TEXAS TECH VOLLEYBALL
MATCH NOTES
head coach with an impressive record. Flora has proved Meyers’ pick to be a solid choice as Tech is 13-1 on the year, the best record through 14 matches for a first-year head coach in school history. The California native passed Donna Martin, who led Tech to a 12-2 start in 1985 as the Red Raiders eventually ended the year 19-9 overall. Flora entered the year as one of the winningest coaches all-time in NCAA history after compiling a 269-59 record over 11 seasons at the University of La Verne in California. SENIORS ENJOYING FINAL SEASON AT TECH Seniors Amanda Dowdy and Karlyn Meyers have to be enjoying their final season in a Texas Tech uniform. The duo won a combined 11 games over their first three seasons, one less than Tech’s total so far this year. Don Flora marked the fourth head coach to lead the duo as the co-captains started their careers under Nancy Todd in 2008. Now, Dowdy and Meyers are off to one of the best seasons in school history while both are also climbing the Tech record book in several categories. DAVID ADDS TO WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS Breeann David became the second Texas Tech player to earn a Big 12 weekly award this week as she was named the conference Rookie of the Week on Monday. David joins teammate Aubree Piper as a weekly award winner after Piper earned Defensive Player of the Week honors a week ago. It marked the first time in school history that two different players had been honored in the same season. PIPER HONORED ON BIG 12 WEEKLY AWARDS Prior to Tuesday night’s match at Texas-Pan American, sophomore Aubree Piper was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week for
her performance during the Texas Tech Invitational. Piper finished with 21 blocks to go along with 15 kills on the weekend, matching her single-game highs for total blocks and block assists in the process. No Tech player had been previously honored with a Big 12 weekly award since Amanda Dowdy was named the conference Rookie of the Week on Sept. 15, 2008. DOWDY LEADS TECH ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Amanda Dowdy was one of three Red Raiders named to the Texas Tech Invitational all-tournament team as the senior picked up most valuable player honors. Fellow senior Karlyn Meyers and junior Miara Cave were also honored as the Red Raiders claimed the tournament title following a 3-0 weekend. DOWDY, CAVE MAKE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Texas Tech senior Amanda Dowdy and junior Miara Cave were both named to the TCU Invitational AllTournament team after leading the Red Raiders to a second-place showing. MORE BALANCE, BETTER RESULTS If there was one consistent variable in Tech’s opening weekend, it would be that the Red Raiders have more balance on offense. The trio of Amanda Dowdy, Miara Cave, and Breeann David all had at least 10 kills each in both of the first two matches. In the process, Tech’s hitting percentage rose to a .256 average over three matches, including a .388 mark against UConn, the Red Raiders’ highest attacking percentage since defeating South Florida in three sets on Sept. 9, 2006. DAVID JOINS ELITE COMPANY Since the Red Raiders joined the Big 12 in 1996, no Tech freshman has begun her career with double-
digit kill figures in back-to-back matches. That is until Breeann David. The Denver City product finished with 11 kills against TCU and followed with 14 the following day against UConn. David finished with a .500 hitting percentage against UConn as she was 14-for-24 on the attack en route to posting Tech’s highest individual hitting percentage since Barbara Conceicao recorded a .526 average on Sept. 11, 2009 against Gonzaga. DOWDY NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 Senior Amanda Dowdy was recognized prior to the season as Tech’s only selection on the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Dowdy was among the top offensive players in the conference a year ago en route to be selected to the All-Big 12 first team following the season. This marks the second-straight season Dowdy has been honored on the preseason and first as a unanimous selection. MEYERS ADDS EXPERIENCE AT SETTER With such a young roster, the Red Raiders will rely on senior setter Karlyn Meyers at the setter position. A two-year starter, Meyers is one of the mostaccomplished setters in school history as she is already among the top 10 all-time in career assists and assists per set average. RED RAIDERS WILL BE YOUNG Texas Tech will be one of the younger teams in the country as 15 of the program’s 21 players are listed as either a freshman or sophomore. Two of the squad’s six upperclassmen, juniors Ciara Gibson and Kelly Chiffer, will both redshirt this season, giving the Red Raiders only four upperclassmen on the court - seniors Amanda Dowdy and Karlyn Meyers and juniors Miara Cave and Tory Vaughan.
PLAYERS TO WATCH - #3 KARLYN MEYERS AND #11 AMANDA DOWDY
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2011 TEXAS TECH VOLLEYBALL