Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
10-16,3-11Big 12
West Virginia
9-19,2-13Big 12
Dugan hits 1,000 career kills in five-set win over WVU
November 10, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Graduate Caitlin Dugan reached a career milestone on Friday evening as the Texas Tech Red Raiders won in a five-set thriller over the West Virginia Mountaineers, 25-16, 25-23, 24-26, 23-25, 15-12, at United Supermarkets Arena.
Dugan came into the game needing just five kills to reach 1,000 in her career and ended up getting a team-leading 16 kills for the Red Raiders (10-16, 3-11 Big 12) in the match to push her career total to 1,111. She also added three blocks and four digs against the Mountaineers (9-19, 2-13 Big 12).
Senior setter Reese Rhodes almost recorded a triple double in the match after tallying 42 assists, nine digs and a career-high tying eight kills, while totaling three blocks. Her 42 assists also pushed her career assist total to over 1,900.
Graduate Emily Merrick posted 14 kills on 33 swings for a team-high .303 hitting clip, while also tallying five blocks for the second match in a row. Sophomore Brynn Williams was the third Red Raider to have double-digit kills after recording 12 with nine digs and a couple blocks.
Leading the team in blocks were both Madison Gilliland and Reagan Engler as they each had six. Gilliland also collected four digs and a team-high two aces. Defensively, Maddie Correa led with a whopping 17 digs while freshman Abby Dickinson recorded 12 of her own.
In the first set, Tech started off on a 5-2 run thanks to kills from Merrick and Gilliland. Then, Tech won four more consecutive points to lead 9-3 after both Rhodes and Merrick put down slams. WVU clawed back to come within one at 13-12, but the Red Raiders claimed seven of the next eight points for the 20-13 advantage. Tech kept the momentum and went on a 5-1 run to close the set, highlighted by a Gilliland ace, to win it 25-16.
The second set was close the entire way through as the two teams traded points. Tech went up 3-1 on a kill by Merrick, but West Virginia would tie it up at 3-all on a Red Raider error. At 6-6, Tech won three straight points on kills from Reagan Engler, Dugan and a block from Gilliland and Dugan to lead 9-6. The Mountaineers fought back to take the 15-14 lead heading into the media timeout, but Willams would tie it up right after with the slam. WVU rallied to take a 22-19 lead, but Tech responded by winning six of the next seven points for the comeback win, 25-23.
The Mountaineers took an early 4-0 lead in the third set and maintained it to force a Texas Tech timeout with an 11-6 advantage. Tech answered back to cut into WVU's lead at 15-13 to make the Mountaineers take a timeout. The Red Raiders kept chipping away, tying the set 19-19 with a Dugan kill. WVU and Tech went back-and-forth to finish the set, but the Mountaineers would finish it out with a 26-24 score.
The Red Raiders went up 6-2 to open the fourth set thanks to kills from Dugan, Engler and Rhodes. The Mountaineers came back to tie it up at 8-all before Tech retook the lead with a couple kills. WVU went on a run take a lead at 15-14, before a kill from Dugan tied it up. WVU answered with a 4-0 run for the 20-17 advantage before the Red Raiders got two points back with a kill by Merrick and an ace from Courtney O'Brien. The Mountaineers forced a Tech timeout after leading 22-19, then closed out the set with the 25-23 score.
In the fifth and final set, the Mountaineers would dominate early after going up 10-3. The Red Raiders would answer with back-to-back points, but a service error stopped the run. WVU had the 11-5 advantage, but Tech went on a 5-0 run to get within a point. WVU scored to stop the run and take a 12-10 lead. However, the Red Raiders ended the set claiming five-straight points and won the match on an ace from Katelyn Cochran, 15-12.
UP NEXT
The Red Raiders travel to Kansas State for two matches next weekend on Nov. 17-18 in Manhattan, Kan.
