TCU Volleyball Downs UNT
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FORT WORTH, Texas – The TCU volleyball team opened its 2013 home slate with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-19) sweep of North Texas Wednesday evening inside the University Rec Center.
The Frogs (4-3, 0-0 Big 12) had control of the match from the opening serve and never let the Mean Green (5-4, 0-0 C-USA) get close, as TCU racked up seven service aces and held North Texas to a .198 hitting percentage.
A 6-1 run started out the match in the Frogs’ favor, as TCU built on the lead off of errors from North Texas. Kills from Ashley Smith and Macy Capen extended TCU’s lead, but a 9-2 run by the Mean Green pulled the match even at 15-15. The teams traded points and tied the match up five more times until a kill from Yvonne Igodan sparked a 5-1 run that ended with a kill from Capen to give the Frogs a 25-21 set one victory. Capen and Smith combined to put down seven kills in the set for a .500 hitting percentage to lead the Frogs in the opening set.
North Texas took the lead to start the second set, but kills from Mattie Burleson and Smith propelled TCU back into the lead at 11-7. The Mean Green would not back down and tied the set at 18-18, before a kill from Burleson along with a block from Regan McGuire and Igodan forced North Texas into its first timeout of the set. The Frogs did not let the Mean Green any closer as TCU scored five of the final seven points to win the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set proved to be a battle, as the two teams tied the score on 12 occasions and swapped the lead eight times. Tied at 13-13, two straight blocks from Stephanie Holland and Igodan proved to be the final push TCU needed to pull out the win, as Trisha Langley notched a service ace for a 25-19 third set win and a 3-0 victory in the match.
Ashley Smith had her fourth double-digit kill match in a row for the Frogs, as the League City, Texas native recorded a match-high 12 kills. Stephanie Holland chipped in nine kills for TCU and hit a team-high .389 hitting percentage to go along with three blocks. Shane Peters had her first start in the libero jersey and finished with 16 digs.
TCU will stay at home for the next four matches as the Frogs host the TCU Nike/Molten Invitational on Sept. 14-15. TCU faces Stephen F. Austin at noon on Friday with the match set to be televised live on FOX Sports Southwest. The team will close out the first day of the invitational by playing Houston at 7:30 p.m., before playing Grambling State and Ole Miss on Saturday at 2 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
