VOLLEYBALL RECAP: Texas Tech 3, Texas State 1

Friday, September 3

Lubbock, TX

6:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

4-1,0-0Big 12

Texas State

0-4,0-0Sun Belt

Texas St.

Texas Tech

VOLLEYBALL RECAP: Texas Tech 3, Texas State 1

September 03, 2021 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

The Red Raiders defeated the Bobcats 20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-17 Friday night in Lubbock.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Red Raiders improved to 4-1 on the season earning their eighth consecutive home-opening win Friday night against Texas State. Tech defeated its in-state foe in four sets, 20-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-17.

"Great start to the weekend," said head coach Tony Graystone. "I really liked the energy and being back in the USA. The team did a great job making adjustments throughout the match, especially with our serve and block, and it was good to see us settle in with our first touch."

Three different Red Raiders tallied double-digit kills with Kenna Sauer leading the way for the second straight game with a career-best 13 kills. Caitlin Dugan tallied 11 kills in 24 attempts for a .417 hitting clip. Reagan Cooper finished with 10 kills and a .421 clip. The Red Raiders hit .338 as a team with 58 kills and 52 assists, 48 coming from Alex Kirby.

Defensively, the Red Raiders impressed with 11 blocks, the fourth match this season with double-digit blocks. Sauer and Maddie O'Brien led the squad with five blocks each, while Brooke Kanas added four. KJ Adams was all over the court with a season-high 23 digs.

HIGHLIGHTS
The Bobcats took the first set 25-20 as the Red Raiders worked out some early match jitters. Both sides would trade points until Texas State pulled ahead at 15-14 off a kill from Janell Fitzgerald. The Bobcats took six of the next eight points to increase their lead to 21-16. The Red Raiders attempted to rally at the end, fighting off three set points before a kill from Tessa Marshall gave Texas State the opening set.

Tech responded with a second set win, hitting a match-high .444 in the frame. The Red Raiders forced an early timeout after going on a 4-0 run to lead 9-6. The Bobcats would tie the match at 13 as both sides battled until Tech rattled off five straight points with three blocks in a row to lead 23-17. A kill from Sauer set up set point, and a kill from Dugan gave Tech the set, tying the match.

The momentum from the second set carried over into the third as Tech once again took a 9-6 lead. The Red Raiders increased their lead to seven with a 5-0 run capped off by a block from Cooper and O'Brien. The Bobcats pulled back within two at 14-12 but three straight attack errors sparked a six-point swing for the Red Raiders to make it 20-12. Cooper capped off the third set with a kill to give Tech the 2-1 advantage.

Texas State jumped out to a 5-2 lead to start the fourth stanza, but Tech rallied for nine of the next 10 points to lead 11-6. Cooper began to heat up midway through the set, with three straight kills and five total in the frame to push Tech's lead to 20-11. The Red Raiders held off the Bobcats late rally attempt, closing out the match with a kill from Sauer, her 13^th of the night.

UP NEXT
The Red Raider Classic continues Saturday as Tech takes on Rhode Island at 1 p.m. before facing No. 6 Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. at United Supermarkets Arena.