TCU
New Mexico*
Lobos Sweep Frogs in Conference Finale
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2008
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The TCU Horned Frogs fell 3-0 (19-25, 23-25, 20-25) to New Mexico in their final league match of 2008. For the second straight season, the Frogs finished conference play with a 9-7 record. Christy Hudson and Lauren Otto paced the Frogs offensively with 11 and 10, respectively. Kourtney Edwards led the team with three blocks, while Katelyn Blackwood tallied nine digs in the loss.A back-and-forth affair in the first set saw the Lobos gain the early advantage and hold off the Frog attack. New Mexico took a three-point lead, 10-7, only to see the Frogs rally to tie the game on kills from Devon Kirk and Irene Hester. Kirk was big in the first half of the set as she dropped in five kills to help the Frogs stay within one at 13-12.
It wouldn't be enough as the Lobos got in a groove and rattled off a 10-5 run to take a commanding 23-17 lead. TCU wouldn't recover as it dropped the first set 25-19. The Lobos racked up 19 kills in the set, while TCU managed just 13.
TCU came out firing in the second set, jumping out to a 9-6 lead. Kourtney Edwards came alive with two early kills and a block, while Hudson pitched in with two kills and Kirk added three more. The Lobos fought back with a 4-0 run to take their first lead of the set, but Otto silenced them with her second kill of the set to tie the game at 10.
With the set tied at 13, the Lobos went on a 5-0 run to open up an 18-13 lead. Hester came up big for the Frogs as she dropped in two kills to help keep the deficit manageable and a blast from Otto on the outside spurred a 5-0 run that tied the set at 20. Otto paired with Edwards on a denial on the outside and the duo smoked back-to-back kills to tie the set.
From there, the teams traded points. Otto matched the Lobos kill for kill, but two straight blasts from Jeanne Fairchild gave the Lobos set point. The Frogs held off one set point, but a block by the Lobos sealed the 25-23 set two victory.
TCU outplayed the Lobos in nearly every category in the second set except for blocks and digs, which proved to be the deciding point in the set. The Frogs tallied 18 kills, 16 digs and two blocks and held the Lobos to 16 kills.
New Mexico jumped out to the early 11-7 lead and used every bit as they held off a charging Frog squad. TCU could never get a long rally going and the lead proved to be too much. The Frogs did get back within two, 18-16, thanks to a 3-0 run that began with a kill from Hudson and was aided by two straight Lobo errors. The Lobos rattled off a 4-0 run to take a 23-17 lead and won the set 25-20.
The Frogs fall to 20-10 on the season and wrap up league play with a 9-7 record. TCU will wrap up regular season play beginning Friday when they travel to Houston for two matches. First up is Rice on Friday followed by a meeting with Houston Saturday night. Both matches are slated to begin at 7 p.m.
