TCU Volleyball Suffers a Devastating Loss to No. 22 Colorado

The Horned Frogs nearly pulled off their most impressive conference win in Boulder.

TCU Volleyball players gather after a tough loss to No. 22 Colorado. | X: @TCUvolleyball

The TCU Horned Frogs looked to be back on track following a pair of wins over Utah and West Virginia last week. Unfortunately, the 16th ranked Horned Frogs took a step back, losing a heartbreaker to No. 22 Colorado in five sets.

In this high stakes match, both teams came out trading blows. A kill from Sarah Sylvester evened the first set at 15, before Colorado rallied with a 4-0 run. TCU got within one at 22-21 courtesy of Becca Kelley, but once again the Buffaloes responded with three straight points to take the opening set.

TCU Captured the Momentum in Sets 2 and 3

TCU Volleyball players celebrate a point in the second set versus Colorado. | X: @TCUvolleyball

The Frogs came to life in set two. Up three at the media timeout, TCU continued to maintain that advantage. A service ace from Kelley and a block from Lauren Murphy made the score 21-15. The Buffaloes tried to rally, but a kill from Evan Hendrix paired with an attack error evened the match.

In the third set the score was tied at 11. The Horned Frogs' defense showed up, as Murphy and Alexis Roberson powered their team to a 9-1 run. TCU never trailed, as Kelley put down another kill to take the 2-1 advantage.

lex standing on business 😤 pic.twitter.com/m5upe8MoJB

— TCU Volleyball (@TCUvolleyball) November 14, 2025

The fourth set required extra points. With Colorado holding on to a 24-21 lead, Riley Weigelt powered the Frogs back into the match. Murphy and Hendrix came up huge and a 3-0 run tied set four. TCU had an opportunity to win, but Ana Burilovic willed her team to a fourth set victory.

A push to the fifth set saw the Buffaloes grab the early lead. Sydney Jordan slammed a kill to make it 7-3. They continued to hold a four-point lead until Sylvester's kill and a Roberson block cut the deficit to 12-10. With TCU facing match point and their backs against the wall, a clutch 3-0 run sent the winner-take-all set into extras.

Unfortunately, Colorado pulled away and won 19-17. TCU tallied 19 blocks, the most in a match since 2023, but the Buffaloes' offense outplayed the Frogs. They had 10 services aces to TCU's four. Hendrix led the way with 19 kills and Murphy tied her career-high with seven blocks.

The Frogs fall to 2-2 in five-set matches with their previous loss coming to Baylor. Colorado rises to second in the Big 12 standings while TCU drops to sixth.

What's Next?

TCU (18-8, 8-6) will continue their road trip to Ames, Iowa to take on No. 25 Iowa State (19-5, 9-4). It's a crucial game that the Horned Frogs would love to win.

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