TCU
San Diego State*
Frogs Rebound with Sweep of Aztecs
9/27/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 27, 2008
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The TCU Horned Frogs moved their record to 13-3 on the season and more importantly 2-1 in league play with a 3-0 sweep of San Diego State Saturday afternoon. Kourtney Edwards led an efficient attack by the Frogs with 15 kills. Irene Hester also pitched in with 12 kills as the Frogs closed out a five-game road trip with a 3-2 record.The Frogs were firing on all cylinders as they racked up 53 kills in the match and hit at a .355 clip. Katelyn Blackwood and Hester led the defensive charge with nine digs each, while Devon Kirk and Nirelle Hampton keyed the block party with three each. TCU limited San Diego State to 36 kills and a .173 hitting percentage.
A dominating effort by the Frogs gave them the early match lead as they cruised to the 25-14 win in the first set. Kourtney Edwards set the tone early one with a solo block to give the Frogs a 1-0 lead. After the Aztecs claimed a 4-3 lead, five straight kills late the Frogs had a commanding 8-4 lead. Christy Hudson was huge in that set with three kills, while Lauren Otto pitched in with two.
Megan Munce took the service line and served the Frogs to a 14-7 lead helped along by an ace and two kills from Edwards. The Frogs kept rolling as Hudson and Kirk kept coming up big with kills as TCU built a 22-12 lead. Blasts from Edwards and Irene Hester sealed the 25-14 win.
TCU racked up 18 kills in the set and hit .438 in the set. Hudson led the way with six kills followed by four kills each from Edwards and Devon Kirk.
The Aztecs found their game in the second set and gave the Frogs a tough fight, but TCU was able to hold off the furious rally by San Diego State to take a 2-0 match lead.
TCU never trailed as Hester put them on top with a blast off the block on the outside. Tied at 11-all, three straight Aztec errors put the Frogs in command with a 14-11 lead. Hester and Edwards helped stretch that lead to four, 16-12. After Otto made it 19-15 with a kill from the outside, the Aztecs took their second timeout.
An inspired club came out of the break as the Aztecs went on a 5-1 run to tie the game at 20. Four straight side outs made it 22-all and Edwards put the Frogs on top to stay with her eighth kill of the afternoon. An attack error by San Diego State gave the Frogs set point. After the Aztecs pulled within one, 24-23, the Frogs won a long rally on a kill from the back court from Hester to pull out the 25-23 game two victory.
The Frogs poured in 15 more kills in the second set with three big blocks. Hester was the hitting star with four kills in the set.
Again, the Aztecs showed spirit in the third set as they tried to stave off elimination. They took the early lead, putting the Frogs in a 16-12 whole, but from there, the Frogs showed the same spirit as they climbed back into the set.
Hester and Edwards teamed on back-to-back kills to pull the Frogs back within two, 18-16, forcing a San Diego State timeout. The break led to seven straight side outs as the score moved to 22-19 in favor of the Aztecs.
After a service error, Kirk and Hester brought the Frogs within one as they teamed to stuff an Aztec attack on the outside. An attack error by SDSU tied the set at 22. The Aztecs immediately sided out, but three straight blasts to the middle from Hester locked up the 25-23 win for the Frogs.
TCU (13-3, 2-1 MWC) returns home for two critical conference matches next week. The Frogs will host Utah at 7 p.m. on Thursday night before wrapping up play on Saturday afternoon against Top-25 ranked BYU beginning at 1 p.m. Admission to Saturday's match is free and the Frogs will be handing out free hand-held FM radios to any fans with a football ticket.
