TCU Athletics had another busy sports-filled weekend with five TCU teams competing across the country.
Volleyball
In what may have been their poorest performance of the season, TCU volleyball dropped their second consecutive match, losing to Texas Tech 3-0 (26-24, 25-11, 25-23). This was just the third time the Frogs have been swept this season.
TCU started the match off strong. Led by the offensive attack of outside hitter Lexi MacLean, the Frogs hung with the Red Raiders and led 19-16 late in the first set. Errors by TCU and a surge by Texas Tech pushed the set the other direction and the Red Raiders won 26-24.
MacLean had led the Frogs with 7 kills in the first set alone. She finished the match with 12 kills and a block. This was her first double-digit kill performance since last season.
Any momentum TCU built in the first set disappeared in the second, as Texas Tech looked dominant the entire way. The Red Raiders finished the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-11 and go up 2-0 in the match.
Despite their deficit, the Horned Frogs would not go away. An ace by defensive specialist Dani Dennison put TCU up 6-4 early in the third set. The Frogs even took an 18-14 lead later on, but strong runs by the Red Raiders proved to be too much to overcome.
TCU lost the third set 25-23, dropping the match 3-0.
The Frogs had just 36 kills as a team in the match, their third lowest total of the season.
The Frogs will travel to Austin next to play Texas. In their last matchup, the Frogs fell to the Longhorns in a five-set thriller. First serve in Austin is set for Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
Cross Country
The women’s team finished eighth and the men’s team ninth at the Big 12 championships in Ames, Iowa Friday.
Six members of the women’s team ran either a season or personal best, including sophomore Evelyn Mandel who was the top finisher for TCU with a time of 21:11.7. The men were led by first-years Sean Byrne and Lakelin Conrad, who finished 38th and 41st, respectively.
The Horned Frogs will compete in the NCAA South regional Nov. 9 in College Station.
Equestrian
No. 5 TCU lost to No. 4 Baylor in the Big 12 season opener. The Horned Frogs captured three of the four most outstanding performances but were unable to hold off a second-half comeback by the Bears.
“Today didn’t turn out as we hoped and we tip our hat to Baylor who rode very well,” said Director of Equestrian Haley Schoolfield. “We need to acknowledge some very strong rides and three well-deserved MOPs.”
The team has won 11 of 12 Most Outstanding Players so far this season. The team will look to rebound when they host Oklahoma State Friday, Nov. 2 at the Turning Point Ranch in Springtown, Texas.
Rifle
The third-ranked rifle team won their 12th straight regular season match with a dominating victory over the VMI men’s and women’s teams.
The Horned Frogs had all eight of the top aggregate scorers, led by senior Rachel Garner. Garner shot a 1,186 and now has four of the top seven scores in the NCAA this season.
The team also had the top eight scores in smallbore and air rifle. Sophomore Elizabeth Marsh tied her career high with a 589 mark in smallbore.
The team will return to action in two weeks when they host No. 2 West Virginia at home. The Mountaineers have won five of the last six national championships.
