Volleyball | 1/30/2024 2:42:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (Jan. 30, 2024) – As the spring semester begins, the Texas Woman's volleyball team reflects on their historic 2023 Fall Season in preparation for growth during their spring offseason.

In Fall 2023, the Pioneers finished with a 19-9 overall record and 11-5 Lone Star Conference record. They returned to the LSC Championships for the first time since the 2019 season.

TWU boasted a historical journey during their fall campaign. They recorded their longest sweep streak since 2012 and had their best start to LSC play since 2015. Throughout the season, they were ranked in the top five in multiple LSC categories, and they returned to the NCAA South Central Regional Rankings for the first time since 2015.

Following the season, the Pioneers were honored with historical accolades as well. Grace Reynolds was named the LSC Newcomer of the Year (just the third all-time in program history), and six Pioneers earned LSC All-Conference honors, which represented the most honored since 2003. Then, Kaia Saylor wrapped up her senior season by receiving American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Honorable Mention honors, becoming just the sixth Pioneer in program history to be named an All-American.

While the records were broken and the winning moments were incredible and unforgettable, it was the growth together and the memories made that truly left lasting impressions on the 2023 volleyball team.

"To me, this season was a year of growth for both me and the whole team," Tori Woods said. "We all worked hard to grow individually as players, but we also grew together as a team. The bond we had this season made it so special and made all the difficult moments worth it."

"This season was so special because it made my love for volleyball just grow more," junior Luna França said.

The year started in Brasil over the summer, which was many of the players' favorite memory and solidified the family environment and focus of the team heading into the fall season.

To emphasize the family nature of the team and the growth they wanted to aim for throughout the season, the team chose "House to Home" as their 2023 team slogan. While #HTH (as it was often seen on volleyball posts) held a unique and special meaning to each player, it served as a calling for the team to come together, to put in the work and to make their house, their team, a true home.

"House to Home always gave me a warm feeling," junior Malia Viernes said. "At the beginning, I felt like it meant there was a hypothetical foundation and house that was already built, and we as the 2023 team were moving in to make it a home. Now, more than ever, I believe not only that, but a house is only a house unless you put love, hard work and trust into the relationships in it. This team became a family built on love, hard work and trust. We took what was a house and made it into a loving home for all of us. For me, Texas Woman's teammates, coaches and staff gave me a family and a home."

The team built a home and a place where they were unstoppable, which translated into unstoppable winning energy.

"House to home means taking a frame of a house and building it together with my team piece-by-piece and putting all of our memories and hard work together to make it a home to keep adding onto together to make it an unstoppable fortress no one can break or take from us," freshman Kady Hansen said.

While the team started with this driving mantra at the beginning of the season, Woods said that the phrase took on a deeper meaning to her by the conclusion of the season.

"Before the season began I knew what "house to home" meant, but I didn't know how it felt," Woods said. "After this season, I know what it feels like to be a part of another family. We were hard on each other, supported each other, and we always celebrated each other, which is exactly what families do. I know I can count on every person in the program, and I am so grateful for that."

The end of the season always brings a certain sadness in the conclusions; nevertheless, it also brings a certain joy in what was experienced and the growth that occurred. For the players who are starting their offseason practices and looking ahead to the Fall 2024 Season, they recognize the growth they experienced in the fall and look forward to continuing to grow.

"I really learned to be strong and to believe in myself," freshman Eduarda Dutra said. "My lens of the world changed quite a lot and my understanding of certain things in life as well. I grew mentally as a person and learned to be even tougher as a player."

For Hansen in her first year with TWU volleyball, she learned about the art of grace.

"A lesson I learned this season was grace. I needed to give myself more grace instead of pressure to be able to step back and get a different perspective to solve things."

Freshman Haley Mullaney said she learned how to be confident on and off the court this season.

"I learned confidence is key. On and off the court having confidence in yourself is something that can really up your gameplay and day-to-day life."

For França, the family aspect helped redefine her outlook on identity and volleyball.

"I learned that knowing how to play volleyball is not everything. We do have to be a family and be together in all the moments to be successful."

"I learned that all things happen for a reason, and I am exactly where I'm supposed to be," said freshman Miriam Williams, who suffered a season-ending injury.

While the record books show the history by the numbers, Hansen said she wants the team to be remembered for who they were.

"We were great because we were us. We had our own entire personality as a team that no one could break down. We brought the energy."

The 2023 season was one to remember. The team defined what it means to not only be a family but play as one and created a house into a true home.

Nevertheless, this season was just a step in the building process. The family is ready to come back, fill the house and make even more history in 2024.