He noticed potential in us and wished to convey out the most effective in us and make it enjoyable. … We simply actually trusted what he was going to do for us, and he simply introduced out the enjoyable aspect of volleyball for us.”
In fact, now the query turns into: What do the Horned Frogs do for an encore?
Instantly this system has expectations. Instantly there’s a little bit of a buzz round campus, as evidenced by the file common attendance for residence matches final season (1,642).
“To me, you’ve started working two instances more durable than you probably did final 12 months to form of even get again to the place you have been final 12 months,” Nalls stated. “… You in all probability must put a little bit extra in than you probably did final 12 months simply to form of keep as much as tempo with your self.”
The return of Nalls, who performed membership volleyball with Texas proper aspect Molly Phillips, can be an enormous elevate. Williams stated he performed “Jedi thoughts methods” with Nalls final season to instill in her the assumption that she may very well be an All-Large 12 participant. On the finish of all of it, he stated, she in all probability was disillusioned she didn’t make All-American.
“This can be in all probability her remaining season,” Williams stated. “I don’t assume she needs to play past this. She needs to be an All-American. She needs to take the crew to a spot it’s by no means been.
“Final 12 months was superior, however this 12 months goes to be twice as onerous for the crew to get the place we have been final 12 months. She’s received to be a little bit smarter along with her selections, and groups are going to recreation plan for her.”
Nalls spearheads a lineup that Williams calls “pin heavy.” Julia Adams, a 6-foot-3 grad exterior from Plano, Texas, averaged greater than three kills per set final season. Sophomore exterior hitter Jalyn Gibson may very well be poised for a breakout 12 months after averaging practically two kills per set final season.
“She has simply been a rock star within the spring and in the summertime,” Nalls stated of Gibson. “I actually really feel prefer it’s her time to let it shine a little bit bit.”
TCU will get a giant elevate from the arrival of Melanie Parra. A 5-11 junior from Mexico, Parra, a six-rotation participant, received a nationwide championship with Texas final season. She is a serving murderer who couldn’t crack the powerful Texas lineup, however most observers agree she may very well be particular with taking part in time.
The skinny however high-jumping Parra, who performs exterior hitter for the Mexican nationwide crew, appeared in solely 45 units for the Longhorns final season and stated she was on the lookout for a greater alternative to play.
Although she nonetheless has some challenges with speaking in English, she is fluent in volleyball.
“She has an elite serve,” Williams stated. “She is an incredible volleyball participant, and she or he is aware of find out how to rating. Final 12 months, Audrey was our excessive scorer (470.5 factors), however now Melanie goes to attract some consideration, which, I hope, frees up Audrey to be actually, actually good the place groups can’t give attention to her.”
Added Nalls: “Melanie has been simply superior to be round, simply studying from her. … The volleyball, it’s simply so pure for her, and simply to have that picture within the health club that we are able to form of all choose off of, that’s going to be an enormous deal for us to even study from her.”
Mentioned Parra: “It was troublesome (at Texas) as a result of I didn’t play an excessive amount of, however I’m so pleased to win a championship. I play (on the nationwide crew) versus individuals who play professional. They’re 30 years previous … actually previous for me. So perhaps that helps me extra to have a extremely good recreation right here at TCU.”
Serving to to shore up the center for the Horned Frogs can be Bri Inexperienced, a switch from Denver who was an All-Summit League performer. One other switch, 6-1 Riley Buckley from Missouri, will take over the setting duties.
Buckley began all 28 matches for the Tigers as a freshman final season and had the third most whole assists (958) of any freshman in a Energy 5 convention.
The defensive specialist/libero battle in preseason additionally can be key. California freshmen Meg Walsh and Jaylen Clark are, in Williams’ phrases, “elite in serve obtain.” Junior Cecily Bramschreiber, who noticed restricted motion final season due to a foot damage, additionally can be within the combine for the protection.
Although there are many shifting elements that want to return collectively, Williams stated he already can see a distinction within the crew from final season.
“Within the 2019 12 months (at Baylor), after we went to the ultimate 4 … that summer season was the primary time the crew really took summer season severely. I might say, final 12 months, I attempted to warn them (TCU) they didn’t take summer season as severely as I wished, however the season nonetheless labored out.
“This summer season, they’ve taken it severe. … I used to be in a position to stroll by way of the health club and see what they have been doing, and I used to be actually impressed with the upperclassmen actually attempting to carry to the usual, and the extent of participation appeared to be enthusiastic from what I noticed.”
Williams will discover out straight away the place his crew stands as, for the second consecutive season, the Horned Frogs will open the common season with Friday towards No. 7 preseason Minnesota after which No. 2 Wisconsin the following day. Each Large Ten golf equipment swept TCU final season.
However there’s a great guess the Horned Frogs received’t shrink back from the competitors. Fingers on the opposite aspect of the web won’t be protected.
Easy and direct. That’s the way in which TCU will play. Simply the way in which Williams coaches them.
“Clearly, we need to do properly within the convention,” Nalls stated. “We need to make the NCAA Event, however we need to go additional than the second spherical. I feel that’s all the time the aim. We received a little bit style of it final 12 months. What can we actually do with it this 12 months now that we’ll have a full 12 months of coaching and expertise?”
Mentioned Parra: “We will attempt to win the championship. It will likely be troublesome, however we’ve a extremely good crew, so we are able to do it.”
