Volleyball Upsets No. 18 Minnesota Behind Parra’s 30 Kill Night

Saturday, September 7

Waco, Texas

4 PM

TCU

2-2,0-0Big 12

Minnesota

1-3,0-0Big Ten

Minnesota

TCU

Volleyball Upsets No. 18 Minnesota Behind Parra’s 30 Kill Night

9/7/2024 9:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Melanie Parra records ninth 30-kill match in program history

WACO, Texas – Overcoming a four-point deficit and fending off three match points in a winner-take-all fifth set, TCU volleyball never backed down, completing a 3-2 upset win over No. 18 Minnesota in a thriller to close out its weekend at the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge Saturday night.

Trailing 5-9 in the fifth set, the Horned Frogs (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) did the improbable. They methodically chipped away at the lead, taking advantage of errors and big swings from Melanie Parra and Jalyn Gibson, who finished with 30 and 21 kills, respectively. TCU pulled even with the Gophers at 11-11, and then both teams battled into extras, fending off a combined four match points. Tied at 18, Parra slammed down her 30^th kill of the night, and Sarah Sylvester put an exclamation point on the victory, stuffing Minnesota at the net to take the set 20-18.

Parra's offensive outburst highlighted the sixth ranked victory in the Jason Williams Era and first of the 2024 season for the Frogs. TCU needed every last swing from the Sinaloa, Mexico, product, who took a program-record 92 swings on the night.

Gibson came alive early, helping light up the scoreboard with Parra. The Preseason All-Big 12 outside hitter eclipsed 20 kills for just the third time in her career. Alexis Roberson and Becca Kelley each added nine to the offense, led by setter Lily Nicholson with a career-high 56 assists.

Defensively, two Frogs finished with 20-plus digs. Gibson led the team with 23, followed by Nicholson with 21, giving them both double-doubles. Libero Cecily Bramschreiber added 18 more herself, in addition to being perfect in the serve-receive game. Freshman Alice Volpe also left her mark on the defense, finishing with a career-high 14 digs in her second career start. At the net, Sylvester was a nightmare for the Gophers, blocking nine shots, including the 200^th of her career.

TCU, playing its third straight match against a ranked Big Ten opponent, came out hungry in the first set. Parra led the way with seven of the teams' 18 kills as the Frogs hit .310. TCU never trailed and led by as many as five, taking the set 25-21.

The Frogs kept their foot on the gas in the second. Minnesota scored the first point, but TCU dominated the set, scoring in bursts. Gibson sparked a 4-0 run with a kill to help build a 13-8 lead at the halfway point. She kept the pressure on the Gophers, helping extend the lead to six at 20-14. Minnesota showed some life late in the set, tying things up at 24, but Parra and Sylvester shut down the comeback attempt with a kill and a block to put TCU up two sets to none with a 26-24 win.

But Minnesota, one of the hottest teams in the country coming into the weekend after handing defending National Champion and No.1 ranked Texas its first loss of the season, didn't go away quietly. The Gophers overcame a three-point deficit to take control of the third set and secure a 25-21 victory and held off the Frogs again in the fourth for a 25-23 set win to force a decisive fifth set.

With all the momentum on the Minnesota side of the court, the Gophers took the early lead. Just when it looked like they were going to complete the reverse sweep, TCU flipped a switch. The Frogs refused to surrender, erasing a four-point deficit to tie the set and become the aggressors. Parra racked up seven kills in the fifth alone, propelling the TCU to a 3-2 victory over No. 18 Minnesota.

The Frogs return home and look to carry the momentum into the Fight in the Fort next week inside Schollmaier Arena. Fans can purchase season tickets here and cheer on TCU in its home opener against Texas A&M Commerce and Prairie View A&M on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT.

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