Texas Tech Athletics
6-2,0-0Big 12
North Texas
4-3,0-0AAC
Red Raiders fall in first road match
September 04, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
DENTON, Texas – The Texas Tech Red Raiders fell in a tightly contested, five-set match to the North Texas Mean Green, 25-17, 23-25, 23-25, 25-20, 10-15, on Monday evening at the North Texas Volleyball Center.
Graduate Emily Merrick hit her season-best with a .394 clip, going for 14 kills on 33 attacks. Graduate Caitlin Dugan led the Red Raiders with 17 kills and recorded a .239 hitting percentage and four blocks. Sophomore Brynn Williams collected her fifth double-double after tallying 13 slams and 10 digs.
Senior Reese Rhodes posted 40 assists, five kills, four blocks, eight digs and a .364 clip in the match, while junior Maddie Correa led the team with her team-best sixth double-digit dig performance with 15.
In set one, North Texas started out hot as they took a 5-2 lead. The Red Raiders were able to close the gap after a kill by Reagan Engler made it 7-6 in favor of the Mean Green. Taking the lead at 11-9, Tech would win four of the next five points on kills by Merrick, then increased its lead with slams by Williams. The last four points of the set were won by the Red Raiders when Rhodes and Merrick put down kills and North Texas added two attack errors as Tech won it by a 25-17 score.
North Texas went on a run to start the next set after taking an early, 8-2 lead. Tech eventually cut into the UNT lead after a kill from Merrick at 15-10, then the Red Raiders posted three-straight points for a 16-13 deficit. Tech would go on a run, winning seven of eight points for the 22-20 advantage, but North Texas closed out the set on a 5-1 run to win it, 25-23.
The Red Raiders took a 3-1 lead to open set three thanks to kills from Dugan, but North Texas came back to take the lead at 9-6. Another 3-0 run for Tech tied the set at 9-9, then gave the Red Raiders the momentum to grab the lead on an ace from Rhodes, 13-11. With the 18-15 advantage, UNT would win five-straight points to retake the lead, then claim the set in another tight battle, 25-23.
The Scarlet & Black went on a 6-2 run to start the fourth set highlighted by kills from Williams and Dugan. Tech kept coming at the Mean Green, taking a 15-8 lead on a slam from Engler. North Texas didn't go away though, producing a 5-0 run to cut into Tech's advantage at 15-13. North Texas kept it close to stay in the set, but Tech would win their final three points on kills from Merrick and Williams, and a solo block by Williams, to force a fifth and final set, 25-20.
It was all Mean Green in the beginning of the fifth set as they took a commanding 7-3 lead. Tech clawed back, going on a 4-0 run to cut into UNT's lead, 10-9, on kills from Merrick and Dugan. However, North Texas only allowed Tech to win one more point as they took the set and match with a 15-10 score.
UP NEXT
Tech is right back at it tomorrow for a rematch against the Abilene Christian Wildcats in Abilene starting at 6 p.m.
