Sign Up | Lost Password

VB: No. 16 Rams Pushed to Limit By Horned Frogs

BOX SCORE

Courtesy GoFrogs.com

October 14, 2010
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The TCU volleyball team pushed the 16th-ranked Colorado State Rams to the brink, but lost a hard-fought match 3-2 (22-25, 24-26, 25-20, 25-20, 12-15) Thursday night. The loss snaps the Horned Frogs three match winning streak. Five Frogs tallied double-digit kill nights, while three posted double-doubles in the match. Meghan Horio set a career-high with 57 assists in the loss.
Irene Hester finished with a team-high 16 kills and tallied nine digs. Kristen Hester dropped in 15 kills, served up two aces and recorded a team-high four blocks. Jordan Raines picked up a double-double with 14 kills and 19 digs. Christy Hudson posted a double-double with 13 kills and a team-high 20 digs to go along with four blocks. Yvonne Igodan knocked down a career-high 10 kills and picked up three blocks. Horio completed her double-double with the 57 assists and 17 digs.

Colorado State led wire-to-wire in taking a 25-22 victory in the first set. The Frogs stayed close the entire set, never letting the Rams take more than a five point lead at any point.

Trailing 19-14, the Frogs battled to get the set knotted at 19. Irene Hester dropped in a pair of kills, while Igodan notched one and Kristen Hester served up an ace to get the set even. The Rams answered with a 4-1 run to regain control of the set, 23-20. A miscue by the Frogs locked up the win for CSU.

A much tighter affair greeted the teams in the second set as they battled through 12 ties and four lead changes. The Frogs and the Rams went toe-to-toe in the early part of the set, with neither team grabbing more than a two-point lead. Tied at 14, the Rams pushed to get a 19-16 lead, forcing a TCU timeout.

Hudson had the answer out of the break as she delivered a kill that sparked a 5-1 run that would put the Frogs in front 21-20. A block by Hudson and Kristen Hester on the outside gave TCU the lead. The Frogs eventually found themselves with two set points following a service ace from Hudson. Colorado State fought off the set points and closed out the set on a 5-0 run to take the 26-24 win and the commanding 2-0 match lead.

Out of the 10-minute break, the Frogs played inspired volleyball. They fought through nine ties in the third set before eventually scratching out a 25-20 victory to get back within one. It wasn't easy as the Rams opened up a 14-9 lead on the Frogs. A kill from Hudson put the Frogs back in the hunt. Sloane Sunstrum delivered a kill and a solo block to get the Frogs back within three, 15-12.

Trailing 16-13, a kill from Hudson spurred a dominating 12-4 run that would give the Frogs the win. TCU dominated the net as Hudson, Kristen Hester and Sunstrum all helped turn aside the Rams' attack. Colorado State tied the set at 20, but an attacking error by the Rams sparked a 5-0 run that would end the set. Kristen Hester and Irene Hester each knocked down two kills in the final rally.

In the fourth set, the Horned Frogs jumped out to the lead and never looked back as they evened the match at two games apiece. A kill from Horio broke a 9-9 tie and put the Frogs on the path to a 25-20 win. Three kills by Igodan in the middle and an ace from Irene Hester helped the Frogs build a 15-11 lead.

The Rams would creep closer, pulling with two, 19-17, but the Frogs had the answer on a kill from Kristen Hester. Raines and Emily Kirby joined the attack to help extend the lead to five, 23-18. Irene Hester gave the Frogs set point and an attacking error by the Rams ensured the match would go five.

It was not to be as the Rams used an early lead in the fifth set to escape with the win. TCU fell behind 6-3 before it eventually fought back to tie the set at nine. Kristen Hester, Irene Hester and Raines were all instrumental in the comeback efforts.

The Frogs had a swing for the lead, but the Ram block denied TCU and Colorado State never looked back as it took the 15-12 win in the fifth set.

TCU falls to 12-7 on the season and 3-2 in league play. It will wrap up its brief two-match road trip Saturday afternoon when the Frogs travel to Wyoming. Match time in Laramie is set for 2 p.m.