Horned Frogs drop four-set Fight in the Fort affair to Memphis

Saturday, September 3

Fort Worth, Texas

10 AM

TCU

1-3,0-0Big 12

Memphis

4-2,0-0AAC

Memphis

TCU

Photo by: Gregg Ellman

Horned Frogs drop four-set Fight in the Fort affair to Memphis

9/3/2022 2:11:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

TCU concludes tournament vs. Texas A&M on Saturday inside Schollmaier Arena

FORT WORTH – TCU fell in four sets to Memphis (25-27, 26-24, 24-26, 23-25) on Saturday in its second-of-three "Fight in the Fort" preseason nonconference tournament matches.

The Horned Frogs (1-3) built a 16-13 set one lead and swelled the advantage to 20-18. Five attack errors and a Tigers kill soon saw the Horned Frogs faced with staving off set point. The Horned Frogs fought back to even things at 24-24 following a kill by Audrey Nalls, an attack error and consecutive blocks – one by Nalls and one from MyKayla Myers. The teams alternated kills to maintain a 25-25 gridlock. Memphis then grabbed set with back-to-back points.

An 8-2 TCU spurt to start set two was fueled by a timely collegiate debut. Head coach Jason Williams substituted Sarah Sylvester in at middle blocker. The 6-3 freshman made the most of her first career set. Sylvester landed kill No. 1 of her TCU tenure off a quick set from Callie Williams (45 assists, nine digs) to stake TCU to a 4-1 edge. The Michiganian then landed consecutive blocks to push the advantage to 6-1 and force the Tigers into timeout.

Memphis (4-2) later pulled even at 17-17 but Nalls and Myers again teamed up to regain the initiative. The senior duo bookended consecutive kills around a Memphis error to put TCU back in front at 20-18.

Sylvester's third block of the morning nudged TCU further ahead, 22-19. A dump kill by Williams and spike from the left pin by Julia Adams soon positioned the Horned Frogs for set point at 25-24. Williams used a timely coaches' challenge to secure set victory. Memphis appeared to initially force a 25-25 tie off a spike that landed between the right pin and the Horned Frogs' bench. But TCU successfully challenged for a net violation to even the match at one set apiece.

Cecily Bramschreiber landed six of her match and career-high 16 kills in the third set to position TCU to assume a 2-1 match lead. Four of her kills single-handedly engineered a 4-1 run that evened the scoreboard at 22-22. The Horned Frogs paired a service ace from Williams and kill by Nalls to serve for match point at 24-23. Two straight attack errors undid the Horned Frogs rally and closed the set.

TCU fought back once more in set four, pulling within a point at 23-22 after trailing by seven points earlier in the frame, but was unable to extend the match to a decisive fifth set.

Bramschreiber has now notched back-to-back double-digit kill performances.

Nalls finished with 10 kills and digs apiece to secure her sixth career double-double in her four-year TCU career.

Williams' 45 assists signified a TCU career-high. The graduate transfer has started three of the Horned Frogs' four matches at setter.

Keagan Polk led all players with a career-best 21 digs.

Not to be outdone were Sylvester and fellow freshman Riley Weigelt, who both enjoyed their best performances in purple and white. Sylvester tallied six kills on .333 hitting along with four blocks. Weigelt posted 10 digs to reach double figures for the firtst time.

The Horned Frogs finished with season-highs in digs (62) and total blocks (nine).

TCU concludes its annual "Fight in the Fort" at 6 p.m. on Saturday vs. Texas A&M in the first-ever meeting between the schools on the volleyball court.