Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Kansas St
Tech Loses Nail-biter, 3-2, to Kansas State.
October 02, 2002 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 2, 2002
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Both schools knew that they were going into battle Wednesday night at the Ahearn Field House in Manhattan, Kan. Each of the last five matches between Texas Tech and Kansas State had gone at least four games, with three going the distance.
Tech (6-7, 1-3) head coach Jeff Nelson changed his starting lineup for the match looking for the right combination of players to end the team's two-match losing streak.
Kansas State (7-6, 3-2) got off to a slow start in the final game of the match and found itself trailing, 4-1, before calling a timeout. The Wildcats would manage to tie the game at 10 all before taking its first lead, 11-10. After tying the game at 11, KSU would score consecutive points, the latter coming on a call at the KSU baseline that Nelson was visibly upset about. As happens in all sports another call that was close went to the home school and propelled the Wildcats to victory scoring four of the final five points to win the match, 3-2.
At the start of game one, Tech looked like a team that had just traveled two hours in a van as Kansas State opened the game with a 13-4 run, causing Nelson to call a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Wildcats traded points with the Red Raiders and took the first game, 30-20. For the game, the Wildcats hit .533 (17-1-30) while the Red Raiders hit just .237 (14-5-38).
Game two saw the Red Raiders attack with a lot more confidence. Tech opened an 11-6 lead to start the match, forcing Kansas State to call a timeout. Trailing 16-10, KSU went on a four-point run before Tech called a timeout. The Red Raiders then pushed the lead back up to 20-15. But KSU would answer with its second run of the game, rattling off the next four points and finally tying the game up at 22. The Wildcats then took their first lead of the game, 23-22. After a pair of disputed calls by line judges, KSU led 25-23. Then showing the kind of leadership coach Nelson wants to see out of his seniors, Melissa McGehee recorded three consecutive kills and Stacey Poole assisted Angela Mooney with a pair of blocks allowing Tech to open a three point lead and silence a crowd of 674. KSU would answer with a run of it own to tie the game at 28. The Red Raiders, however, would score the final two points and knot the match up at 1.
Kansas State scored early and often in game three opening a 17-5 lead before Tech scored its first natural point. KSU would build its lead to 26-12 before Mooney went on a service rampage. Similar to the Iowa State match, the Lubbock, Texas, native served four consecutive points including a pair of aces. But the run would be too little, too late, as the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 30-18 win.
Game four would be a classic battle much like those of previous years between these two schools. It was a game that saw eight ties and nine lead changes, the final one coming at 16-15, Tech. The Red Raiders would lead by as many as five down the stretch, before hanging on to force a fifth and final game, 30-28.
Tech will return to action Saturday night as it hosts the Missouri Tigers in the United Spirit Arena. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
