Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Volleyball Closes Homestand With West Virginia
September 26, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
Lauren Douglass and the Texas Tech volleyball team will take on West Virginia on Saturday, with a chance to improve to 14-0.
Sept. 26, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech volleyball will look to move to 14-0 on the season when it plays host to West Virginia, this Saturday, at 3 p.m., at the United Supermarkets Arena.
This will be the seventh matchup between the programs, with the Red Raiders holding the all-time series lead against the Mountaineers, 4-2. West Virginia swept Tech in 2013, taking the match in Lubbock in four sets, and holding off the Red Raiders in five sets, in Morgantown, W. Va.
West Virginia went 10-3 in its non-conference schedule, with its losses coming against BYU, Duke and North Carolina. Eight of West Virginia's 10 wins have been three-set sweeps.
West Virginia nearly opened Big 12 play with a bang. The Mountaineers had No. 2 Texas on the ropes Wednesday, taking the first two sets from the Longhorns before eventually falling in five sets.
Texas Tech is coming off its first win in a conference opener since 2007, defeating TCU in four sets, behind Breeann David's career high-matching 23 kills.
With a win, Texas Tech would be 2-0 in Big 12 play for the first time since 2000, and the fourth time since the inception of the conference.
Texas Tech notched two Big 12 weekly awards this week, as Rachel Brummitt's Big 12 four-set record 39 digs against Air Force propelled her to be named the Defensive Player of the Week, and Lauren Douglass, the conference's leader in hitting percentage, recorded a career-high 17 kills against Weber State on her way to being named Big 12 Co-Rookie of the Week.
Who's Got Next?
Texas Tech will hit the road for the first time in nearly a month, traveling to Waco, Texas, to take on the Baylor Bears, next Wednesday, Oct. 1. First serve is set for 7 p.m., at the Ferrell Center.
Starting Fast
Texas Tech volleyball is off to a historic start. The Red Raiders have not started 13-0 since 1996, when they began the season 15-0. Texas Tech's best start in school history is a 16-0 beginning to the 1976 season, a year in which Tech also put together its longest winning streak in school history, 17 games.
Tech is on a double-digit winning streak for only the eighth time in school history, and this marks the fifth time such a streak has begun the season. 13-0 is Tech's third-best start in school history.
Last Team Standing?
At 13-0, Texas Tech is one of eight remaining undefeated teams in the nation. The Red Raiders are joined by Ole Miss, Appalachian State, Florida State, Washington, Stanford, Oregon and Texas.
In The Conference Room
Through four weeks of play, Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in assists per set (13.59) and digs per set (17.02). The Red Raiders are also second in the league in kills per set (14.29). Individually, Lauren Douglass ranks third in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.381), and Rachel Brummitt is second in the conference in digs per set (5.39).
Leading Ladies
Several Red Raiders have made their way onto this week's edition of the 2014 NCAA stat rankings. Here is a breakdown of where you can find Tech on the national lists (top 40 only, through Sept. 22):
Tech In the NCAA Rankings| 16. | Rachel Brummitt | Digs Per Set | 5.32 |
| 24. | Rachel Brummitt | Aces Per Set | 0.51 |
| 36. | Marguerite Grubb | Assists Per Set | 10.86 |
| 36. | Lauren Douglass | Hitting Percentage | .389 |
| 8. | Texas Tech | Assists Per Set (Team) | 13.58 |
| 20. | Texas Tech | Kills Per Set (Team) | 14.24 |
| 26. | Texas Tech | Digs Per Set (Team) | 16.79 |
Gettin' Diggy With It
In only one season, Rachel Brummitt went from a relatively unknown transfer to a school record holder and one of the top liberos in the Big 12. She has already broken her own school and conference records with a 39-dig performance in four sets against Air Force. She has been tabbed as Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. Her five weekly defensive awards over her career rank fifth in Big 12 history. She only needs 206 digs to become the school's all-time leader, after already logging 264 this season.
TTU All-Time Dig Leaders
1. Lisa Hilgers (1995-98) 1,583
2. Ann Romjue (1999-02) 1,520
3. Rachel Brummitt (2012-Pres.) 1,378
4. Cristine Martin (1993-97) 1,323
5. Melissa McGehee (1999-02) 1,270
6. Jenn Goehry (2006-09) 1,229
7. Skydra Orzen (1998-01) 1,221
8. Chris Martin (1988-91) 1,152
9. Sheila Soloman (1987-90) 1,139
10. Sabrina Zenon (1988-91) 1,131
