Killer Frogs

TCU Volleyball Loses Season Opener to No. 3 Pitt

On the national stage, the Horned Frogs came up short against Pitt but proved they can hang with anyone in the country.
Zion Trammel|
TCU Volleyball players celebrate a set win versus No. 3 Pitt.
TCU Volleyball players celebrate a set win versus No. 3 Pitt. | X: @TCU_Volleyball

It is clear that the standard for TCU Volleyball has risen exponentially since the arrival of head coach Jason Williams. That standard was evident when the non-conference schedule was released. The Horned Frogs are opening the season by competing in the State Farm Women's College Volleyball Showcase in Pennsylvania.

The odds of winning were stacked against TCU as they faced No. 3 Pitt. While TCU fell to the Panthers in four sets (23-25, 25-22, 15-25, and 21-25), they truly gave it their all and made things uncomfortable the entire match.

The key to this match was figuring out any possible way of containing Pitt's Olivia Babcock. She was named the AVCA National Player of the Year in 2024 along with a ton of other accolades. Plainly put, the 6'4" redshirt sophomore is one of the best players in the country and is a dynamic player on the offensive end with her powerful attacks.

The first set was evenly matched until a 6-0 run by Pitt gave them a 17-11 lead. The Frogs quickly responded off the backs of Jalyn Gibson and Evan Hendrix. All tied at 18, the Panthers pulled away late as Babcock landed a kill to steal set one.

TCU responded nicely in set two. Lauren Murphy started to heat up and put the Horned Frogs ahead 12-9. Despite multiple attempts by the Panthers to crawl back, TCU kept them at arm's length. A kill by Gibson and a service error evened things up. Coach Williams said the passing was a lot better, and they did a nice job of taking care of the first ball.

Unfortunately in set three, the Frogs were outmatched. The Panthers had a blistering .419 hitting percentage, and TCU could not recover. In set four, TCU would not go out quietly as they hung around. A couple kills by Gibson knotted up the set at 18. But once again, Pitt closed strong, and a service error by TCU ended the match.

Babcock led all players in kills with 19. Gibson led TCU with 18 of her own. Lauren Murphy was impressive in her TCU debut as she landed 10 kills on 14 swings.

It was also a special night for the Kelley family. Their daughters, Becca and Bre, battled against each other for the first time. Becca finished with six kills and a block, while Bre had three kills and seven blocks.

TCU will be back at it on Monday but the opponent doesn't get much easier. They'll take on second ranked Penn State at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on FOX.

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Zion Trammell
ZION TRAMMEL

Zion Trammell graduated from TCU in 2023 with a degree in sports broadcasting and a minor in journalism. He has been on the TCU Horned Frogs On SI team since 2022. He is the lead writer for TCU Women’s Volleyball. He also writes about football, basketball (men’s and women’s), baseball, and other sports as necessary. In addition to his work with TCU Horned Frogs On SI, he is currently the play-by-play voice for Southlake Carroll baseball and hosts a TCU show on the Bleav Network.

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