Texas Tech University Athletics
Friday, October 21
Lubbock, Texas
6:00 PM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Texas
Texas Tech Hosts No. 2 Texas Friday Night
October 20, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
Senior Lauren Douglass has led the Red Raiders in kills 16 times this season.
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech volleyball continues Big 12 play as it hosts in-state rival and second-ranked Texas Friday, Oct. 21, at 6 p.m. CT at United Supermarkets Arena.
"We have a lot of things on our plate that we are trying to get better at," head coach Tony Graystone said. "Everybody is big, fast and physical in the Big 12. For us, it's about making those improvements. Some days it looks better than others, but we are keeping the big picture in mind in knowing what we started with and what we are trying to get to. The team is positive, we are working hard and we have more good days than bad days."
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Friday's match kicks off alumnae weekend for the Texas Tech volleyball program. Alumnae of the program will be honored during the match between sets two and three. Following the match, the team will hold an autograph session on the north side of the arena floor open to all fans.
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Fans with a ticket for Texas Tech's football game Saturday night against Oklahoma will receive free admission to the match when they present their ticket to United Supermarkets Arena ticket office. General admission tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for youth and are available at the ticket office. A reminder that the clear bag policy is in effect for all Texas Tech athletic events.
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ON THE 40 ACRES
No. 2 Texas enters the match on a quick turnaround after defeating TCU 3-0 Wednesday night in Austin. The Longhorns are 15-2 overall and 7-0 in Big 12 play with their only two defeats coming to a pair of top-5 teams in No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 1 Nebraska. Texas features the Big 12's top attack, hitting at a .304 clip as a team, which ranks No. 5 nationally. Freshman Micaya White, junior Ebony Nwanebu and senior Paulina Prieto Cerame headline the offense as each of them rank in the conference's top 10 in kills per set this season.
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INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas Tech trails the overall series, 9-78-2, and has dropped 30 matches in a row dating back to 2001. The Red Raiders last win in the series came in 2000 when Tech swept the season series by a combined score of 6-1. Texas Tech, which is 2-35 against Texas at home, last picked up a set off the Longhorns 2010.
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LAST TIME OUT
The Red Raiders fell to Iowa State, 0-3, in Ames last Saturday afternoon. Senior Lauren Douglass led Texas Tech in kills with eight, but the Cyclones outhit the Red Raiders .374 to .081 to take a 25-13, 25-14, 25-15 victory. Senior setter Marguerite Grubb moved to ninth on the school's career all-time assists list in the loss, tallying 25 dimes to give her 2,341 for her career. Freshman Maggie Sagers recorded her second consecutive start at libero filling in for sophomore Reyn Akiu, who is battling through a knee injury. Overall, Texas Tech has had a freshman in the starting lineup for 13 straight matches.
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AMONG THE BIG 12'S BEST
A trio of Red Raiders rank among the best in the Big 12 for their position. Senior Lauren Douglass is third in the conference with a .376 hitting percentage, a clip which ranks near the top 40 nationally. Prior to her injury, sophomore Tita Akiu led the conference in total digs and remains tied for second in the conference with 4.68 digs per set. Likewise, senior setter Marguerite Grubb is one of five players in the Big 12 averaging double-digit assists per set (10.09).
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YOUTH MOVEMENT
Aside from seniors Lauren Douglass and Marguerite Grubb, a multitude of underclassmen have played pivotal roles on the team this season. Sophomores Tita Akiu and Katy Keenan have started every match this season when healthy, while fellow sophomore Sarah Redding and a trio of freshmen in Toni McDougald, Chandler Atwood and Maggie Sagers have been regulars in the starting lineup and rotation as well. In fact, of all possible starts this season, 60% of them have been made by freshman or sophomores.
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FRESHMAN TRIO
Stepping up to aid senior Lauren Douglass on the attack are a pair of freshman in Chandler Atwood (2.31) and Toni McDougald. Atwood is second on the team with a 2.31 hitting percentage while McDouglad, who has started 13 of the last 17 matches, is hitting at a 2.29 clip which is good for third on the team. Meanwhile, freshman Maggie Sagers made her second consecutive start at libero and fifth overall at Iowa State, filling in for Reyn Akiu who is battling back from injury. Sagers has shown consistent improvement as a defender throughout the season and is averaging 10 digs over the last three matches.
"We have a lot of things on our plate that we are trying to get better at," head coach Tony Graystone said. "Everybody is big, fast and physical in the Big 12. For us, it's about making those improvements. Some days it looks better than others, but we are keeping the big picture in mind in knowing what we started with and what we are trying to get to. The team is positive, we are working hard and we have more good days than bad days."
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Friday's match kicks off alumnae weekend for the Texas Tech volleyball program. Alumnae of the program will be honored during the match between sets two and three. Following the match, the team will hold an autograph session on the north side of the arena floor open to all fans.
Â
Fans with a ticket for Texas Tech's football game Saturday night against Oklahoma will receive free admission to the match when they present their ticket to United Supermarkets Arena ticket office. General admission tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for youth and are available at the ticket office. A reminder that the clear bag policy is in effect for all Texas Tech athletic events.
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ON THE 40 ACRES
No. 2 Texas enters the match on a quick turnaround after defeating TCU 3-0 Wednesday night in Austin. The Longhorns are 15-2 overall and 7-0 in Big 12 play with their only two defeats coming to a pair of top-5 teams in No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 1 Nebraska. Texas features the Big 12's top attack, hitting at a .304 clip as a team, which ranks No. 5 nationally. Freshman Micaya White, junior Ebony Nwanebu and senior Paulina Prieto Cerame headline the offense as each of them rank in the conference's top 10 in kills per set this season.
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INSIDE THE SERIES
Texas Tech trails the overall series, 9-78-2, and has dropped 30 matches in a row dating back to 2001. The Red Raiders last win in the series came in 2000 when Tech swept the season series by a combined score of 6-1. Texas Tech, which is 2-35 against Texas at home, last picked up a set off the Longhorns 2010.
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LAST TIME OUT
The Red Raiders fell to Iowa State, 0-3, in Ames last Saturday afternoon. Senior Lauren Douglass led Texas Tech in kills with eight, but the Cyclones outhit the Red Raiders .374 to .081 to take a 25-13, 25-14, 25-15 victory. Senior setter Marguerite Grubb moved to ninth on the school's career all-time assists list in the loss, tallying 25 dimes to give her 2,341 for her career. Freshman Maggie Sagers recorded her second consecutive start at libero filling in for sophomore Reyn Akiu, who is battling through a knee injury. Overall, Texas Tech has had a freshman in the starting lineup for 13 straight matches.
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AMONG THE BIG 12'S BEST
A trio of Red Raiders rank among the best in the Big 12 for their position. Senior Lauren Douglass is third in the conference with a .376 hitting percentage, a clip which ranks near the top 40 nationally. Prior to her injury, sophomore Tita Akiu led the conference in total digs and remains tied for second in the conference with 4.68 digs per set. Likewise, senior setter Marguerite Grubb is one of five players in the Big 12 averaging double-digit assists per set (10.09).
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YOUTH MOVEMENT
Aside from seniors Lauren Douglass and Marguerite Grubb, a multitude of underclassmen have played pivotal roles on the team this season. Sophomores Tita Akiu and Katy Keenan have started every match this season when healthy, while fellow sophomore Sarah Redding and a trio of freshmen in Toni McDougald, Chandler Atwood and Maggie Sagers have been regulars in the starting lineup and rotation as well. In fact, of all possible starts this season, 60% of them have been made by freshman or sophomores.
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FRESHMAN TRIO
Stepping up to aid senior Lauren Douglass on the attack are a pair of freshman in Chandler Atwood (2.31) and Toni McDougald. Atwood is second on the team with a 2.31 hitting percentage while McDouglad, who has started 13 of the last 17 matches, is hitting at a 2.29 clip which is good for third on the team. Meanwhile, freshman Maggie Sagers made her second consecutive start at libero and fifth overall at Iowa State, filling in for Reyn Akiu who is battling back from injury. Sagers has shown consistent improvement as a defender throughout the season and is averaging 10 digs over the last three matches.
Players Mentioned
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
SET
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/LIB
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