Texas Tech Athletics
Utah
NO. 19 Utah Eliminates Tech In First Round
November 30, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 30, 2000
HONOLULU, Hawaii - The Texas Tech volleyball team ended its 2000 season with a NCAA First Round loss (15-6, 8-15, 15-2, 10-15, 15-12) to No. 19 Utah on Thursday evening in Honolulu.
With the loss, Texas Tech ends its season with a 24-9 record while Utah advances to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a record of 23-7.
Texas Tech stormed out to an early 8-2 in the first game of the match behind the strong hitting of seniors Colleen Smith and Janelle Jones. Both players accounted for 11 kills during the opening stretch of the game. Junior defensive specialist Heather Hughes-Justice, the Big 12 Defensive Specialist of the Year, opened the game with a service ace to put the Red Raiders up 1-0. The Utes pulled within three midway through the game but Tech answered with five straight points of their own to push the lead to 14-6. Sophomore Melissa McGhee sealed the game with a kill to the right side.
The Red Raiders jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second game but Utah was able to get their first rally of the match and took a 9-3 lead in the game. Tech was able to close the gap to 9-5 but was able to sit and watch as Utah's lead grew to 11-5 behind two Ute service aces that were both mishandled by Melissa McGehee. Texas Tech got three crucial points from Colleen Smith and Kate Jury to put Texas Tech back in the match but Utah was able to keep the momentum and pull away 15-8.
At the intermission, Colleen Smith led the team with 13 kills and three digs while Melissa McGehee had nine kills and three digs.
Texas Tech came out of the lockerroom with all its weapons firing as Tech dominated the Utes by cruising to a 12-1 lead. The Utes managed just one more point in the game before Tech sealed the game off a block by Yolanda Cumbess to win 15-2. Tech got six kills from Colleen Smith and three from Melissa McGehee to help pace the Red Raider offensive attack.
Utah didn't allow Tech big third game to take them out of the match as Utah broke a 10-10 tie to win the fourth game 15-10. In rally scoring, Tech and Utah went back and forth until the Utes broke free from yet another 10-10 tie to win the game 15-12.
"Unfortunately we just didn't do the things we needed to win this match," said Texas Tech head coach Jeff Nelson. "The things that we have been so good at all season just didn't happen tonight. These five game matches are just another night at the gym for us and we should have handled it better than we did. Utah is a good team and Beth (Launiere) has done a great job there. We both had a chance to talk earlier and both of us knew that it was going to be a great match."
Statistically, the Red Raiders dominated the Utes in every area but the score as Tech hit .285 (.224 Utah), tallied 68 kills (67 Utah) and 57 digs (Utah 53). Colleen Smith had a game-high 27 kills and four blocks while Melissa McGehee punched out 18 kills and 10 digs giving the sophomore her 21st double-double of the season.
