Reese Robins delivered 12 kills in her return to Louisville, but No. 18 TCU was swept 25-23, 25-14, 27-25 by the sixth-ranked Cardinals.
No. 18 TCU volleyball walked into Louisville facing one of the toughest road tests on its early-season schedule, and the Horned Frogs found out quickly how thin the margin can be against an elite opponent.
No. 6 Louisville swept TCU 25-23, 25-14, 27-25 on Friday at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena, dropping the Frogs to 2-2 on the season.
The loss came despite a standout performance from Reese Robins, who returned to the arena where she spent the previous three seasons.
Robins was greeted with a standing ovation, then gave her former team problems all afternoon.
The senior opposite finished with 12 kills on a .647 hitting percentage, leading TCU offensively in one of her sharpest performances of the young season. Robins previously helped Louisville reach the 2024 national championship match before transferring to Fort Worth.
She wasn’t alone.
Evan Hendrix added 10 kills, extending her streak of matches with double-digit kills to 26 straight. Freshman middle blocker Kinsley Young posted a career-high eight kills on 15 swings, while Becca Kelley also finished with eight.
TCU had its chances.
The Frogs pushed Louisville to the edge in the opening set, fighting off two set points before the Cardinals closed out a 25-23 win. The second set got away from TCU quickly, as Louisville opened with six unanswered points and hit a blistering .621 in the frame while the Frogs managed just .161.
The third set was much closer.
TCU built an 11-6 advantage and later held a five-point lead, but Louisville erased the deficit and forced extra points. Hendrix’s 10th kill and a Young block helped tie the set at 24, but the Cardinals eventually finished the match 27-25.
Louisville ended the night with a .412 team hitting percentage, compared with TCU’s .299, and held advantages in kills, assists and aces.
The road doesn’t get any easier.
TCU now travels to face No. 14 Purdue on Sunday at noon CT in the first meeting between the programs. The match will air on Big Ten Network.
For the Horned Frogs, the Louisville result was a setback. But against another top-15 opponent, they’ll get an immediate chance to respond.
