Volleyball Hosts UTEP in Home Opener Monday

Monday, September 5

Lubbock, Texas

6:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

UTEP

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Volleyball Hosts UTEP in Home Opener Monday

September 04, 2016 | Women's Volleyball

Red Raiders aim for fifth-straight win after a 3-0 weekend at North Dakota State Classic.

Match Notes | Live Stats | Twitter

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Volleyball team opens its 2016 regular-season home slate Monday, Sept. 5, as it welcomes in UTEP for a 6 p.m. match at the United Supermarkets Arena. Due to the installation of the new videoboard at the arena, the match will be played inside the practice gym.

Head Coach Tony Graystone and the Red Raiders (4-2) carry a four-match win streak into Monday's contest against the Miners (2-4) after earning three wins in North Dakota this weekend and a win to close out the Portland State Tournament the week prior.

The Miners enter the contest after also competing at the North Dakota State Classic in North Dakota. UTEP fell at North Dakota, 3-0, before knocking off both Bradley and South Dakota State by the score of 3-1.

There is no cost of admission for the home opener. Stay tuned to the team's Twitter account (@TTUVBall) for live updates and information.

TEXAS TECH IN HOME OPENERS
The Red Raiders have found the win column in each of their last five home openers. Tech swept Utah State, 3-0, in its 2015 home debut behind 13 kills from Douglass and a solid defense that collected 53 digs. The last loss for Texas Tech in a home opener was a three-set loss to Missouri in 2010.

ALL-TIME HISTORY
It'll be the 25^th meeting between the Red Raiders and UTEP, but just the second since 2006. Tech swept the Miners last season in El Paso behind a dominant performance from then-junior Lauren Douglass, who recorded a team-high 16 kills and five blocks. The Red Raiders have won each of the last ten meetings, 20 of the last 21 and all eight between the teams in Lubbock.

RIDING HIGH
Texas Tech took home the North Dakota State Classic Crown last weekend behind a 3-0 weekend and have won four straight matches overall. After topping Portland State to close out the Portland State Tournament the week prior, Tech defeated South Dakota State, 3-0, Friday morning before rallying for a 3-2 win over North Dakota State that evening. The Red Raiders then took care of North Dakota, 3-0, Saturday night as junior Courtney Ensch was named to the NDSU Classic All-Tournament Team after posting 25 kills at the event.

IN THE RECORD BOOK
Seniors Marguerite Grubb and Lauren Douglas didn't waste any time planting themselves in the Texas Tech record book this season. In the Red Raider's first match of 2016, Grubb compiled 52 assists to crack the school's all-time top 10 list in assists. Douglas made a mark of her own in the Red Raiders' first win of the season against Portland State, powering her way to 17 kills with a .773 hitting percentage, a clip that ranks as her career-best and sixth all-time in a single match in the Texas Tech record books.

FORCE IN THE MIDDLE
Leading the pack in the middle for the Red Raiders is two-time All-Big 12 honoree and All-Southwest Region award winner Lauren Douglass, who returns for her final year in the scarlet & black. Douglass racked up a team-high 280 kills in 2015, averaging 2.95 per set. Not only did she have the most kills, but she was extremely efficient with her swings, rattling off a school-record hitting percentage of .377. She also led the team in blocks with 89. Sophomore Katy Keenan also put together a strong 2015, putting down 128 kills, while also adding 46 blocks. Freshman Taylor Martinez joins a strong core of Red Raider middles poised for a big 2016.

BALANCED DISH
In 2015, Marguerite Grubb put up 1,007 assists, becoming the first Red Raider to record 1,000+ assists in a single season since Emily Ruetter in 2013. Two new setters join the Red Raiders this season: Kyndal Cowan, a sophomore transfer from Oklahoma, and Sophia Canales, a freshman from San Antonio.

YOUNG PASSERS
At the libero/defensive specialist position, the Red Raiders are young, with three freshmen and two sophomores set to compete at the position this season. However, the two sophomores, Reyn Akiu and Katelyn Bryant, saw action in 30 and 20 matches in 2015, respectively. Akiu tallied 166 digs and 30 assists last season, while Bryant put up 47 digs and six assists. New to Texas Tech this year includes freshmen Eighmy Dobbins, Kylie Rittimann and Maggie Sagers, who are sure to see action during the non-conference slate.

OUTSIDES & RIGHT SIDES
A strong mix of veterans and newcomers complete the outside hitter/right side position for the Red Raiders. Juniors Victoria Hinneburg, Audrey Fragniere and Alyssa Ybanez make up the oldest group of returnees and have been known to pack quite a punch on the attack. The trio combined for 265 kills and 84 blocks in 2015. Ybanez was the star of the Red & Black scrimmage on Aug. 20, tallying 17 kills. Last season, they were flanked by Sarah Redding, who posted a strong freshman season with 173 kills, averaging 2.22 per set. Joining them are freshmen Chandler Atwood, Hannah Henriksen and Toni McDougald, while junior Courtney Ensch returns to the program after not playing last season.

ATTACK ATTACK
The Red Raiders racked up 1,308 kills during the 2015 season, with 931 of those kills back and ready to go for 2016. Tech returns four of their top five attackers from last year in Lauren Douglass (280), Sarah Redding (173), Katy Keenan (128) and Victoria Hinneburg (122). The Red Raiders tallied 15 more kills than their opponents last season, averaging 13.3 per set for an overall hitting percentage of .209.

CONTINUING THE TREND
In each of the last six years, a Red Raiders has cracked the top 10 in single-season digs at Texas Tech. In 2010, Tori Vaughn put up 409 digs, but was knocked out by Eric Ruegg in 2011 with 419 digs. The next three years were dominated by Rachel Brummitt, who set the school record in 2012 (510) and 2013 (604), then posted 510 digs in her 2014 senior season. Those three years also catapulted her to the Texas Tech career digs record with 1,624. Last year, Carlie Foust notched 491 digs, which ranked fourth on the list. Who continues that trend in 2016?