TEXAS TECH VOLLEYBALL WRAPPING UP THE TEXAS LOSS • Despite falling to the ninth-ranked Longhorns in straight sets, the Red Raiders were able to hold Texas to a .260 hitting percentage, its lowest against Texas Tech since posting a .195 average in a 3-1 victory on Oct. 25, 2006, in Lubbock. • The Red Raiders overcame an early opening set loss to lead Texas, 23-22, late in the second set before the Longhorns rallied with three-straight points. • Texas Tech also led the Longhorns throughout the third set until Texas tied the frame at 18. The Longhorns ended the match on an 8-4 run to prevent the Red Raiders from extending the match. DAVID SEES FIRST FULL ACTION BACK AGAINST KANSAS Despite having played briefly in two matches since returning from injury, Breeann David made her full return to the court last Saturday against Texas as the sophomore connected on 10 kills over three sets. David was Texas Tech’s leader in kills prior to suffering an ankle injury early in the first set against Towson on Sept. 7. Since then, she has played just a few points in Tech’s first two Big 12 matches against Kansas and TCU. The Denver City, Texas native went three rotations against Texas and has recorded double-digit kills in each of her last four matches where she has played more than one set. RED RAIDERS BOAST BALANCED ATTACK With 14 more kills this season, Breeann David will be the sixth Red Raider to reach the 100-kill mark, joining freshmen Emily Ehrle, Lydia McKay, and Meghan Stacy along with junior Aubree Piper and senior Miara Cave. Texas Tech has not previously had six or more players reach 100 kills in a season since 2001 when seven players did so en route to the school’s most recent NCAA Tournament appearance. Ehrle leads the balanced attack with a team-high 166 kills followed by Piper with 143 and Cave with 133. Stacy and McKay round out the group with 123 and 112 kills, respectively. BRIEFLY … • The Big 12 Conference has five teams ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in this week’s AVCA poll which marks the most for the league this season. No. 9 Texas leads the group that also includes No. 15 Kansas State and No. 19 Iowa State. Oklahoma and Kansas are both receiving votes as well to finish just outside the top 25. • Success in the opening set has been a focus point for the Red Raiders this season as Texas Tech is 8-1 when winning the opening frame and 22-4 when doing so under head coach Don Flora. When losing the opening set, though, Texas Tech is just 3-6 on the year and 4-20 under Flora. • Texas Tech boasts one of the youngest rosters in the Big 12 as 12 of 15 Red Raiders who have appeared in a conference match so far are classified as either a freshman or sophomore. • Lydia McKay saw her five-match streak of reaching double digits in kills come to an end at TCU as the freshman finished with four overall. McKay was coming off a team-high 11 kills against Kansas where she matched her season high for the third time this season. • Rachel Brummitt enters this week ranked fourth in the Big 12 for digs per set as the sophomore transfer is averaging 4.61 per frame. The two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week has also recorded three of the five highest dig totals in the Big 12 this season after finishing with a conference-leading 34 against Houston Baptist and 27 against San Jose State. • Tory Vaughan enters this week among the leaders in digs among active Big 12 players as the senior has totaled 799 over her four seasons which ranks sixth in the conference. • Emily Ruetter’s 71 assists against Houston Baptist during the Rice Invitational ranks as the most for a Big 12 player this season as Erin Mcnorton (Kansas) is the only other setter to register 60 or more assists in a match. • Ruetter entered this week ranked 53rd in the NCAA for assists per set as she has totaled a 10.82 average. She also ranks fifth in the category among Big 12 setters as well.
UPCOMING BIG 12 SCHEDULE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2 Texas Tech at Central Arkansas
6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 Kansas at West Virginia Wichita State at Oklahoma Iowa State at Kansas State TCU at Texas
5:30 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m.
SATURDING, OCTOBER 6 Oklahoma at TCU Duquesne at West Virginia Baylor at Kansas Texas at Kansas State
Noon 3 p.m. 6:30 p.m. 7 p.m.
2012 PLAYER AWARDS RACHEL BRUMMITT Boston College Invitational MVP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Aug. 27) Lonestar Showdown all-tournament team Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4) BREEANN DAVID Lonestar Showdown MVP EMILY EHRLE Montana Invitational all-tournament team Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Sept. 10) LYDIA MCKAY Rice Invitational all-tournament team AUBREE PIPER Boston College Invitational all-tournament team EMILY RUETTER Boston College Invitational all-tournament team Lonestar Showdown all-tournament team Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Sept. 4)
CAVE EMERGES AS BIG 12 PLAY BEGINS After struggling to get healthy early in the year following an off-season knee injury, Miara Cave has seemed to find her groove over the past several weeks as she has posted double-digit kills in four of her last six outings. The preseason All-Big 12 selection recorded her best performance of the year Sept. 19 at Nevada where she matched her career high with 16 kills while also recording a .367 hitting percentage. Cave had previously connected on 14 kills in the Rice Invitational opener against Houston Baptist before returning the next day to drop 10 against the host Owls. The senior also posted a team-high 12 digs last Saturday against Texas as she also led the Red Raiders in attempts (28) and hitting percentage (.214). Cave has been in double digits for kills six times already this season. She has also had at least a share of the team high in the category in four of the last five matches.
2012 BIG 12 STANDINGS Texas Kansas Kansas State TCU Oklahoma Iowa State Baylor Texas Tech West Virginia #WRECKEMTECH
BIG 12 W L Pct. 4 0 1.000 2 0 1.000 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 2 1 .667 0 3 .000 0 3 .000 0 4 .000
SETS W-L 12-0 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-5 8-4 2-9 0-9 3-12
OVERALL W L Pct. 11 3 .786 14 2 .875 15 1 .938 13 3 .813 13 4 .765 8 5 .615 13 5 .722 11 7 .611 8 9 .471
SETS W-L 36-10 44-14 45-8 40-14 40-20 32-22 41-24 35-32 32-32
Last 10 7-3 9-1 9-1 8-2 8-2 7-3 6-4 3-7 5-5
Streak W5 W3 W3 L1 W1 W1 L4 L6 L3
vs. RANKED TEAMS Top 10 Top 25 0-1 3-3 -- 1-0 1-0 2-0 0-1 0-2 0-2 2-3 1-0 3-3 0-2 1-4 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2
TEXAS TECH VOLLEYBALL
3