Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech Meets Mizzou At Home, Iowa State And Nebraska Away
November 13, 2001 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 13, 2001
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RED RAIDERS PREPARE FOR CRUCIAL STRETCH
The Texas Tech Volleyball team enters a very crucial time this week if the Red Raiders hope on making a second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With a 7-8 record in the Big 12, Texas Tech desperately needs to get over the .500 mark in order to have a shot at the 64-team tournament field. Texas Tech has a big match in the midweek against the Missouri Tigers who come to Lubbock on Wednesday night sporting a 9-8 mark in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech will hit the road this weekend for two matches against Iowa State and Nebraska. Texas Tech will play Iowa State on Saturday afternoon in Carroll, Iowa at 2 p.m. Tech and Iowa State are playing in Carroll as part of an exhibition game for the Iowa High School State Volleyball Championships. Texas Tech will then travel to Lincoln, Neb. for a makeup match with the Huskers at 2 p.m. at the Nebraska Coliseum. The match with Nebraska is a makeup from the Sept. 11 tragedies.
Texas Tech enters this week with a 15-10 overall record and 7-8 record in the Big 12. The Red Raiders come into the week on the heels of a three-match winning streak thanks to wins over UTEP, New Mexico State and Oklahoma this past week.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
The Missouri Tigers will come to Lubbock sporting a 19-8 overall record and 9-8 mark in the Big 12. The Tigers have been without star outside hitter Lisa Morris as she has been sidelined since the Kansas match due to a blood clot in her right arm. The Tigers earned a big win without Morris on Saturday night as the Tigers dropped Texas 3-2 in front of 1,402 fans in Columbia.
The Tigers are led by Lisa Morris who has 361 kills and 223 digs. In case Morris does not play on Wednesday night, the top Tiger hitter will be Christie Myers who has 333 kills and 227 digs. The defensive leader for the Tigers is Naaron Branson who has 337 digs on the season.
Missouri is coached by Susan and Wayne Kreklow. Texas Tech leads the all-time series with Missouri 10-2.
A LOOK AT IOWA STATE
Texas Tech and Iowa State will square off on Saturday afternoon in Carroll, Iowa at 2 p.m. as part of an exhibition match at the Iowa State High School Volleyball Championships. The Cyclones enter the week with a 4-17 overall record and 1-15 mark in the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State's lone Big 12 win came on Oct. 17th against the Oklahoma Sooners as the Cyclones defeated the Sooners 3-1.
The Cyclones are led by Mandi Harms who has 211 kills and 139 digs. The Cyclones are coached Linda Crum.
Texas Tech leads the all-time series with Iowa State 12-1.
THE HUSKERS ONE LAST TIME
It seems like Texas Tech has played Nebraska at least three times this season or at least attempted to. Texas Tech will face-off against the Huskers on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Nebraska Coliseum in what is a rescheduled match from the week of Sept. 11. Nebraska is the No. 2 ranked team in the nation as the Huskers sport an impressive 22-1 overall record and a perfect 15-0 mark in the Big 12. Nebraska has won 41 consecutive home matches, 43 consecutive Big 12 matches and 18 consecutive matches overall. The Huskers are led by middle blocker Nancy Metcalf who has 332 kills, 231 digs and 81 total blocks. The Nebraska offense is led by 2000 AVCA Player of the Year Greichaly Cepero who averages 12.8 assists-per-game. The Huskers are simply dominating opponents hitting .310 while holding opponents to .098 and tallying 4.19 blocks-per-game.
RAIDERS RANK NATIONALLY
Texas Tech features one player ranked in the latest NCAA national statistics released on Nov. 4th As a team, Texas Tech ranks in two categories. Senior setter Skydra Orzen is the leading setter in the nation as she tallies 1,414 assists and a 14.28 assist-per-game average. As a team, Texas Tech is tied for ninth in total assists with 1,539, and is 16th in total kills with 1,681.
THIS AND THAT
Texas Tech is 10-4 at home this season and 23-6 all-time at the United Spirit Arena. Texas Tech snapped a two-match home losing streak by defeating Oklahoma 3-0 on Saturday night.
Head Coach Jeff Nelson picked up his 150th career win on Saturday night against Oklahoma.
Texas Tech has four players who total 225+ kills on the season (Angela Mooney - 228, Kelly Johnson - 311, Melissa McGehee - 319, Heather Hughes-Justice - 288).
Junior outside hitter Melissa McGehee has reached the 300 kill mark for the second consecutive season. She currently has 319 kills this season. McGehee has moved into 10th place on the all-time kill list at Texas Tech with 875 career kills.
Freshman outside hitter Kelly Johnson picked up her 300th career kill this past weekend against Oklahoma. Johnson is just 37 kills away from setting the Texas Tech freshman kill record. The current record is 347 set by Ann Romjue in 1999.
Texas Tech has committed a conference leading 735 errors compared to 611 by its opponents.