TCU
New Mexico*
Frogs Nip Lobos in Five, Win Conference Opener
9/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU Horned Frog volleyball team won its conference opener, defeating New Mexico, 3-2 (25-16, 25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 15-7) to improve to 10-1 overall this season. Christy Hudson led the Frog attack with career-highs in digs (20) and kills (17).Two other Frogs joined Hudson with double-doubles of their own. Nirelle Hampton dished out 55 assists and pitched in with 11 digs to go along with eight kills. Lauren Otto matched Hudson's 17 kills and also tallied 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Devon Kirk finished with 10 kills, while Katelyn Blackwood racked up 18 digs.
After storming out to a 2-0 match lead, the Horned Frogs had to withstand a furious rally by the Lobos to come out on top in an exciting fifth set.
TCU led the entire set, but the Lobos stayed within a point until a 2-0 run gave the Frogs some breathing room. A Hudson kill gave TCU an 8-6 lead when they switched sides and from there the Frogs sailed.
Hudson served the Frogs to a 10-7 lead, helped along by kills from Kourtney Edwards and Hester. A block from Hampton and Edwards in the middle propelled the Frogs on a 4-0 run to close out the match. Hester dropped in a service ace and back-to-back kills from Otto put the Lobos away.
TCU took the early lead in game one and never looked back, cruising to the 25-18 victory. A kill from Hudson put the Frogs in front and they rode it to a commanding 12-5 lead on an ace from Otto.
The lead continued to grow as Hudson, Otto and Kirk were firing on all cylinders. Hampton served the Frogs to a 10-point lead, 21-11 and an ace from Hudson sealed the win. TCU racked up 15 kills in the set and tallied 18 digs.
A tighter affair in game two saw the Frogs narrowly escape with a 25-23 win. The set saw 10 ties and three lead changes. The Lobos led the majority of the way until a block from Kirk and Hudson on the outside capped the comeback and gave TCU the 18-17 lead.
New Mexico rallied to tie the set at 21, but Kirk shut down the Lobo rally with a loud kill off the block in the middle. Kirk then served the Frogs to set point and Hudson sealed the victory again with her third kill of the game.
Out of the intermission, the Lobos stormed back in the match, winning the next two games to extend the match. Tied at 11-all in the third set, the Lobos went on a 7-2 run to open up the set and the Frogs never recovered as the Lobos took advantage of Frog miscues. An attack error by the Frogs gave New Mexico the 25-18 game three win.
Another spirited set in the fourth saw 13 ties and six lead changes before the Lobos finally escaped with the 25-22 victory. TCU led early on thanks to kills from Kourtney Edwards and Hudson, but a 4-0 run propelled the Lobos into the lead.
The Frogs weathered the storm as they worked the score back to 22-all on a kill from Edwards. Blackwood briefly gave the Frogs a 23-22 lead, but an attack error on the outside tied the game and Allie Suiter gave the Lobos set point. An ace from Jade Michaelsen locked up the Lobo win.
TCU (10-1, 1-0 MWC) will hit the road for five straight matches this weekend. The Frogs will head to the University of Minnesota for three matches. A match against No. 8 Minnesota awaits the Frogs Friday at 7:30 p.m.
