Volleyball: TCU sets attendance record against No. 6 Texas

TCU volleyball set a new attendance record at Schollmaier Arena on Wednesday evening, when the Horned Frogs hosted No. 6 Texas in an exciting five-set conference match. Nearly 7,500 fans were on hand to watch TCU battle the Longhorns, who overcame a 2-1 set deficit to hand the Horned Frogs a 3-2 loss. TCU returned home for another tough conference match on Sunday, falling 3-1 against No. 14 Kansas and suffering a third consecutive Big 12 loss. The Horned Frogs (12-9, 5-5 Big 12) will travel for road matches against UCF this week.

Wednesday: No. 6 Texas 3, TCU 2

Freshman setter Lily Nicholson shined in her first collegiate start, dishing out an incredible 56 assists as she took over for starting setter Riley Buckley, who did not play on Wednesday. Audrey Nalls continued her surge on the front line, leading TCU with 24 kills while adding 14 digs on defense for a double-double. Former Texas hitter Melanie Parra added 20 kills for the Horned Frogs, while Jalyn Gibson finished with 15 kills in the match. Texas hadn’t been taken to a fifth set all season, but the Horned Frogs held a 2-1 set lead and nearly took the match in the fourth set, where the Longhorns pulled out a 6-2 rally to win the set 25-23.

TCU came within one point near the end of the fifth set, but a service error ultimately sealed the loss and the win for the Longhorns, who avoided suffering their first Big 12 loss of the season. Nalls was an offensive powerhouse for the Horned Frogs, recording a season-best .541 hitting percentage to lead the TCU attack. Gibson and Nicholson each notched double-doubles in the match, with Nicholson totaling 13 digs and Gibson adding 11 digs for TCU. Service errors proved crucial in the loss, as the Longhorns recorded only eight service errors over five sets while the Horned Frogs racked up 16, resulting in an eight-point swing.

Sunday: No. 14 Kansas 3, TCU 1

The Horned Frogs struggled to find holes in a tough Kansas defense, with the Jayhawks compiling a match-best 24 blocks as TCU finished with a less-than-ideal .140 hitting percentage. Jalyn Gibson recorded 13 kills and Audrey Nalls added 11 kills for the Horned Frogs, who claimed the opening set before conceding the next three in a 25-18, 14-25, 16-25, 15-25 loss. Freshman setter Lily Nicholson sent out 34 assists in her second career start, while Nalls anchored the TCU defense with a team-leading 16 digs. Former Horned Frog standout Mykayla Myers made a notable impact for Kansas, finishing with seven blocks.