Frohling flourishing

First year Grace Frohling talks about her decision to play volleyball at San Diego 

Eli Roberts / Contributor / The USD Vista 

Most first-year athletes at NCAA Division I schools would be happy to even step foot on the court or the field. Some might get occasional minutes and others might even work their way into starting lineups. But very few have impacted the game so heavily in their first year as University of San Diego volleyball player Grace Frohling.

The numbers in themselves are impressive. As an outside hitter, Frohling is among the team leaders in kills, points and blocks. Her biggest games have come against ranked opponents, tallying 14 kills against No. 13 Washington, and 17 kills each against No. 2 Nebraska and No. 20 USC. Yet, Frohling’s arrival at USD may be even more impressive. She came into USD as the team’s only 2019 recruit and the only first year on the team. 

Frohling acknowledges that her position is a rare one. 

“I think it’s really unique that I am the only freshman on the team,” Frohling said. “I remember all of my friends when I was about to come here, they were like ‘that’s so weird, you’re the only one.’”

Frohling also says that it might be her unique position that allows her to stay so poised and mature in the big moments. 

“It has kind of helped a lot to make it less pressure because then I just pretend like I’m older than I am,” Frohling said. “So I really don’t even feel like I’m a freshman. I feel like I’ve been here for a while.”  

Growing up in Oklahoma, Frohling learned to love volleyball at an early age, following in the footsteps of her older sister Hannah. It wasn’t until her family moved to California in 2016, however, that Frohling knew volleyball was what she wanted to pursue in college and possibly beyond. While many of her friends crumbled under the pressure of the California competitive volleyball circuit, Frohling flourished. She relished the competition and the pressure.

It was Hannah’s relentless support that Frohling says helped her succeed in the competitive volleyball world. 

“She’s always just wanted the best for me,” Frohling said. “We talk all of the time and she just wants me to have the best career I can. She’s always looking out for me.”

That doesn’t mean that there is not a fierce sibling rivalry between the two. Hannah, who is three years older than Grace, is currently a senior outside hitter on the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team. Since both Pepperdine and USD play in the West Coast Conference, the teams and sisters play each other twice per year.   

“We played with each other my freshman year of high school and that was really good,”  Frohling said. “We had our first match up (in college) and it was weird looking across the net and seeing her face. I think the next time we play, though, it will be a little more bittersweet because it will be the last time.”  

Frohling is quickly becoming one of the most talked about figures in the Torero sports world. Yet her spot as a major contributor on the team was not a foregone conclusion. In the Toreros’ first game of the season, Frohling was left on the bench. She quickly got her chance against No. 13 Washington, however, when preseason All-WCC member outside hitter Katie Lukes was forced to sit out.

“I kind of went into this not knowing whether it would go really well for me or really bad. I remember our first match against Hawaii I didn’t get to play, and I remember I was kind of mad at myself,” Frohling said. “Then I went into practice the next day and just killed it best I could at practice and then I got my shot the next day (against Washington) and I have been playing since then.”   

And there seems to be little doubt in the minds of USD sports fans that Frohling will continue to play. As she looks toward the future, Frohling is excited to see the kind of player she can turn herself into. The ultimate goal is to play after college as well, she says. Right now, however, Frohling’s focus is on this season and this team.  

“We were so close to having some matches that would have put us in the top rankings,” Frohling said. “We want to make a statement and I think we could make it really far this year.”

Students can catch Frohling and the Toreros at home against Brigham Young University (BYU) on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Jenny Craig Pavilion. Tickets are free for all USD students.