Volleyball: No. 22 TCU knocks off No. 14 Baylor in front of historic crowd

The Horned Frogs also edged out Houston on the road to ascend up the Big 12 ladder.

There could be something special brewing for the TCU volleyball program this season. After cracking the top-25 rankings for the first time in program history last month, TCU welcomed in the second-largest volleyball crowd ever to Schollmaier Arena on Sunday afternoon, when the No. 22 ranked Horned Frogs upset the No. 14 ranked Baylor Bears in Big 12 action. It was the second victory over a ranked opponent this season for TCU, who went on the road and held off Houston for a five-set win this past week. Just over 4,000 fans filled the arena on Sunday to watch the Horned Frogs, who were playing on national television as well with the match broadcasted on ESPN. TCU (11-3, 3-1 Big 12) will look to keep the positive momentum rolling this week, when the Horned Frogs travel to Utah before facing No. 20 BYU on the road Saturday evening looking for their third ranked victory of the season.

Wednesday: No. 22 TCU 3, Houston 2

TCU avoided a reverse sweep from the Cougars, who fell behind 2-0 before taking both the third and fourth sets to force a fifth and final set on their home floor. But an 8-0 run over the final moments of the match enabled the Horned Frogs to outlast Houston and secure a 25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 19-25, 15-7 win. While the Cougars did damage from the service line, where Houston recorded 10 aces, TCU stood tall on the front line, collecting 14 blocks and holding the Cougars to a .160 hitting percentage. The Horned Frogs saw their key players deliver big performances, with outside hitters Melanie Parra (22 kills, 15 digs and six total blocks), Jalyn Gibson (13 kills, 18 digs, .355 hitting percentage) and setter Lily Nicholson (47 assists, 13 digs) all notching double-doubles. Sarah Sylvester posted eight total blocks to anchor the front-row defense, while defenders Cecily Bramschreiber and Alice Volpe combined for 29 digs. Becca Kelley added 10 kills and Alexis Robertson had five total blocks in the win.

Sunday: No. 22 TCU 3, No. 14 Baylor 1

Dominance over the third and fourth sets allowed the Horned Frogs to prevail over the Bears in their 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20 victory on Sunday. TCU posted nine blocks and collected 77 digs while holding Baylor to a .165 hitting percentage. Melanie Parra delivered a strong showing on Hispanic Heritage Night, leading the TCU offense with 25 kills and a .295 hitting rate while adding 11 digs for a double-double. Alexis Roberson emerged as an offensive threat in the middle, earning seven kills on a .500 hitting rate. Jalyn Gibson and Becca Kelley each had 14 kills, with Gibson also compiling 17 digs for her double-double. Lily Nicholson dished out 45 assists and 15 digs for the Horned Frogs, who had seven players record at least one assist in the victory over the Bears on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Alice Volpe shined in the back row, posting a season-high 17 digs on defense.