In what felt like a blink of an eye, the 2024 UT Permian Basin volleyball season has come to an end.  

It was an exciting season for the Falcons, who had three players named Lone Star Conference Player of the Week during the season - a program first - and a number 10 ranking in the NCAA South Central Regional Poll. 

"We did get an output we never got before and yet still left the season with that taste of wanting more in our mouth because, yes, we finished tied for sixth in the conference. But, when four teams tie for sixth one of those teams is going to be left out the conference tournament and that just happened to be us this year," said Head Volleyball Coach, CJ Allard.  

Coach Allard went on to reflect on the team's accomplishments, highlighting their impressive performance throughout the season. 

"We had the conference's No. 1 defense in respect to hitting efficiency, blocking, and opponents assist, No. 3 digging team, and the best offense in school history. Chyra Thompson had the second-best individual season in school history. When you look at all of these different accolades the team and individuals set this year, the number 2024 in our record book is going to be littered everywhere. But we are still hungry. There is still more to do and that is what fuels the next step forward."   

The Falcons finished the 2024 season with a .640 winning percentage (16-9 overall), which is the best winning percentage since the 2019 season and ended the season on a four-match winning streak, which hasn't been done since the 2015 season.  

While the Falcons ended the season on a high note and have some momentum heading into the off season, the team will also have some new faces as Coach Allard has 12 players to replace. 

"Some of that comes from 2024 being the last of the Covid Year, so we had some seniors this year that wouldn't had been seniors without Covid. Still, we graduated eight seniors, two juniors that are graduating early and not using their last year of eligibility and two who have entered the portal," said Coach Allard. "The core we have coming back is awesome. We are going to really grind and maximize their individual skill sets over the course of the next four months." 

*Covid Year: During the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic, the NCAA granted student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, due to seasons being canceled / shortened.  

Coach Allard also mentioned that he hopes to bring in two or three transfers in the spring. But he won't rush the process of finding players, as he is looking for elite talent who also has the elite mentality.  

"Succeeding in this program requires the mind and the body."  

With the spring season right around the corner and the Falcons potentially having a roster of only seven or eight players this season – if Coach Allard brings in any transfers – one may ask, what would a successful spring season look like? "A successful spring season sees our five returners extremely confident in, not just their skill sets, but how their skill sets directly contribute to our team's success," said Coach Allard. "Again, it is a smaller group so we can really put a lot of great individual time and focus into those five returners. I think if we have a complete roster by the end of the spring with 17 or 18 young women who are 100% on board with taking this program to the next level and those five returners are supremely confident with their physical skill, I think we are in a great spot come graduation in May." 

Looking ahead to 2025 season 

The 2025 season is a long way away. Yet, Coach Allard has already sat down and thought about what the team will need to improve on during the offseason and fall camp, so that they don't have a repeat of what happened at the end of the 2024 season. 

"Maintaining a little bit higher level of urgency throughout the season. I don't think we did a poor job of that this year, but we are one match away from not being in this situation," said Coach Allard. "We were so close, and all of the returners and coaching staff can all think of two or three things that I can commit myself to doing better next fall. If we have a locker room of 17 or 18 players and a coaching staff that is thinking that way, we will absolutely make up those little differences we need to get over the hump."