Volleyball Preview: Texas Tech vs. Iowa State
November 23, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 23, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech concludes its 2010 home schedule this Wednesday when the Red Raiders battle 16th-ranked Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. in the United Spirit Arena.
FAN APPRECIATION SET FOR FINAL HOME MATCH
Texas Tech fans wishing to attend the Red Raiders' final home match Wednesday against Iowa State will be admitted free as the match is the program's fan appreciation night.
THE SERIES
Despite losses in 10 of the last 11 matches, Tech still maintains a 20-12 all-time advantage over the Cyclones. The Red Raiders will be looking for their first win over Iowa State since taking a 3-2 victory at home on Oct. 24, 2006.
THE RED RAIDERS
Tech improved to 4-23 on the year and 2-16 in Big 12 play with last Saturday's 3-2 victory at Colorado. The win was the first for Tech under interim head coach Beth Falls.
Preseason All-Big 12 selection Amanda Dowdy has powered the Tech offense with 4.18 kills per set and 4.63 points per set. Her kills per set average ranks second in the conference while her points average is third. Dowdy has led the team in kills in all but two matches this season, and her 4.52 kills per set in conference play is tops in the league. She ranks 23rd in the nation in kills per set.
Karlyn Meyers is currently ninth in the conference with a 9.07 assists per set average. Miara Cave and Aubree Piper are Tech's next offensive options besides Dowdy as the duo is averaging 1.86 and 1.69 kills per set each. On the defensive end, libero Jackie Vincent has been a consistent option for the Red Raiders, posting 312 digs on the year, while middle blocker Barbara Conceicao leads the squad with 1.00 blocks per set. Dowdy has added 223 digs of her own this season while posting a team-high nine double-doubles. Vincent, Dowdy, and Tory Vaughan are Tech's only three players to appear in every match this season.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
Iowa State boasts one of the Big 12's leading offenses as the Cyclones are among the top three in hitting percentage, kills and assists. The Cyclones (19-7; 12-6) rebounded from two-straight losses by beating Colorado and Texas A&M last week. Iowa State is currently tied with Oklahoma for third atop the Big 12 standings.
Victoria Henson leads the Big 12 with 4.38 kills per set, while teammate Jamie Straube is among the top 10 with a .319 hitting percentage. Carly Jenson is Iowa State's other offensive option with a 3.03 kills per set average. Libero Ashley Mass is averaging 4.83 digs per set, which is third in the conference. Christy Johnson-Lynch is in her sixth season with the Cyclones, totaling a 224-65 record during that span.
LOOKING AHEAD
Tech wraps the 2010 season this Saturday with a road match at Baylor. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at the Ferrell Center in Waco.
RECAPPING THE LAST MATCH
Texas Tech claimed its first road victory since 2006 in its 3-2 win over Colorado last Saturday in Boulder. Amanda Dowdy led Tech with a match-high 34 kills, while setter Karlyn Meyers added 53 assists and a career-high 23 digs. Jackie Vincent added 21 digs and Aleah Hayes and Tory Vaughan had 12 digs as well. Tech's last road victory came against Kansas in five sets on Oct. 28, 2006.
LAST TIME VERSUS IOWA STATE
AMES, Iowa (Oct. 6) - Backed by a season-high .441 hitting percentage, 10th-ranked Iowa State swept Texas Tech, 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-18), Wednesday night in front of 1,650 fans at the Ames High School gymnasium.
Iowa State (11-3; 4-2) came out with the hot hand in the first set as the Cyclones raced out to an early 10-4 lead. The Red Raiders (3-13; 1-6) were able to get on a six-point run, but with the score 23-16, Iowa State needed only two points to close the set and send the Tech into comeback mode.
Iowa State limited itself to only six attacking errors compared to Tech's 16. The Red Raiders finished the match hitting .200.
Amanda Dowdy led the Tech attack with 13 kills, while Miara Cave and Aubree Piper added eight kills each. Setter Karlyn Meyers recorded 33 assists in the match to go along with a pair of blocks. Jackie Vincent ended with a team-high 11 digs, followed only by Dowdy with seven.
Iowa State's Victoria Henson finished with a match-high 17 kills with 10 of those coming in the final frame. She was joined in double-figures by Carly Jenson's 10 kills.
FOUR SENIORS TO PLAY FINAL HOME GAME
Seniors Barbara Conceicao, Caroline Courtney, Alexxa Roberts, and Jackie Vincent will all play their final match at the United Spirit Arena on Wednesday. The group, along with their families, will be honored prior to the match.
DOWDY JOINS 1,000 KILL CLUB
Amanda Dowdy became only the eighth player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills at Colorado as the junior nailed 34 in the match, moving her 1,014 career kills into a tie for sixth with Sabrina Zenon (1988-91). Dowdy needs 35 kills to tie Lisa Clark (1987-90) for fifth overall and 42 to match Christine Martin (1993-97) for fourth.
MEYERS EXCELLS AT COLORADO
Karlyn Meyers notched possibly her best match in a Red Raider uniform at Colorado as the junior setter finished with 53 assists to go along with a career-high 23 digs which were almost 10 more than her previous high of 14. The double-double was Meyers' fourth of the season.
RED RAIDERS END ROAD WOES
Tech's 3-2 victory over Colorado last Saturday was not only its first road win of the season, but also its first conference road win since defeating Kansas, 3-2, on Oct. 28, 2006.
VINCENT, HAYES BOTH POST CAREER HIGHS
Jackie Vincent and Aleah Hayes both added to the career nights of their teammates at Colorado as the senior libero recorded a career-high 21 digs in the match and Hayes added another 12 of her own. Vincent's prior high was 19 set twice this season, while Hayes had previously posted 10 twice during her two seasons, including at Missouri a few weeks ago.
VAUGHAN ADDS TO THE ACTION AS WELL
Not to be forgotten, Tory Vaughan recorded her best dig performance of the season at Colorado, scooping up 12 balls, one shy of her career high set last year at Texas State.
CAVE IN DOUBLE-DIGITS AGAIN
Miara Cave recorded double-digit kills for the second-straight match at Colorado, finishing with 11, one shy of her season high. Cave posted 10 kills a week before against Texas. She is second on the team with a 1,86 kills per set average.
