TCU
UNLV*
Frogs Falter at UNLV, Fall 3-1
9/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 25, 2008
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The TCU Horned Frogs dropped a tightly contested match at UNLV, 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 22-25, 24-26), Thursday night in Mountain West Conference play. TCU was led by Lauren Otto's 12 kills and nine blocks from Kourtney Edwards. Katelyn Blackwood keyed the Frogs defense with 21 digs.TCU took advantage of numerous UNLV errors to help it jump out to the early match advantage. The Frogs were firing on all cylinders early as Edwards, Devon Kirk and Irene Hester all tallied kills to help them build a 9-6 lead.
UNLV battled back to tie the set at 11 and even took a 16-14 lead, but a 3-0 run highlighted by an Edwards kill put the Frogs back in front to stay. Megan Munce gave TCU a 19-17 lead with an ace. An attack error by the Rebels forced UNLV to call its first timeout. Out of the break Nirelle Hampton and Devon Kirk teamed to block a Rebel attack to give the Frogs set point. A solo block from Hampton sealed the 25-21 set one victory.
The Rebels defense came alive in the second set and it helped spur them on to a 25-20 victory that tied the match at a game apiece. The set worked its way out to a 13-all tie, but from there the Rebels took control, going on a 7-1 run to open up a 20-15 lead.
TCU tried to gain some momentum and looked like it would when Hester and Katelyn Blackwood made an amazing save on a dig from Sarah Joeckel. On the ensuing play, the Rebels attacked the ball where Edwards was waiting and she sent it straight down to pull the Frogs back within four, 20-16. The Frogs used it to spur a 3-0 run on kills from Kirk and Christy Hudson to get it back to two, 21-19. But a Rebel timeout killed the momentum and they closed out the set on a 4-1 run.
Another tough fight ensued in the third set as both teams battled for the upper hand in the match. UNLV controlled the play for most of the set, but TCU fought to stay in it. Trailing 11-9, the Frogs tied the set on kills from Otto and Hester only to see the Rebels go on a 3-0 run forcing a TCU timeout.
The Rebels kept the momentum as they built a 22-17 lead. Hampton tried to spur a rally with a dump to the back of the court and Hester capped the 3-0 run to get the Frogs back to 22-20. With the Rebels holding at 24-20, Hudson and Hester staved off set point with kills, forcing a Rebel timeout. Sara Nehf ended the set with her fourth kill of the match for the 25-22 win.
An 8-3 deficit in the fourth set proved too much for the Frogs as the Rebels closed out the four-set victory with a 26-24 win.
After the Frogs had taken a timeout, they began to mount a rally to get back in the set. Otto keyed the rally with a big kill and an attack error pulled the Frogs back within three, 8-5. A kill from Kirk and back-to-back blasts from Otto made it a 10-8 contest. A block from Edwards and Hester completed the comeback and evened the set at 12-all.
Tied at 14, the Rebels went on a 5-3 run to open up a 19-17 lead, but again the Frogs pushed back to tie the game. Hester blasted one off the black and Hudson and Edwards teamed to deny a Rebel attack, but the Rebels had an answer with a 2-0 run to force a Frog timeout.
Hudson got a kill out of the break and Edwards pitched in with a solo block to keep the set within one and back-to-back kills from Otto tied the set at 23. That was as close as the Frogs would get as the Rebels scored three of the next four points on kills from Jessica Walters to lock up the win.
Hampton finished the night with six kills, 37 assists and eight digs. Kirk pitched in with nine kills and Hudson finished with eight. Hester tallied 12 digs to go along with her six kills.
The Frogs (12-3, 1-1 MWC) return to action on Saturday afternoon at San Diego State. Match time is slated for 2 p.m. (CST).
