by Fort Worth, TX – The Iron Skillet Rivalry might be taking a hiatus from the gridiron, but inside of Schollmaier Arena it is alive and well. In its home opener, the 18th-ranked TCU Horned Frogs upset the 8th-ranked SMU Mustangs in a thrilling five-set match for their first victory over the Mustangs since 2018.
The Rundown
The night started rather bleak for the Frogs as SMU took the first set in commanding fashion, starting the match on a 4-0 run behind the serving of senior Gabi Placide. This led to the Mustangs getting out to an eight-point advantage at 15-7. The Frogs were led by senior outside hitter Becca Kelley, who totaled six kills in the set, but it wasn’t enough to stifle the Mustangs, who hit .409 in the set and cruised to a 25-16 win.
The second set didn’t start any better for the Frogs as they found themselves down 7-1 in a matter of seconds when SMU’s Victoria Harris started out 5-5 on serves. However, unlike the first set the Frogs were able to fight back and chip away at the early deficit. The turning point of the match, some would say, was when trailing 19-16, a kill from Reese Robins, an ace from Kinsley Young, and a block by the trio of Robins, Kelley, and De’Andrea McMillian tied the set. This sent SMU into a panic as they quickly burned their two timeouts to try and stifle the rally and momentum, but it was to no avail as a 3-0 run led by Kelley and Evan Hendrix closed out the set with the Frogs winning 25-22.
With the momentum behind them, TCU took control of the third set with ease. The Frogs turned a 9-3 lead into as many as 12 at 18-6. Hendrix tallied five kills in the set, while TCU’s blocking killed the Mustangs’ attack, holding SMU to .026 in the set. The Frogs rolled to a 25-16 victory and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Mustangs though refused to go down without a fight in the fourth. The set had a total of 13 ties and six lead changes, with neither team being able to create much separation. The Mustangs finally got out to a three-point lead thanks to some great service by Harris, but TCU quickly answered to tie the set once again at 20. From then on, it was like a heavyweight boxing match with both sides exchanging blows until finally after three set points SMU put the set away on a Hannah Beauford kill.
With this being the only time this rivalry matchup is to be played this athletic year, the bragging rights for the metroplex were put on the line heading into the fifth and final set. Both teams traded points for a while until two back-to-back errors by the Mustangs gave TCU the lead at 10-8. After a SMU timeout the set was tied once again before Kelley delivered her 20th kill of the night to put TCU back in front. Hendrix and Young followed with a stuff block to give the Frogs their two-point lead back. SMU once again cut the lead to one, but a Hendrix kill and a block by Young and Archer at the net sent the packed Schollmaier Arena crowd through the roof as TCU sealed the top-10 victory.
What’s Next
The Frogs look to keep the win streak alive after improving to 2-1 on the young season, as they host another top-10 opponent in No. 6 Louisville this Friday, Sept. 4, at 3 p.m.
The Mustangs will stay on the road as they head to San Diego to take on the Toreros at 9 p.m. Friday evening.
