Volleyball: Melanie Parra named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year

The senior outside hitter is joined by Jalyn Gibson on the preseason All-Big 12 team

The Big 12 conference announced its 2024 Volleyball preseason poll and league awards on Wednesday, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. TCU outside hitter Melanie Parra was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year, the first Horned Frog to receive such recognition.

Coming off a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 season in 2023, in perhaps the best single season in Horned Frog history. Parra twice recorded 34 kills in a match, in regular season wins over Florida State & Texas Tech, and 37 total kills in the NCAA Tournament as the Frogs reached the Round of 32 for the second straight season. Parra’s 5.17 points per set and 4.38 kills per set are both high-marks for returning players in the league.

Parra is joined on the Preseason All-Big Team by fellow outside hitter, junior Jalyn Gibson. Ranking second on the team with 337 kills and 24 service aces while ranking top-3 in digs and blocks in 2023, including a standout performance in the NCAA Tournament win over Florida State with 2 aces and 17 kills to take down the Seminoles

The Horned Frogs were voted fourth in the Preseason Poll, including one vote to win the 15-team league after finishing eighth in the league in 2023. The conference newcomers are led by Arizona State, voted third in the league while Utah, Colorado, and Arizona come in at 9th, 10th, and 12th. TCU will open the regular season in Lincoln, Nebraska on August 30 vs. the former Big 12 foe Oklahoma Sooners before a showdown with the Cornhuskers, one of nation’s top programs and the reigning National Runner-Up.