Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Volleyball Begins Big 12 Slate With Oklahoma Wednesday
September 22, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
Junior Marguerite Grubb has racked up 521 assists this season for an average of 11.33 per set.
Sept. 22, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech volleyball opens Big 12 action on Wednesday, Sept. 23, against Oklahoma at 6 p.m. at the United Supermarkets Arena.
It will be the first televised contest for the Red Raiders this season, broadcast live on FOX Sports Southwest with Robert Giovannetti and Andy Penney on the call.
Wednesday's match will also serve as the first match that utilizes instant replay and coaching challenges. Coaches will be permitted three challenges per match, and those challenges will have no effect on the number of allowed timeouts a team has remaining. The challenge must be lodged immediately following the rally and before the first referee's arm is extended to start the service for the next point. Only one challenge per rally will be allowed. Coaches will be allowed to request instant replay challenges only to review these instances:
-If the ball landed in or out
-If the ball made contact with a player
-If a net violation occurred
-Foot faults on a serve
This will be the 67th meeting between the Red Raiders and the Sooners. Tech leads the all-time series, 34-32, but has not defeated Oklahoma since 2005, when the Red Raiders scored a 3-0 victory at home on Sept. 21.
NATIONAL FIREPOWER
Junior Lauren Douglass looks to build off of an impressive non-conference performance, racking up four All-Tournament Team honors as well as Tournament MVP at the Texas Tech Fall Invitational. This season, she's rattled off a hitting percentage of .476, which ranks first in the Big 12 for the third-straight week and fifth in the NCAA. The Flower Mound, Texas, native has posted 146 kills this season, including a career-high 16 against Portland State last weekend at the Lone Star Showdown. Through 14 matches, she owns the top three hitting percentages in the conference, which features a best of .688 clip against Columbia on Sept. 4.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
In their 11 victories this season, the Red Raiders have only dropped three sets out of the 36 played. The first came against Houston and went into extra frames before the Red Raiders fell, 31-29, while the second came in a battle against George Washington, 25-22. Last weekend at the Lone Star Showdown, Portland State claimed the first set, 25-23. Under Coach Flora, Tech is 47-13 when claiming the first set.
GETTIN' DEFENSIVE
Opponents have found it difficult to mount a successful attack against the Red Raiders this season. Overall, opponents have posted a .133 mark against Tech, which ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 and is 13th in the NCAA. In five matches this season, Texas Tech has held their opponents to a hitting percentage below .100, including three times at the SFA Invitational. Against South Dakota State, Tech kept the Jackrabbits to a .000 attack percentage in the three-set victory. Under Flora, the Red Raiders are 24-0 when holding their opponents to a percentage under .100.
BLOCK PARTY
The Red Raiders return their leading blocker from the 2014 season in junior Lauren Douglass. The Preseason All-Big 12 honoree recorded 43 blocks during non-conference action. Joining Douglass in the fun is sophomore Victoria Hinneburg, who tallied 15 during competition last week. Hinneburg (41) only trails Douglass by two blocks and ranks third in the Big 12 averaging 1.21 per set. Senior Brianna Grant has climbed up to sixth in the conference averaging 1.15 per set.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
As the main distributor of the Red Raider offense, junior Marguerite Grubb hasn't wasted any time picking up where she left off last season. Grubb wrapped up non-con play by jumping out to an average of 11.33 assists per set, notching a season-high 52 in the win over George Washington. Her marks place her second in the conference and No. 17 in the country with a total of 521 assists. She has tallied 40 or more assists in six matches this season.
DOUBLE-TROUBLE
The Red Raiders have put up a double-double in each of the last three matches thanks to Marguerite Grubb and Jenna Allen. Grubb recorded two at the Lone Star Showdown last weekend against Portland State with 44 assists and 10 digs and against Northwestern State with 34 assists and 15 digs. She has five this season and eight in her career. Allen sandwiched her double-double between Grubb's two against Washington State behind a season-high 13 kills and 12 digs. Allen has two this season and 19 in her career.
Come to the @UnitedSpArena tomorrow at 6PM for your chance to win 2 tickets to Thursday's @Jason_Aldean concert! pic.twitter.com/O6SktSFdjC
-- TexasTech Volleyball (@TTUVball) September 22, 2015
