TCU Powers Past Iowa State in Four Sets in Big 12 Home-Opener

Saturday, September 24

Fort Worth, Texas

2 PM

TCU

6-7,1-1Big 12

Iowa State

8-6,0-1Big 12

Iowa St.

TCU

Photo by: Sharon Ellman

TCU Powers Past Iowa State in Four Sets in Big 12 Home-Opener

9/24/2022 5:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

FORT WORTH – TCU picked a good time to deliver its most well-rounded defensive effort of the fall one month into the 2022-23 campaign.

The Horned Frogs rode a powerful block, lineup tweak and two double-doubles from a pair of outside hitters past Iowa State 3-1 (24-26, 25-16, 25-18, 25-19) in its Big 12 home-opener on Saturday inside Schollmaier Arena.

TCU (6-7, 1-1 Big 12) limited the Cyclones to 52 points and 40 kills – its fewest allowed in four-set matches this season – on .126 hitting. The Horned Frogs stymied the ISU attack behind 16 total blocks – their third-most in a match this fall – and no reception errors. Four players finished with five-or-more rejections.

The Horned Frogs notched 57 kills and had the edge in assists (54-38) digs (52-46) and aces (6-0)

Audrey Nalls fed the frenzy at both ends of the net behind her second double-double in as many matches with a 16-kill, 11-dig effort. The senior posted match-highs in kills and hitting percentage (.333) among players with at least 20 attacks. She landed six of her kills in the decisive fourth set.

Nalls was hardly the lone Horned Frog to maximize the Saturday matinée.

Head coach Jason Williams mixed up his starting lineup with success. The first-year head coach inserted senior Sabrina Sustala at libero for the first time this season. He also penciled in Taylor Raiola, who returned from a monthlong injury absence at No. 14 Baylor on Wednesday, as the Horned Frogs' back row outside hitter.

The lineup switcheroo paid dividends defensively. Raiola joined Nalls in registering a double-double with 11 digs and 10 kills while also chipping in five blocks. The performance marked the eighth career double-double of Raiola's three-year run in purple and white.

Sustala matched Nalls and Raiola with 11 digs.

MyKayla Myers led all players with eight blocks while Zoe Hall and Madilyn Cole finished with seven apiece.

Rounding out the list of individual performers was setter Callie Williams, who led all players in assists (40) to pair with nine digs and five kills.

TCU narrowly missed a chance to sweep the Cyclones. TCU rallied from a five-point deficit to assume a 17-16 lead in set one. The teams then played to six ties on the ensuing 12 plays to the tune of a 24-24 deadlock. Iowa State then served for match point following a TCU service error. Five of the Cyclones seven points in the sequence came via service errors.

Regardless, the Horned Frogs took full control of the match in set two.

With the score even at 10-10, Williams turned to Cole at middle blocker off the bench. The 6-4 junior gave TCU its first bit of separation in the set. She followed up a kill from Raiola with a spike of her own, then scored two straight blocks to stake TCU to a four-point lead.

Cole's spurt ignited a 7-0 run that pushed TCU further ahead at 17-10. The Horned Frogs maintained their seven-point advantage at 20-13. A dump kill by Myers and service ace from Nalls then pushed TCU further ahead at 23-15. Raiola then landed a kill to position the Horned Frogs for set point two plays later, which they achieved on an ISU attack error.

TCU connected at a .409 hitting clip in the frame.

The third frame followed a similar script as its predecessor. TCU rallied from an early deficit to force a mid-set tie, then closed the show with an extended scoring run.

ISU led 8-5 to begin. Freshman Gabi Mass, who earned an extended look at defensive specialist throughout the match, helped TCU pull even at 11-11. Mass set Raiola up for her eighth kill with a high-arching set to draw the Horned Frogs within a point. The Cyclones struggled to return Maas' serve on the following play, which set Hall up for an easy one-touch kill from the right pin. Afedo Manyang laced home consecutive kills to maintain the gridlock at 15-15. TCU briefly assumed a 17-15 edge after a kill from Myers and block by Hall on consecutive plays. ISU tied the score at 18-18 but TCU answered with a 6-0 run that featured two kills from Raiola and a kill and a block by Hall to ice the set and assume a 2-1 match lead.

The Horned Frogs quickly ensured the match would not see a fifth set. TCU doubled-up the Cyclones at 14-7. ISU pulled within three of the Horned Frogs at 18-15, prompting Williams to whistle for timeout. Nalls promptly responded with a kill and service ace on consecutive plays. Hall then fueled a 5-1 close to the set and the match with her final block of the afternoon that made the score 21-17. Myers chimed in with a service ace on the next play to set up a kill from Raiola. TCU clinched the victory following two more Cyclone attack errors.

TCU now turns its attention to West Virginia (6-6), whom it hosts at 6 p.m. on Sept. 29. A win over the Mountaineers would stake the Horned Frogs to their first 2-1 start to Big 12 play since 2018.