Two TCU Outside Hitters Join AVCA Player of the Year Watch List

The Horned Frogs have captured the nation's attention in 2025.

TCU's Becca Kelley, Evan Hendrix, and Rosemary Archer celebrate a point in the win over Kansas. | X: @TCUvolleyball

TCU Volleyball has had a tremendous start to 2025. The program filled up their non-conference schedule with quality ranked opponents to boost their resume. Their six ranked wins are the most in a single season.

The players have been awarded by the Big 12 for their performances. Sarah Sylvester, Evan Hendrix, and Samara Coleman have each been recognized by the conference this season. Now, the American Volleyball Coaches Association is taking notice with two players joining the AVCA Player of the Year Award Watch List.

Evan Hendrix and Becca Kelley get Recognized by the AVCA

Back in July, 30 players were added to the watch list, and just recently, 17 more were added. Those players include sophomores Evan Hendrix and Becca Kelley. The Player of the Year award is one of the most prestigious in college volleyball. Their teammate Melanie Parra was a semifinalist last season.

Hendrix has been dynamite for TCU this season. She's tallied 204 kills and ranks ninth in the Big 12 with 3.78 kills per set. Her best performance came against Missouri, where she blistered the Tigers with a career-high 32 kills. She's also been strong on the defensive end, with 2.69 digs per set.

TCU's Evan Hendrix soars high and slams a kill. | X: @TCUvolleyball

Her teammate Kelley has been just as brilliant. She's coming off a career night of her own, where she helped lead the Frogs to a win over No. 18 Kansas. She had 21 kills in the victory. She's eclipsed double-digit kills in 10 of the 15 matches.

Kelley also currently ranks third on the team in blocks with 35. In the absence of Jalyn Gibson, Hendrix and Kelley have filled that void tremendously.

Big 12 Representation on the Watch List

Including the TCU dynamic duo, there are seven players on the Player of the Year Award Watch List. Those players include Reese Ptacek (Kansas), Noemie Glover (Arizona State), Kamryn Gibadlo (Utah), Brielle Kemavor, and Claire Little (BYU). You can find the whole list here.

The Watch List will be narrowed down to a group of semifinalists in November. The 2025 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced on Friday, December 19th, in Kansas City during the AVCA Convention.

If Hendrix and Kelley continue to play at this level, they could join that group of semifinalists in November. The Frogs will be on the road this weekend in Lubbock. They'll take on Texas Tech at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the match will be televised on ESPN+.

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