Volleyball: Reverse sweep lifts No. 22 TCU over Houston

The Horned Frogs rallied for a five-set win over the Cougars on Wednesday.

Back-to-back losses over the first two sets didn’t discourage the No. 22 ranked TCU Horned Frogs, who rallied for a reverse sweep to defeat Houston in Big 12 Conference volleyball action at Schollmaier Arena on Wednesday evening. It was a much-needed victory for the TCU squad, which conceded road losses against Kansas and Kansas State last week. The Horned Frogs (18-7, 10-5 Big 12) dominated the third and fourth sets before outlasting Houston in the fifth and final set to win 25-27, 24-26, 25-18, 25-14, 18-16 on Wednesday.

TCU finished with a .253 hitting percentage for the match. The Horned Frogs, who hit .300 in both the third and fourth sets, received a stellar performance from outside hitter Jalyn Gibson, who turned in a team-high 24 digs with 15 kills to earn a double-double. Melanie Parra scored a team-high 24 kills to lead the TCU attack and collected 14 digs to record a double-double of her own. Middle offense was key for the Horned Frogs, who saw Alexis Roberson and Sarah Sylvester combine for 12 kills on a .429 hitting percentage.

Sylvester totaled four kills and five blocks to reach the 300-block mark for her career, while Roberson finished with eight kills and six digs. Freshman outside hitter Evan Hendrix gave the Horned Frogs a boost on offense, compiling 15 kills on a .325 percentage while scooping out a career-high 21 digs on defense to earn a double-double. Running the offense were setters Lily Nicholson and Stephanie Young, who combined for 55 assists over five sets. Nicholson collected 30 assists and eclipsed 1,000 for her career, while Young posted a season-high 25 assists. Nicholson added 12 digs on defense for a double-double.

Alice Volpe and Cecily Bramschreiber each recorded eight digs for the Horned Frogs, who compiled 104 digs as a squad during Wednesday’s victory. TCU held Houston to a .210 hitting percentage and a .167 hitting percentage during the fifth and final set of the night.