Red Raiders Knock off No. 13 Iowa State in Ames

Saturday, October 3

Ames, IA

12:30 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

2-2,2-2Big 12

Iowa State

2-2,2-2Big 12

Texas Tech

Iowa St.

Photo by: Luke Lu / Iowa State Athletics

Red Raiders Knock off No. 13 Iowa State in Ames

October 03, 2020 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Harry Endicott

AMES, Iowa – The Texas Tech volleyball team finished its weekend on a high note on Saturday afternoon, dropping No. 13 Iowa State in five sets in Hilton Coliseum. The win marked the Red Raiders' first ranked road win since Sept. 19, 2018, when they knocked off No. 19 Baylor in Waco, Texas.

The Red Raiders were led offensively by Caitlin Dugan and Brooke Kanas, who each recorded 17 kills on the day. Dugan's 17 kills tied her career high, set last season at Oklahoma. Samantha Sanders and Allison Bloss also tallied double digit kills with 12 and 11, respectively.

Sanders and setter Alex Kirby each added double-doubles for Tech. Kirby had 52 assists and a career high 19 digs, paired with four kills and three blocks. Along with her 12 kills, Sanders turned in a career high 17 digs.Defensively, libero Emerson Solano had 24 digs to lead all players.

The Cyclones got off to a fast start in the opening set, beginning the match on a 4-0 run to take control early. Texas Tech would respond and get back to within two, but a 7-2 run by Iowa State helped the Cyclones to a 25-16 set victory. A trio of Red Raiders in Dugan, Bloss and Sanders ended the set with three kills, while Kirby recorded two kills, eight assists and six digs in the frame.

After Iowa State opened the second set with another early run, the Red Raiders were able to withstand and eventually run off five-straight points midway through the frame to take a set lead for the first time in the match. From that point, the two teams went back and forth; however, facing a set point down 24-23, the Red Raiders finished strong with a 3-0 run, thanks to a kill from Sanders and a block from Sanders and Cadi Boyer, to take the set victory and tie the match at one.

Tech added another set win in the third, leading from start to finish to pick up its second set of the day. The Red Raiders opened on a 7-3 run and never looked back. Texas Tech posted three service aces in the frame and recorded a .286 hitting percentage.

Iowa State responded in the fourth set, coming back to post a 25-21 win and force a decisive fifth set. In the fourth, the Red Raiders and Cyclones combined for 15 ties and seven lead changes, but Iowa State ended the frame on a 5-2 run to tie the match.

In the final set, the Cyclones got up, 2-0, to start and led for much of the first half of the set; however, a 3-0 run from Tech gave the Red Raiders an 8-7 lead at the halfway point. Iowa State would come back to tie it a handful of times, but was never able to regain the lead, as the Red Raiders withstood a late Cyclone push to take the victory.