Sept. 17, 2011

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The TCU volleyball stayed perfect on the season with a 3-1 win over Seton Hall. The victory gives the Horned Frogs their fourth tournament title of the season. Yvonne Igodan had a career day with 16 kills and seven blocks.

Megan Munce was named the Seton Hall Invitational MVP, while Kristen Hester earned a spot on her fourth all-tournament squad of the season.

Munce (41 assists, 11 digs) and Jordan Raines (11 kills, 10 digs) both tallied double-doubles in the victory. Kristen Hester pitched in with 12 kills and three blocks. Stephanie Holland tallied seven kills and four blocks. Raines added a career-high four blocks. Sloane Sunstrum had a career-high 17 digs, while Sarah Joeckel led all Frogs with 23 digs. Meghan Horio posted 15 digs in the win.

Seton Hall took control of the first set early and fought off a late TCU rally to take the early 1-0 match lead with a 25-20 set one victory. Trailing 22-18, the Frogs closed the gap to two on a solo block and a kill by Raines. However, a pair of attacking errors killed the rally and gave Seton Hall the win.

Both teams battled early in the second set, but the Frogs eventually took control of the set on a Hester/Holland block, giving TCU a 9-8 advantage. Hester blasted a kill and served up an ace to make it a three-point set, 14-11.

Clinging to the three-point lead, a kill from Holland spurred a 6-0 run that put the Frogs firmly in control. Holland, Igodan and Sunstrum teamed up on a pair of blocks and Igodan pitched in with two kills to help the Frogs build a 22-13 lead. Two straight kills from Raines evened the match at one as TCU won the second set 25-14.

The third set proved to be the most competitive as both teams fought to get the 2-1 match lead. It was TCU that came out on top, claiming a 27-25 win. A block from Igodan and Raines gave TCU its largest lead, 20-16, of the set.

The Pirates fought back and eventually took a 24-23 lead on a TCU attacking error. Hester turned the tides with a pair of kills that helped TCU regain the lead. Seton Hall staved off one set point, but Munce had an answer with a kill to make it 26-25. Hester finished off the win with another kill.

TCU fought through eight ties in the fourth set to come away with the 25-19 victory. Igodan put the Frogs in front, 13-12, to stay with her first kill of the set. Munce rattled off three points on her serve, setting up Igodan, Holland and Rains for kills to give the Frogs a 16-12 lead.

Another kill from Igodan spurred a big 5-0 run that would put the Frogs firmly in control. Raines gave the Frogs match point and finished off the victory with her 11th kill of the match.

TCU improves to 13-0 on the season. The Frogs returns home Tuesday night to face nationally-ranked Texas. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on The Mtn.

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