Red Raiders go undefeated on opening day

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech Red Raiders opened their season with two exciting wins on Friday, August 25 at the United Supermarkets Arena. First, Tech defeated the Houston Christian Huskies in a reverse sweep before taking the night match against the Wichita State Shockers in four sets.

TEXAS TECH 3, HOUSTON CHRISTIAN 2 RECAP:

The Huskies gave Texas Tech all they could, but the Red Raiders prevailed as the team reversed swept Houston Christian in a 3-2 victory (26-28, 20-25, 27-25, 25-18, 15-13). Sophomore Brynn Williams and graduate Caitlin Dugan led the Red Raiders with 22 and 21 kills, respectively, with Dugan hitting .255 on the day (21 kills on 51 attacks). Freshman Katelyn Cochran posted a team-best 37 assists, followed by senior Reese Rhodes with 19. In addition, Williams posted her first career double-double with 22 kills and 20 digs.

Defensively, a pair of freshmen were on fire as libero Abby Dickinson totaled a career-best and team-high 27 digs, while Kate Hansen recorded a team and career-high of 11 block assists. Freshman Courtney O’Brien led the Red Raiders with three aces of her own and junior Maddie Correa also collected 20 digs. As a team, the Red Raiders posted 15.0 total blocks and 109 total digs, the most in at least seven seasons, while holding the Huskies to .061 hitting.

In the first set, Tech got off to a fast start, taking an 8-4 lead on a kill from Dugan. The Huskies went on a 4-0 run to cut into the Red Raider lead, making it 12-10 in Tech’s favor. HCU would gain the advantage in the first set by going up 16-15 on a slam by Cassidy Drapela, then kept the momentum to close out the first set with a 28-26 win.

In set two, both teams traded points until it was once again Dugan who would tie things up at 4-4 with a kill. Tech was ahead 10-7 before HCU went on a 5-0 run to take the lead at 12-10. A kill from Hansen gave the Red Raiders the advantage, 17-16, for a short time before HCU rallied to win the set by a 25-20 score.

With the Red Raiders needing to claim the next three sets to win their opening day match, they would do exactly that with a gritty, 27-25, third set victory. HCU started off strong as the Huskies took a 9-4 lead on an attack error by Tech. Eventually evening the set at 14-14 on a Williams kill, Tech and HCU traded blows before a timeout called by the Red Raiders at 24-24 sparked a momentum shift. The Scarlet & Black would win the set on a big slam from Williams to force a fourth set.

Tech took a commanding, 7-3 lead in the next set after an ace from Courtney O’Brien, and kills from Emily Merrick and Williams. With a 16-12 advantage, Tech would win seven of the next eight points to increase their lead to 23-13. Closing out the set were Williams and Dugan with two slams as the teams would go into a fifth set.

In the final set, both teams went back-and-forth the entire time after HCU took an early 3-1 lead. Tied at 5-5, the Huskies would win two-consecutive points for a 7-5 advantage before the Red Raiders won the next two points on a couple slams from Williams. A 4-0 run, sparked by another Williams kill, would give Tech an 11-7 lead before HCU cut into the it with a 14-13 deficit. A big kill from Dugan would leash the Huskies as Tech won its first match of the season with a 15-13 score.

TEXAS TECH 3, WICHITA STATE 1 RECAP:

Texas Tech came out in the nightcap on fire after defeating the Shockers in four sets (25-15, 25-22, 16-25, 25-18). The Red Raider offense was led by Williams with 14 kills and Dugan with 11 of her own. Freshman Reagan Engler posted six kills on 13 attacks for a team-best .462 hitting clip and Cochran led the way with 33 assists.

Four Red Raiders were in double digits for digs – Correa (19), Williams (15), Dickinson (13) and Cochran (11). Cochran and Williams recorded double-doubles in the match, Cochran getting her first career one and Williams collecting her second double-double on the day. Once again, Hansen led Tech in blocks with two solos and six block assists, followed by Engler with seven block assists. As a team, Tech totaled 16.0 blocks, 64 digs, 41 kills and six aces.

Tech was hot to start the first set as the Red Raiders led 9-5, highlighted by kills from Dugan, Engler and Williams, and blocks from Hansen and Cochran. Tech went on a 10-4 run to follow and take a 19-9 lead. The next six points came from errors by Wichita State and kills from Engler and Merrick to take the set with a 25-15 score.

The Shockers began the second set with all the momentum as they held a 5-2 advantage. Tech quickly bounced back to tie things up at 5-all on a Williams slam. Wichita State went on a few runs to lead 19-13 before the Red Raiders battled back. Tech would win nine of the next 12 points to even things up at 22-22 when Engler put down a kill. Then, the Red Raiders got kills from Simone Overbeck and Engler to claim the second set, 25-22.

Wichita State took a commanding win in the third set to stay in the match. Starting with a tight set all tied up at 7-7, WSU would win five of the next six points to gain the lead, 12-8. Tech would only claim eight more points in the set as the Shockers won it by a score of 25-16.

The fourth set began with a 7-3 Texas Tech run as the Red Raiders got points from Dugan, Hansen, Engler and Merrick. Wichita State kept chipping away though, eventually tying the set at 16-all on a kill by Barbara Koehler. Tech would win three-consecutive points, highlighted by Dickinson’s first career ace, to lead 19-16. Then, the Red Raiders held the momentum to close out the set and win the match, 25-18.

NOTES AGAINST HCU

· Six freshmen appeared in the game versus HCU, three of which were starters (Engler, Dickinson and Hansen).

· Dugan set a new career-high total in points with 23.6 against HCU.

· For the first time since Sept. 24, 2022, Tech defeated an opponent after trailing 2-0.

· Williams set new career highs in kills, attacks, blocks, service aces, digs and points against the Huskies.

· Cochran posted a career-high of 11 digs and two aces against Wichita State.

· Tonight marked the first time defeating a nonconference opponent in four sets at home since SMU on Sept. 15, 2022.

–TECH–

Release provided by Casey Montalvo Texas Tech Athletics