Volleyball Preview: Texas Tech at Kansas
October 29, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 29, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech begins the first of two-straight matches in the Sunflower State this Saturday when the Red Raiders face the Kansas Jayhawks at 6:30 p.m. in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
THE SERIES
After winning the series opener earlier this year in Lubbock, Tech is now 16-14 all-time against the Jayhawks. The win broke a six-match losing streak to Kansas. Tech has not won in Lawrence since defeating Kansas in five sets on Sept. 27, 2006.
THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders fell in their debut under interim head coach Beth Falls, 3-0, on Wednesday night against Texas A&M. The loss dropped Tech to 3-18 overall and 1-11 in Big 12 play with eight matches remaining on the schedule.
Preseason All-Big 12 selection Amanda Dowdy has powered the Tech offense with 3.99 kills per set and 4.47 points per set, both ranked fourth in the conference. Dowdy has led the team in kills in all but two matches this season, and her 4.37 kills per set in conference play is tops in the league. She ranks 41st in the nation in kills per set and 46th in points per set.
Karlyn Meyers is currently eighth in the conference with a 9.03 assists per set average. Miara Cave and Aubree Piper are Tech's next offensive options besides Dowdy as the duo is averaging 1.79 and 1.81 kills per set each. On the defensive end, libero Jackie Vincent has been a consistent option for the Red Raiders, posting 238 digs on the year, while middle blocker Barbara Conceicao leads the squad with 1.05 blocks per set, ninth-highest in the conference. Dowdy has added 170 digs of her own.
SCOUTING KANSAS
With four-straight losses in the last two weeks, Kansas will be looking to rebound against the Red Raiders as the Jayhawks are currently 13-10 overall and 4-8 overall. After Tech defeated KU, 3-2, on Oct. 2 in Lubbock, the Jayhawks responded with a 3-1 upset over then-No. 10 Iowa State. Under the direction of head coach Ray Bechard, Kansas is 3-2 at home during Big 12 play following two-straight 3-0 sweeps at the hands of Oklahoma and Texas.
Karina Garlington leads the Jayhawks with 3.49 kills per set, while Allison Mayfield is averaging 2.99 kills per frame. Caroline Jarmoc is KU's most accurate hitter with a .270 attacking percentage, while Nicole Tate has played the majority of sets at setter, averaging 9.55 assists per frame. Kara Wehrs has spelled Tate during the season, posting a 8.47 assists per set. Brianne Riley is KU's top defensive player with 249 total digs, while Jarmoc has added 80 blocks along the net. Bechard is 203-184 in his 13 seasons at Kansas and 919-244 overall in 26 seasons as a head coach.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Raiders return to the state of Kansas again next week, this time in Manhattan to face the Kansas State Wildcats at 7 p.m. next Wednesday. The match will be aired live by Fox Sports Kansas City.
RECAPPING THE LAST MATCH
Tech could not build any momentum in its 3-0 loss to Texas A&M on Wednesday evening as the Red Raiders were back-and-forth with the Aggies for most of the first two sets before eventually falling. Amanda Dowdy led Tech 11 kills, while Barbara Conceicao added a match-high four blocks and Jackie Vincent posted eight digs.
DOWDY INCHING CLOSER AND CLOSER
After two and a half seasons at one of Tech's primary offensive targets, junior Amanda Dowdy is inching closer to joining the top 10 for several career categories on the school's all-time chart, namely kills and total attempts. Here is a rundown of where the Lexington, Texas native currently stands:
Career Kills
1. Kelly Johnson (2001-04) - 1,925
2. Melissa McGehee (1992-02) - 1,333
9. Kim Gosselin (1989-92) - 962
10. Jennifer Cohn (1992-95) - 957
Amanda Dowdy (2008-Pres.) - 904
Career Attack Attempts
1. Kelly Johnson (2001-04) - 5,142
2. Melissa McGee (1999-02) - 3,368
9. Kiley Lyons (2003-06) - 2,680
10. Brande Brown (1994-97) - 2,600
Amanda Dowdy (2008-Pres.) - 2,479
MEYERS NEARING CAREER HIGH
With eight matches still remaining on Tech's schedule, Karlyn Meyers has plenty of time to snap her career high for most assists in a season. A year after totaling 741 assists, Meyers has 541 this season and has ranked among the Big 12's top setters in assists per set.
