Tech Volleyball Hosts No. 17 Baylor
October 06, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 6, 2009
LUBBOCK, Texas - When the Texas Tech Volleyball team (2-11, 0-4) hosts No. 17 Baylor (16-1, 5-1) on Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Red Raiders may feature a few lineup changes in an effort to get more productivity out of its front line. Match time at the United Spirit Arena is 6:30 p.m.
Sophomore Amanda Dowdy, who last year started each match at the middle blocker position, was moved to outside hitter prior to the 2009 season and has responded by leading the team in kills-per-set with a 3.05 average and leads the squad in attempts with 444 with a little more than a third of the season in the record books. But, production out of the middle blocker position has been disappointing and during the third set of the match at Oklahoma first-year head coach Trish Knight moved Dowdy back to the middle and she responded.
"We simply need to put up better numbers in terms of kills," Knight said recently. "And, while it may seem like we've had a pretty good blocking game statistically, we still need to be much better, much more consistent at the blocking game as so much of what we do depends on that. Dowdy says she's comfortable making the move back to the middle, so we're going to try it," she continued.
Three other players have seen time at the two middle blocker spots, Barbara Conceicao, Michelle Kuester and Alexxa Roberts. At times Conceicao has controlled the middle well, especially with her blocking game as the junior is currently ranked 16th in the nation in blocks per set with a 1.38 average, but she manages only 2.12 kills per set at a position which is called on to create more offense. Both Kuester and Roberts have split duties in the middle and the result has been inconsistent. Kuester averages 0.71 kills per set and Roberts, who was hampered early in the season with a sprained ankle, averages 0.95 kills. Thus far the middle blockers (without Dowdy) have accumulated 130 kills on the season and committed 59 errors for a .221 hitting efficiency.
"This sport demands a great deal from its front-line players. First, an outside hitter is going to get many more attempts than is a middle, but those attempts are not always going to be from perfect sets or in situations where an effective play can be run so they have to put the ball in play much of the time instead of really trying to get a kill," coach Knight explained. "But, the middle hitter is expected to put the ball away because if you can run a play to them it means your passing game has worked and you are running something that should be more difficult for an opponent to defend."
This anticipated change will also mean that more consistency will be required of the other players who make up the outside hitting core. These players include seniors Hayley Ball and Caroline Witte (who has also played setter this season), junior Caroline Courtney and freshman Miara Cave. This group has thus far combined for 116 kills on the season (of 418), but has also combined for 92 errors (of 239) on the year and the expectation is to minimize those errors.
For a team that is searching to find its form in a conference that is completely unforgiving, any switch that provides a spark may be the one that it takes.
"We are healthier than we've been at any point in the season and we are beginning to truly understand our style of play. The focus now will be to put players in situations where they can successfully put the ball away and win points," Knight said.
Following the home match on Wednesday, Tech heads to Missouri for a Saturday evening match at 7 p.m.
