Volleyball Downs Oklahoma 3-1 in Season Opener - TCU Athletics (2024)

LINCOLN, Neb. – Fueled by a 20-kill performance from Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year Melanie Parra, TCU volleyball knocked off Oklahoma 3-1to open its season at the Ameritas Players Challenge Friday evening in the Devaney Center.

For Parra, it marked her ninth career 20-plus kill match. She did so with only two errors on a .429 clip. The Sinaloa, Mexico, native was also a factor at the service line, tallying a career-high seven aces, the second most by a Horned Frog in a single match in program history. Parra also recorded nine digs, finishing just one shy of a double-double.

Junior Jalyn Gibson added nine kills to the scoring effort, including the 500^th of her career. Redshirt freshman Becca Kelley also tallied nine kills and a pair of blocks in her collegiate debut. She was joined by true freshmen Alice Volpe and Evan Hendrix, who also saw the first on-court action of their careers. Setter Lily Nicholson fed the offense to a .226 clip with 40 assists and a team-high 12 digs for her first double-double of the season.

A Sarah Sylvester ace gave the Frogs their first point of the season in the opening set. Both teams battled back and forth, trading points and scoring run. TCU used a 6-2 run to take an 18-14 lead before OU knotted the score back up. It was Parra and Gibson who took over down the stretch, helping the Frogs score four straight points and take a close first set, 25-23, on a Sooner error.

TCU turned up the heat at the service line in the second set, using five aces to cruise to a two-set lead. Parra led the way with a trio of aces and five kills, moving her into double-digits on the night, as the Frogs built up a six-point lead at 24-18. Kelley finished off the second with a big swing to move the Frogs one set away from victory.

Oklahoma didn't go away quietly, however. The Sooners spoiled the sweep with a 25-21 set win in the third, extending the match.

Looking to put things away, TCU hit a blistering .417 in the fourth set and held OU to a mere .036 clip. Gibson and Parra powered the Frogs home with five kills apiece, leaving no doubt in a 25-16 set win to seal the victory over their former conference foe.

TCU continues its weekend against second-ranked Nebraska on Saturday, Aug. 31. First serve is set for 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can tune in to the match on Big Ten+.

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