TCU
McNeese State
TCU Rebounds With Sweep of McNeese State
8/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas - The TCU volleyball team rebounded with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-9) victory over McNeese State to close out play in the Burnt Orange Classic. Christy Hudson paced the team for the third straight match with 12 kills, while Sarah Joeckel notched 10 digs to lead the defense. Megan Munce totaled 33 assists and served up three aces.Kristen Hester had a solid offensive game for the Frogs with 10 kills, while hitting .474 in the match. Hudson was equally impressive with her .524 attack percentage. Hannah Fort led the charge at the net with three blocks. Irene Hester had nine kills and nine digs to go along with two blocks. Munce and Hudson were named to the all-tournament squad for their performances.
The Frogs faced an early 5-2 deficit in the first set, but battled back with a 4-0 run to take a 6-5 lead. Kristen Hester dropped in a kill and served up an ace before Irene Hester and Hannah Fort teamed on a block to tie the set at five. Irene Hester's second kill of the match gave the Frogs the lead.
A back-and-forth battle ensued before the Frogs were able to grab a three-point lead, 13-10, on an ace from Sloane Sunstrum. Kristen Hester and Megan Munce dropped in back-to-back kills to stretch the lead to four, forcing a McNeese State timeout. The Cowgirls were able to keep the set close following the timeout, but Kristen Hester took control with the Frogs leading 21-18. She slammed three kills around a Sunstrum ace to seal the 25-18 set one win.
TCU had a taller hill to climb in the second set as McNeese State raced out to a 16-9 lead. A blast from Kristen Hester started a furious rally that turned the seven-point deficit into a 25-20 set two victory. Jordan Raines dropped in two kills and back-to-back kills from Munce pulled the Frogs within three, 17-14, prompting a McNeese timeout.
Munce pulled the Frogs within two and two straight kills from Irene Hester made it a two-point game. Back-to-back service aces from Munce completed the comeback as the Frogs took a 20-19 lead. Three straight blasts from Hudson gave the Frogs a 23-20 lead. Hudson teamed with Hannah Fort on a block on the outside to give the Frogs set point and McNeese committed an attack error to give the Frogs the victory.
The Frogs translated the momentum into the third set and rolled to a 25-9 set three win. With the score tied at two, the Frogs went on a 6-0 run that put the Cowgirls in a huge hole. Hudson tallied two kills in the run and Kristen Hester picked up one. Yvonne Igodan made it a 10-4 contest with her first collegiate kill and she capped off a 4-0 run with her second kill of the night.
After a mini three-point run that pulled the Cowgirls within six, 13-7, the Frogs went on a 12-2 run to close out the match. Kay Linn Connolly, seeing her first collegiate action, served the Frogs to an 18-7 lead. Munce took the service line and pushed the set to match point. She pitched in with her third ace and Hudson and Irene Hester tallied kills. Fort teamed with Irene Hester on the fifth block of the night then gave the Frogs set point which Hudson finished off.
The Frogs improve to 2-1 on the season. They will open the home portion of their schedule Friday afternoon when they host the TCU Molten Invitational. TCU's first match will be at 1 p.m. on Sept. 3 against Alcorn State. Also participating in the tournament are LSU and Central Arkansas.
