TCU
South Carolina
Frogs top South Carolina in five game thriller
8/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas - Utilizing an entire team effort, the TCU volleyball team rallied from a two-game deficit Friday evening and rolled to a 3-2 (23-30, 26-30, 30-28, 30-26, 15-11) win over South Carolina at the University Rec Center. The Frogs, playing the second of four matches at the 2006 Molten-LaQuinta Invitational in front of a full house, improved to 2-0 on the season while the Gamecocks dropped to 1-1 overall."I am very proud of my team's performance and the fact that they played with heart," fifth-year head coach Prentice Lewis said. "After we went to the locker room down two games, I reminded the players not to lose focus. I really thought they came out and played with authority and competed hard those final three games. They did exactly what I wanted."
Despite being out-hit (.289-.257), out-blocked (11.0-7.0) and outscored (94.0-93.0), the Frogs edged USC in kills, 77-73, and found a way to win where it mattered most--on defense. TCU out-dug the opponent 75-60, led by the scrappy defensive play of senior libero Calli Corley. Corley, a native of Abilene, Texas, totaled a career-high 26 digs and added three service aces.
"South Carolina had only 21 attack errors, so that shows they were hitting the ball well," Lewis said. "I thought defensively our players really played well. They really played gutsy, reaching for balls and rolling all over the floor."
TCU got a positive peek at its future, as freshman outside hitter Lauren Otto recorded the team's first double-double of the season with 19 kills and 18 digs. Meanwhile, senior Anna Vaughn contributed 19 kills on 33 attempts for an impressive .515 hitting percentage. She added five digs and five blocks for a team-best 21.5 points. Junior outside hitter/middle blocker LeMeita Smith and junior right side Emily Allen registered 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
Game four changed the momentum of the match as the Frogs' stormed back from a 6-1 deficit to knot the game at nine-all. The two teams swapped points until the Frogs took the lead with the score 19-18 and never looked back. TCU hit a match-best .405 and committed just four errors in the fourth affair.
The Frogs controlled the tempo the entire fifth game, hitting a blistering .391. Behind the serving of Corley, the Frogs jumped out to a 4-1 advantage and extended the lead to 8-4. Match and game point came on a Gamecock attack error.
South Carolina was paced by an outstanding performance by Shonda Cole, who recorded 37 kills on 65 attempts for a .477 hitting percentage.
"Shonda Cole is an incredible athlete and I see her having a bright future with the national team," Lewis said. "She is the real deal."
TCU continues tournament play against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday. First serve is scheduled for noon.
