Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Rumble With Buffaloes On Wednesday
September 24, 2001 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 24, 2001
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JUST ONE MATCH IN STORE FOR TECH THIS WEEK
The Red Raiders will play just one time this week as Texas Tech will get the weekend off from Big 12 competition. Texas Tech travels to Boulder on Wednesday for a match with the Buffaloes at 7 p.m. in the Coors Event Center on the University of Colorado campus. Texas Tech will take a 7-3 overall mark and 1-1 record in Big 12 play to Boulder where they will meet a Colorado team that is 5-3, 1-1 on the season.
Colorado leads the all-time series with Texas Tech 9-1. Tech's lone win came in 1997 when the Red Raiders knocked off the then 20th ranked Buffaloes 3-1 in Boulder on Oct. 24th.
Note: Since only 11 teams play volleyball in the Big 12 Conference, each school has a Wednesday and Saturday off throughout the course of the conference season.
ALL EYES ON COLORADO
The Colorado Buffaloes, one of the perennial college volleyball teams year in and year out, sport a record of 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12. Colorado's conference loss came in the form of a three-game sweep by No. 1 Nebraska. The Buffaloes have dropped non-conference matches to BYU (3-2) and Utah (3-2). Utah is the only non-conference opponent that both Colorado and Texas Tech have in common as the Utes were able to beat both Tech (3-1) and Colorado.
The Buffaloes are led by senior left side hitter Sonja Russell who has 92 kills and 88 digs on the season. Pacing the Buffalo offense is setter Elizabeth Gower who has 346 total assists. Note: Colorado's stats do not include its weekend match with Baylor--CU stats were unavailable as of Monday morning.
Colorado is coached by Pi'i Aiu who is 84-43 in his fifth season with the Buffaloes.
OH HAPPY DAY
Senior outside hitter Heather Hughes-Justice (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had a spring in her step on Saturday for two very good reasons. The Red Raiders defeated No. 22 Kansas State on Saturday night and Hughes-Justice earned another spot in the Texas Tech record books.
Last season, she earned the season record for service aces after netting 75 surpassing Cristine Martin's mark of 55. Against Kansas State on Saturday, Hughes-Justice decided to break the career mark of 165 also set by Cristine Martin. Hughes-Justice now tallies 167 career service aces.
ORZEN MOVES EDGES CLOSER TO HILGERS
Senior setter Skydra Orzen moved into second place on the career assist list thanks to 60 assists against Missouri on Sept. 19th. Orzen now has 3,674 career assists but is 2,137 assists away from Lisa Hilgers all-time mark of 5,811.
LAST TIME AGAINST COLORADO
In what was probably two of the most disappointing matches of the season for Texas Tech last year, the Red Raiders dropped both matches to Colorado each in five games. Texas Tech lost a five-game heart breaker to Colorado at home on Oct. 10 (13-15, 15-9, 15-6, 17-19, 6-15 and another heart stopper to Colorado in Boulder on Nov. 15th (7-15, 15-10, 4-15, 15-12, 12-15). Colorado's win over Tech in Boulder helped seal an NCAA Tournament appearance for the Buffaloes who were in danger of not going to the tournament for the first time since 1990.
TECH RESCHEDULES MATCHES
Texas Tech has rescheduled Big 12 matches with Texas and Nebraska and a non-conference match with New Mexico that were affected by the Sept. 11th tragedy in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Texas Tech will play New Mexico on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. and Texas on Oct. 15th at 6 p.m. Both matches will be played in the United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech has also rescheduled its match with Nebraska in Lincoln for Nov. 18th at 2 p.m.
TECH GETS FIRST WIN OVER RANKED OPPONENT
Texas Tech got its first win over a ranked opponent this season when the Red Raiders dropped No. 22 Kansas State 3-1 on Saturday night in the United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech was previously 0-2 against ranked teams this season as the squad dropped decisions to then No. 25 ranked Georgia Tech (3-0) and No. 21 Utah (3-1).
NOT IN MY HOUSE
Senior Yolanda Cumbess took Saturday's match with Kansas State personally. Cumbess paced Tech with 22 kills on .390 hitting and now leads Tech not only in kills (139) but also in hitting (.365). Cumbess has made big impressions this season as she has been named to the all-tournament teams at both non-conference tournaments. Cumbess has led the Texas Tech offense with 20+ kill matches twice this season (KSU and Rhode Island).
Last season, Cumbess played in 56 games and tallied just 93 kills.
THIS AND THAT
- Prior to this week's matches, Texas Tech was averaging 30 errors per game but the squad helped that average this week as the squad averaged 26 in the matches with Missouri and Kansas State.
- Texas Tech is a perfect 6-0 at home this season and 20-2 all-time at the United Spirit Arena
- Head Coach Jeff Nelson is now nine wins away from earning his 150th career win as a head coach.
RED RAIDERS UPSET NO. 22 KANSAS STATE, 3-1
LUBBOCK, Texas - Senior Yolanda Cumbess put up 22 kills leading Texas Tech to a 3 1 (28-30, 30-22, 30-21, 31-29) upset win over 22nd ranked Kansas State on Saturday night in the United Spirit Arena. With the win, Texas Tech improves to 7-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 while Kansas State falls to 5-3 overall and 1-1 in the league. Texas Tech has now won four-straight matches over the Wildcats in Lubbock. Kansas State was able to take game-one from the Red Raiders after the Wildcats broke a 27-27 tie and closed out the game with a 3-1 run on the heals of outside hitter Liz Wegner. Texas Tech freshman outside hitter Kelly Johnson paced the Red Raiders in the second game as Tech simply dominated the Wildcats 30-22. Tech jumped out to a 6-0 in the second game lead thanks to outstanding serving by senior Heather Hughes-Justice. The Red Raiders completed the upset after a tremendous comeback in the fourth game in which Tech trailed 24-19 late in the game. Middle blockers Angela Mooney and Yolanda Cumbess led the Red Raider comeback Tech in which Tech was able to score nine of the next 13 points to even the score at 28-28. Tech pulled out the game 31-29 on a kill by Yolanda Cumbess giving the Red Raiders the match win 3-1. Yolanda Cumbess led Texas Tech with 22 kills on .390 hitting while Angela Mooney and Kelly Johnson put up 13 and 11 kills respectively. The defensive leader for Texas Tech was junior Ann Romjue who tallied 20 digs and was one of five Red Raiders to finish with double-digit digs. Texas Tech returns to Big 12 Conference action on Wednesday, Sept. 26th against the Colorado Buffaloes in a 7 p.m. match in the Coors Event Center in Boulder.
