Volleyball: TCU upsets No. 18 Minnesota in Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge

The Horned Frogs also took two sets from No. 6 Wisconsin.

The TCU women’s volleyball team continued its tough early-season schedule over the weekend, when the Horned Frogs faced two top-25 programs in the annual Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. Despite finishing with one win and one loss over two matches, TCU played an excellent tournament, taking two sets from No. 6 Wisconsin in a five-set defeat before upsetting No. 18 Minnesota in five-set fashion. The Horned Frogs (2-2, 0-0 Big 12), who snagged one set from No. 2 Nebraska at the Ameritas Players Challenge last weekend, will return to campus for the annual Fight in the Fort from Sept. 12-13. TCU will take on a trio of schools including Texas A&M Commerce, Prairie View A&M and the UCLA Bruins.

Friday: No. 6 Wisconsin 3, TCU 2

Three Horned Frog attackers including Melanie Parra, Jalyn Gibson and Becca Kelley earned double-digit kills during TCU’s 15-25, 29-27, 25-21, 16-25, 11-15 loss against the Badgers on Friday. Parra and Gibson each achieved double-doubles, with Parra recording a team-high 21 kills and 16 digs while Gibson followed with 14 kills and 16 digs. Kelley notched another 14 kills for the Horned Frogs, who put away 49 assists from sophomore setter Lily Nicholson. Wisconsin maintained a slight edge on offense, ending the match with a .271 hitting percentage while the Horned Frogs landed with a .216 hitting percentage in the loss. TCU’s back row held strong with 68 total digs, but service errors proved costly, as the Horned Frogs ended the match with 13 service errors while acing the Badgers only four times.

Saturday: TCU 3, No. 18 Minnesota 2

Melanie Parra’s stardom continued to grow during the upset victory over the Golden Gophers, as the talented outside hitter turned in a season-high 30 kills while becoming only the fourth player in program history to record a 30-kill match. The Horned Frogs fought for every point, digging 95 balls and totaling 22 blocks on defense while finishing with 73 kills in the 25-21, 26-24, 21-25, 23-25, 20-18 victory. Jalyn Gibson achieved a rare feat in the win, notching a 20-20 performance with 23 digs and 21 kills. Lily Nicholson was rock steady throughout the match, dishing out a season-high 56 assists while compiling 21 digs on defense for a huge double-double of her own. Freshman defender Alice Volpe stepped up with 14 digs and libero Cecily Bramschreiber added 18 digs to help anchor the back row.