Texas Tech University Athletics
Volleyball Preview: Texas Tech vs. Kansas State
September 16, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - The Texas Tech volleyball team continues its two-match homestand to start Big 12 play on Saturday when it faces Kansas State at noon in the United Spirit Arena.
PARKING OPTIONS FOR SATURDAY
Because of Texas Tech's football game against Texas on Saturday night, parking for the Red Raiders' volleyball match against Kansas State will be different than normal. Fans are encouraged to park in the C-11 lots north of the United Spirit Arena. Parking west of the arena across from Indiana Ave. is reserved for tailgating and those who have purchased gameday football passes.
WWW.TEXASTECH.COM
Fans can get up-to-date information on Texas Tech Volleyball throughout the season on the athletics department official website, www.texastech.com. Fans unable to make it to the United Spirit Arena can watch every home match for free via RaiderVision All-Access. The site will also contain updated video and editorial content on a weekly basis.
WATCH THE ACTION LIVE
For the first time, Texas Tech will stream all 10 Texas Tech volleyball matches online for free. Fans from outside the Lubbock area can watch all the action live on RaiderVision All-Access which is available online at www.texastech.com.
ON THE AIR
Texas Tech fans can listen to all the action live as Matt Driskill (play-by-play) and Harley Chambless (color commentary) call the match from courtside at the United Spirit Arena. All Texas Tech home matches will be broadcast through Red Raider All-Access on the school's official website, www.texastech.com.
GAMETRACKER
Texas Tech fans can also keep up with up-to-the-minute statistics through the Gametracker link on the volleyball schedule page at www.texastech.com.
THE SERIES
Kansas State leads the overall series between the two schools with a 22-8 advantage after winning eight-straight matches and 14 of the last 15 meetings. Tech last defeated the Wildcats on Nov. 20, 2004, in a 3-2 win in Manhattan.
THE RED RAIDERS
Texas Tech returns 10 letterwinners off last season's squad who went 2-27 in the first season under head coach Trish Knight. Despite struggles during her first season, Knight has a talented group still on the bench in juniors Amanda Dowdy and Karlyn Meyers along with seniors Jackie Vincent, Barbara Conceicao, Alexxa Roberts, and Caroline Courtney. Sophomores Miara Cave, Tory Vaughan and Aleah Hayes add to a talented group of freshman and transfer athletes to give Knight more depth in her second season.
SCOUTING KANSAS STATE
Kansas State enters Saturday's match 6-5 overall after its conference-opening 3-1 win over in-state rival Kansas on Wednesday night. All five of the Wildcats' losses have come to ranked opponents, two of which that went all the way to five sets.
The Wildcats are led offensively by JuliAnne Chisholm and Kaitlynn Pelger who have 141 and 100 kills each, respectively. Caitlyn Donahue ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 9.48 assists per set as the sophomore has posted 379 assists so far. Lauren Mathewson is K-State's top defender with 177 digs, while Pelger and Alex Muff are two of the Wildcats' better blockers with 53 and 49 total blocks.
The Red Raiders have not won a set against Kansas State since the 2007 season. Tech last defeated the Wildcats at the United Spirit Arena in the 2001 season with a 3-1 victory.
RECAPPING THE LAST MATCH
Despite leading through parts of two sets, the Red Raiders were unable to win either frame in a 3-0 loss to Missouri on Wednesday night in the United Spirit Arena. In her first career start at setter, Brandy Huskey posted 32 assists and 11 digs for her first career double-double. Tech also received a match-high 16 kills from Amanda Dowdy along with 14 and 11 digs each from Jackie Vincent and Tory Vaughan.
LOOKING AHEAD
After a week complete with two home matches, the Red Raiders return to the road next week for two matches, beginning with Oklahoma on Sept. 22 and Texas A&M on Sept. 25. Tech returns to the United Spirit Arena on Sept. 29 to face Baylor at 6:30 p.m.
RED OUT
The Texas Tech Athletics Department is encouraging fans to wear RED to all home events this season, including Wednesday's match against Missouri. As part of its RED OUT campaign, the department is also placing an emphasis on sportsmanship at all venues through the RAIDER POWER message, which stresses honor, respect, pride and tradition.
FIRST SETTER START SUCCESSFUL FOR HUSKEY
Brandy Huskey had a series of firsts in Wednesday's match against Missouri. She was playing in her first home match at the United Spirit Arena in what was also her first career start at setter. The magnitude of the moment did not get to the freshman, however, as she posted her first-career double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs to pace Tech throughout the match. Huskey had previously started the last three matches at the defensive specialist position.
CLOSING SETS
Despite losing 3-0 to Missouri, head coach Trish Knight can find many positives to Wednesday's match as the Red Raiders had a higher attacking percentage than its previous matches and it also led for portions of all three sets. Tech rallied from several points down in the first set to tie the Tigers at 24 points each before Missouri responded with two-straight points to close the set. The Red Raiders led 20-18 in the third frame and allowed Missouri to win the next seven of eight points to end the match.
VINCENT SOLID AT LIBERO
Jackie Vincent continues to shine at the libero position with the senior digging 14 balls against Missouri. The Dallas, Texas native is leading the team with 100 digs on the season, 30 more than any other player.
CAVE ACCURATE AGAINST MISSOURI
Miara Cave had one of her best performances of her Tech career against Missouri as the sophomore finished with 7 kills off 12 attacks for a .583 attacking percentage. Cave had not previously posted such a high attacking percentage since going 5-for-5 on attacks against Texas State last year.
VAUGHAN PLAYING WELL FOR BACK ROW
A match after posting a season-high nine digs against Northeastern, Tory Vaughan continued her strong defensive play against Missouri with 11 digs. The sophomore's career high is 13 digs set against Texas State last season.
