Aug. 27, 2005

The TCU Horned Frogs dropped their season debut in four games (30-24, 23-30, 30-22, 30-19) to the Oklahoma Sooners, Saturday night at the University Rec Center in front of a packed house. Freshman Nirelle Hampton aided the Horned Frogs' charge as she recorded 40 assists and added four kills.

"It was great to open with a team like Oklahoma," states head coach Prentice Lewis. "This is starting to develop into a pretty good rivalry."

Oklahoma put together its first rally early in the match to go up by a score of 10-6. Sophomore Talaya Whitfield used a thunderous kill to end the Sooner run and transition the momentum back to the Horned Frogs. Whitfield totaled 15 kills on the night for a new career high and dug nine balls.

The game continued with neither team able to gain the advantage until Oklahoma landed six unanswered points to take the first game.

TCU came out firing in the second game and built a 14-10 cushion that began with two great serves from junior Calli Corley. Hampton was able to set her teammates in perfect position for kills, with junior Anna Vaughn a beneficiary as she killed 15 balls during the game. Oklahoma was not able to keep pace with the TCU offense and the teams headed into the locker rooms tied at one.

"Nirelle is a fantastic player," states Lewis. "She has great vision on the court and we are definitely excited about her."

Oklahoma made a few adjustments after the short intermission and established a strong presence on the floor. Although the Horned Frogs continued to scrap throughout, they loss the next two games resulting in the defeat.

With the loss, TCU fell to 0-1 overall. The team will head to Fairfax, Va., Sept. 2-3, to compete in the George Mason Invitational. Oklahoma travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to compete in the Hampton Inn Bama Bash.