Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders Resume Non-Conference Slate at New Mexico
September 25, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 25, 2011
LUBBOCK, Texas - Fresh off its first loss since its season opener, Texas Tech will look to start another winning streak Monday night when the Red Raiders travel to Albuquerque for an 8 p.m. (CT) match against New Mexico at the Johnson Center.
| GAMEDAY INFORMATION | |
| Date | Monday, September 26 |
| Location | Albuquerque, N.M. (Johnson Center) |
| Time | 8 p.m. (CT) |
| Radio | None |
| Live Video and Audio | Lobo TV (Subscription) |
TEXAS TECH OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2000
The Red Raiders enter Monday's match boasting a 13-2 record, marking the program's best start since the 2000 squad opened the year 16-1 en route to a 24-9 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Tech began that season with eight-straight wins before falling to Baylor on Sept. 13 and then followed with seven more wins to start its tournament run.
THE SERIES
Texas Tech and New Mexico will be renewing a series that has not been played since 2001 when the Red Raiders defeated the Lobos, 3-0, in Lubbock. Tech holds a 9-6 all-time advantage in the series with wins in the last three matches. This will mark only the third trip to Albuquerque for Tech, which is 1-1 previously in those matches.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Raiders resume their Big 12 slate Saturday afternoon as 25th-ranked Oklahoma comes to Lubbock for a 6:05 p.m. match at the United Spirit Arena. The match will be Tech's annual Dig for the Cure promotion as all fans wearing pink will be admitted for only $1.
TECH FANS WILL SEE A FAMILIAR FACE ON NEW MEXICO BENCH
New Mexico head coach Jeff Nelson will be facing his former school Monday evening as the fifth-year Lobo headman led the Red Raiders from 1995-02, compiling a 166-92 (.634) record during that span. Nelson led Tech to five NCAA Tournament appearances in his eight season on his way to becoming the second-most winningest coach in school history behind Janice Hudson. Only Mike Jones posted a better winning percentage than Nelson as Jones finished 128-62 (.674) from 1990-94.
IOWA STATE SNAPS TEXAS TECH'S 13-MATCH WINNING STREAK
Iowa State snapped the Red Raiders' 13-match winning streak Saturday with a 3-0 victory in Tech's Big 12 opener at the United Spirit Arena. The loss ended Tech's longest run since the 1996 season when the Red Raiders got off to a 15-0 start. Tech, which had not lost a match since the season opener at TCU, dropped its fourth-straight Big 12 opener, falling to 6-10 all-time in conference openers as the Red Raiders last win came in 2007 against Colorado.
RED RAIDERS OPEN CONFERENCE ATOP THE BIG 12 STANDINGS
After a successful start to the season, Tech began Big 12 action last week atop the conference standings for the first time since 1997 with a 13-1 record. The Red Raiders, who were also 13-1 at that point, finished the 1997 season 23-11 overall, barely missing out on the NCAA Tournament.
NOTABLES
• Tech trailed in kills and hitting percentage for the first time all season against Iowa State as the Red Raiders notched only 28 kills and a .049 hitting percentage, both season lows.
• Tech had not previously been swept in any match this season prior to facing Iowa State. The last time the Red Raiders suffered a 3-0 loss was against Nebraska on Nov. 6, 2010.
• The Red Raiders have held their opponents to a combined .083 hitting percentage so far this season, which is the lowest in the Big 12. Oklahoma currently ranks second as its opponents are hitting .151 on the year.
• The North Texas match snapped a seven-match streak where the Red Raiders had claimed a 3-0 sweep. The run was Tech's longest since opening the 1998 season with eight-straight sweeps.
• Tech has dropped only seven sets so far this season, the lowest in the Big 12. The Red Raiders are the only school still in single-digits after Kansas fell in three Saturday moving the Jayhawks to 12 sets lost on the year.
• Tech's 13 wins this season are the school's most since going 14-15 during the 2002 season.
• Texas Tech's win over UT-Arlington marked the program's third tournament title of the season, a feat that had not been previously accomplished since the 2000 season.
• Tech's 3-0 sweep over UT-Arlington was its 11th of the year which is the school's most in a single-season since it totaled 14 during the 2000 season.
• Tech has already surpassed its win total from the 2008-10 seasons combined as the Red Raiders won 11 games during those three years.
• The Red Raiders have broken the 10-win barrier for the first time since the 2006 season where Tech finished 12-17 under Nancy Todd.
• Tech has held its opponent to a hitting percentage below .100 in six of its last nine matches. Only UConn and Iowa State have posted a hitting percentage over .200 against the Red Raiders this year.
• Tech has also held four of its opponents to a negative hitting percentage, which prior to the year had not been accomplished since facing Northwestern State on Sept. 2, 2010.
• The Red Raiders, meanwhile, have hit over .200 in all but three matches this season. Tech has been over .300 in five matches as well.
DOWDY CREEPING UP RECORD BOOK
Amanda Dowdy made another step up the Tech record book against Iowa State as the senior moved to second all-time in career attempts, passing Melissa McGehee (1999-02). Dowdy now has 3,396 swings during her four seasons and trails McGehee by only 108 kills for second all-time in that category as well.
MEYERS MOVING UP RECORD BOOK TOO
Like Dowdy, Karlyn Meyers faces the possibility of moving up the school's record book as the senior setter recently became just the eighth player in school history to reach 2,000 assists over a career. She enters this weekend trailing Mary Loescher (1985-87) for seventh all-time with 2,263 career assists, 56 shy of Loescher's mark.
