Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Volleyball Travels to SFA Invitational
September 03, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
The Red Raiders took home the Fall Invitational Crown last weekend behind a 3-0 start to the season.
Sept. 3, 2015
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech volleyball hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Nacogdoches, Texas, for the Stephen F. Austin Invitational from Sept. 4-5.
The Red Raiders will play in a pair of doubleheaders, with matches against Columbia (10 a.m.) and SFA (6:30 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 4, followed by Northeastern (noon) and South Dakota State (5 p.m.) on Saturday.
STRONG STARTS
With the 3-0 start to the season, Texas Tech now boasts a 31-13 record all-time in such matches and are 3-2 under fifth-year head coach Don Flora. The Red Raiders defeated Utah State in the first game of the Texas Tech Fall Invitational, 3-0, followed by victories over Louisiana-Lafayette (3-0) and Houston (3-1).
NEXT ON THE AGENDA
Texas Tech return to the road for Annapolis, Maryland, for the Kirsten Dickmann Invitational Sept. 11-12. The Red Raiders will open the tournament against Maryland on Friday, Sept. 11, at 3:30 p.m. On Saturday, Tech returns for a doubleheader against Navy (noon) and George Washington (5 p.m.).
NON-CON DOMINATION
The Red Raiders will look to improve its stellar non-conference record this weekend, as Tech is a combined 47-16 against out-of-league opponents under Coach Flora. Tech went 14-2 against non-conference opponents in Flora's first season, turned in an 11-5 mark in 2012 and went 7-9 the following year. However, last year the Red Raiders got off to a hot start, going 12-0 through non-conference play, the first time they had done so since 1996. During that stretch, Tech has gone 18-2 when hosting out-of-league opponents at the United Supermarkets Arena, while putting up an 18-5 record when playing at a neutral site. Both of the home non-conference losses under Flora came during the injury-riddled 2013 season.
TROPHY ROOM
Senior Carlie Foust was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 31. The Amarillo, Texas, native turned in career-high performances against Louisiana-Lafayette and Houston over the weekend, tallying 18 and 29 digs, respectively . Through three matches, she leads the Big 12 in total digs (61) and digs per set (6.10). With the accolade, Foust becomes the fifth Red Raiders to earn the accomplishment.
RETURNING FIREPOWER
Texas Tech bring back three of their top five leaders in kills from last season, including the top two in Jenna Allen (334) and Lauren Douglass (272). After the first weekend of action, the duo lead the way for the Red Raiders in kills. Allen posted 30 kills, with a 3.00 kill per set average, while Douglass followed closely behind with 29 kills, averaging 3.22 kills per set. Douglass also put together an attack percentage of .439, which ranks fourth in the Big 12.
BLOCK PARTY
The Red Raiders return their leading blocker from the 2014 season in junior Lauren Douglass. The Preseason All-Big 12 honoree recorded 13 during the first three games of the season, giving her a tie for fifth in the conference. Joining Douglass in the fun is sophomore Victoria Hinneburg, who tallied 15 at the Texas Tech Fall Invitational, including eight against Utah State. Her efforts give her a share of the Big 12 lead in the category.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Last season, junior Marguerite Grubb averaged 9.62 assists per set, which ranked sixth in the Big 12. She didn't waste any time picking up where she left off, jumping out to an average of 10.70 assists per set, notching 47 in the win over Houston. Her marks place her second in the conference with a total of 107 assists.
CAREER DAYS
Three Red Raiders put up career-highs over the weekend. Sophomore Victoria Hinneburg notched 14 kills against Houston on Saturday, finishing with a hitting percentage of .370. Sophomore Audrey Fragniere tallied 22 digs against the Cougars, surpassing her previous best of five. Senior Carlie Foust set a new career-best in digs twice, the first against Louisiana-Lafayette (18) and the second coming in the win over Houston (29).
THE WONDER YEARS
Texas Tech welcomes in six newcomers to the 2015 squad. The six combine for five All-State honors, 10 All-District selections and three state titles. Four of the six athletes were named to the 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour All-American Watch List. Several freshman saw playing time over the weekend, as Reyn Akiu totaled 10 digs over the three matches, with five coming against Louisiana-Lafayette. Katy Keenan also tallied four kills in the win over the Ragin' Cajuns.
ELITE COMPETITION
The Big 12 will once again be one of the toughest volleyball conferences nationally this season. The conference finished 2014 second in league RPI, marking the fourth time the Big 12 has been No. 2 or better, with five teams inside the NCAA RPI top 30. The league has one team ranked in the AVCA top 25 preseason poll in Texas (No. 3), with Iowa State, Kansas and Oklahoma receiving votes.
