Texas Tech University Athletics
Volleyball Squad Ready for Second Weekend
September 06, 2002 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2002
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Starting the season 3-0 has the Texas Tech volleyball team optimistic and confident heading into the second weekend of the season. This weekend the Red Raiders head to Las Vegas, Nev., for the UNLV/Gameworks Classic and three matches against Ball State, UNLV and Cal.
"We have some confidence after last weekend," said setter Laura Grote. "But this weekend we are going up against some bigger and better teams."
Grote is coming of the first starts of her career and for her efforts she earned All-tournament honors. For the tournament the 5-8 redshirt sophomore averaged 12.78 assists per game with nine kills. Not bad numbers considering that she is the only starter on the team that did not see any action a season ago.
Senior Melissa McGehee started the season in mid-season form as she earned tournament MVP and Big 12 Player of the Week honors with her 43 kill effort.
So what does this team need to do to have the same success at it did last weekend?
"We just need to do a little fine tuning," says sophomore Kelly Johnson. That seems to be an understatement when looking at the numbers from the opening weekend. As a team Tech hit .358 bettered by only Kansas State in the Big 12, ranked second in service aces and third in the conference in assists.
"[In practice] we worked on what we are good at," continued Johnson. "Individually I know that there are some things that I need to work on, but if we can serve and pass as well as we have been, we will be fine this weekend."
But knowing what needs to be done and executing it are two different things.
This weekend the competition level goes up a couple of notches. Tech will square off with head coach Jeff Nelson's alma mater Ball State (0-3) Friday. But two of BSU's losses came against top five teams in #3 Southern Cal and #2 Nebraska. Saturday the Red Raiders will play tournament host UNLV (2-1). The Rebels swept their first two matches of the season before falling to Saint Mary's College in three. The final match of the tournament will pit Tech against California-Berkeley.
The Bears waltzed through their opening tournament much like Tech, not losing a game in the process. The match should be the first major test for the Nelson's Raiders as Cal is lead offensively by Mia Jerkov who recorded 48 kills with 12 service aces while on defense Camille Leffall and Leah Young have combined for 22 blocks in just three matches.
