HOUSTON, T.X. — The Cornell volleyball team showed resilience and defensive grit in a hard-fought neutral-site matchup Friday morning, falling to No. 9 TCU in straight sets (26-24, 25-14, 25-23) at Tudor Fieldhouse.

The Big Red (4-4) pushed the Horned Frogs (8-2) to the brink in the opening and closing frames, holding late leads in both sets before TCU closed strong. Cornell out-blocked its opponent 11-4 and collected 30 digs, showcasing its defensive presence at the net and in the back row.

Senior outside hitter Eliza Konvicka once again paced the offense, recording a team-high kills (13) while adding key blocks that kept Cornell in contention throughout the match. Middle blockers Mackenzie Parsons and Nicole Mallus combined for several timely stops at the net, contributing to the Big Red's season-best blocking effort. Setter Doga Ozalp directed the offense with 26 assists, while libero Sarita Pomar steadied the defense with double-digit digs.

Cornell nearly stole the first set, rallying from an early deficit to tie the score at 24-24 before TCU capitalized on back-to-back points to close it out. The Horned Frogs built early momentum in the second frame, but the Big Red responded with one of its best stretches in the third. Behind kills from Konvicka and Parsons and a string of service pressure, Cornell erased a late deficit to pull within 24-23 before TCU sealed the match.

Despite the result, the Big Red's balanced attack and strong blocking numbers were bright spots against a Power Five opponent.

Cornell continues non-conference play tonight, looking to take on Rice University on their home court at 6:30 p.m. CT.