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long road ahead With her light skin and blonde hair, she looks just like a typical California girl, but Prentice Lewis is quickly turning into a Texan.
Lewis was named head coach for the volleyball team Feb. 5. She comes to TCU with years of experience, a flair for competition and a love for the game. Lewis began playing volleyball as a young girl with her dad on the beaches of sunny California. She played in elementary school and continued throughout college. Her high school playing days were where she began to shine. Lewis went to Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach in California where she led her team to the many wins and the state finals. After high school, she attended California State University, Long Beach after being offered an athletic scholarship. “I attended Long Beach mainly for the chance to play volleyball,” said Lewis. “They had a great team and the game was my first priority.” At CSULB, she led her team to the Big West Conference for four years where they won the championship her junior year. She began coaching
as a junior at CSULB for the Newport Harbor High School’s junior
varsity team, her high school rival. After this experience, she
knew she wanted to be “I had always joked about wanting to become a lawyer,” said Lewis. “But once I started to coach, I knew that was what I really wanted to do.” In 1995, she graduated from CSULB with a bachelor’s degree in history and received her California Teaching Certificate in 1996. Upon graduation, she worked as the top assistant coach at UC-Irvine for three years until 1999. In 1999, she then became the defensive coordinator and top assistant coach for the Oregon Ducks. She performed additional tasks while coaching such as scheduling, recruiting, coordinating summer clinics and fundraising for the team. Now, she and her husband Jeff Lewis are calling Texas home. They have family members in town and she said they like the values instilled in the Fort Worth community. “I enjoy Fort Worth the most because it is a big city with a small feel,” said Lewis. “It is a town I can see myself living for the rest of my life.” Lewis is taking over for former coach Sandy Troudt. Troudt was fired after the season ended in November. Lewis is excited
about her position and has big plans for the new season ahead. Depite Lewis’ optimism, she is taking over a program that has not had a single winning season in its six-year history. TCU ended the past season with a 6-15 record. She has jumped right into her position working 12-hour days with her staff preparing for the upcoming season and recruiting players. She believes the recruiting experience will excel here. While recruiting, she looks for a player with a competitive attitude, room for growth, an athletic build and a good response to coaching. She wants to instill confidence in the team, the desire to compete and better knowledge of the game. The team has already started practicing to get a head start. “We are doing well so far,” said Lewis. “We have a great group of students who are inspired and eager to learn.” After spring break, the team will begin a full practice, said Stephanie Watson, a junior biology major and outside hitter for the volleyball team. Watson is learning a lot from the experiences of her new coach. “She is a very intense and motivated person,” said Watson. “She is making many positive changes in our techniques and teaching for the upcoming season.” Such changes
have been made in hopes of winning the Conference USA Championship. Lewis is familiar with success and wants her team to become familiar with it, too. Her main goals for the season are to become top in the conference, win the conference tournament and be in the Top 25. “Conference USA is a competitive volleyball conference, top to bottom,” said Lewis. “We definitely have our work cut out for us.” Antoinette
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