Volleyball Falls to No. 6 Wisconsin in Five-Set Heartbreaker

Friday, September 6

Waco, Texas

4 PM

TCU

1-2,0-0Big 12

Wisconsin

1-3,0-0Big Ten

Wisconsin

TCU

Volleyball Falls to No. 6 Wisconsin in Five-Set Heartbreaker

9/6/2024 9:01:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Horned Frogs come up just short against Badgers

WACO, Texas – In its second straight match against a top 10 opponent, TCU volleyball took No. 6 Wisconsin down to the very wire, falling in a five-set heartbreaker Friday evening at the Ferrell Center.

The Horned Frogs (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) gave the Badgers (1-3, 0-0 Big Ten) everything they could handle in the first match of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. TCU, who was swept by perennial power Wisconsin in each of the previous four meetings, took its first set over the Badgers in school history and then some, pushing the No. 6 team in the country to a decisive fifth set.

Defending Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Melanie Parra, kept pace with her blistering numbers from week one. She went for 21 kills on a .279 clip, marking her 10^th career match with at least 20 kills and second of the season. Junior Jalyn Gibson and redshirt freshman Becca Kelley followed, finishing with 14 kills each. For Kelley, it also marked a career-high in her young career. The trio of hitters were all fed by setter Lily Nicholson, who dished out 49 assists.

On the defensive side, four Frogs finished in double figures in digs. Parra and Gibson paced the team with 16, giving them both double-doubles on the night. Nicholson also notched a double-double, adding 12 digs to her stat line, and libero Cecily Bramschreiber recorded 11 to go along with a pair of service aces.

Wisconsin came out hungry, looking to set the tone early on in set one. The Badgers doubled up the Frogs at 10-5, forcing head coach Jason Williams to call a timeout and regroup. TCU pulled back within three, but not before Wisconsin went on a 7-3 run to take control and win the set 25-15.

Looking to bounce back in the second, the Frogs refused to quit, pulling off a gutsy 29-27 set victory. Both teams traded points back and forth, exchanging 24 ties and eight lead changes in the set alone. Parra came alive for the Frogs offense, racking up nine kills on just 16 swings (.562), and Kelley added five kills on seven swings (.714) to the one-two punch. TCU was the aggressor, swinging first in the set and turning up the heat on Wisconsin. The Badgers fought off three set points, but the Frogs never took their foot off the gas. Tied at 27, Alexis Roberson picked up the kill, and Parra slammed the door to even the match at one set apiece.

TCU carried the momentum from a thrilling set victory into the third, never trailing. A 5-1 run, sparked by Jaylen Clark at the service line, helped the Frogs jump out to an early lead. Wisconsin chipped away, pulling as close as one point at 22-21, but TCU never relinquished its edge. Gibson's five kills highlighted the Horned Frog attack, and a stingy defense forced 13 Badger errors.

Needing just one more set, TCU hung with Wisconsin through the first 10 points of set four before the Badgers went to the bench for 2021 NCAA Championship MVP Anna Smrek entered the game off the bench. Smrek gave the Badgers new life, helping them extend the match and force a fifth set with a 25-16 win in the fourth.

Coming down to the wire in a winner-take-all set, Wisconsin threw the first punch with a 4-0 run to start the fifth and built it into a 10-4 lead. TCU clawed back, pulling within four, but No. 6 Wisconsin hung on for the 3-2 victory.

The Horned Frogs turn their attention towards No. 18 Minnesota with another opportunity to pick up a top 25 win on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 4 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in on ESPN+.

For all the latest TCU volleyball news, follow the Frogs on X at @TCUVolleyball, on Instagram at @tcuvolleyball and on Facebook at TCU Volleyball.