Texas Tech University Athletics
Volleyball Preview: Texas Tech at Baylor
November 26, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 26, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech looks to wrap its 2010 season on a positive note this Saturday when the Red Raiders travel to Waco for a 7 p.m. match against the Baylor Bears in the Ferrell Center.
THE SERIES
Saturday's season finale at Baylor will be the 49th meeting all-time between the two schools in a series that dates back to 1976. Even with 11-straight losses to the Bears, Tech still maintains a 48-20 all-time advantage.
THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders fell to 4-24 on the year and 2-17 in Big 12 play with their 3-1 loss to Iowa State last Saturday. Tech is under the direction of interim head coach Beth Falls.
Preseason All-Big 12 selection Amanda Dowdy has powered the Tech offense with 4.14 kills per set and 4.58 points per set., which both rank third in the conference. Dowdy has led the team in kills in all but two matches this season, and her 4.44 kills per set in conference play is second in the league. Dowdy entered this week ranked 23rd in the nation in kills per set.
Karlyn Meyers is currently ninth in the conference with a 9.02 assists per set average. Miara Cave and Aubree Piper are Tech's next offensive options besides Dowdy as the duo is averaging 1.88 and 1.67 kills per set each. On the defensive end, libero Jackie Vincent has been a consistent option for the Red Raiders, posting 332 digs on the year, while middle blocker Barbara Conceicao is tied for eighth in the Big 12 with 1.07 blocks per set. Dowdy has added 234 digs of her own this season while posting a team-high 10 double-doubles. Vincent, Dowdy, and Tory Vaughan are Tech's only three players to appear in every match this season.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
Baylor enters Saturday's match reeling from two-straight losses to Missouri and No. 5 Nebraska, dropping the Bears to 15-15 overall and 8-11 in Big 12 play. The Bears topped Tech, 3-0, earlier this season in Lubbock.
The Bears have a balanced attack as their top three hitters are all around 300 kills led by Elizabeth Graham's 318. Torri Campbell has added 304 kills while Ashlie Christenson has posted 283 kills. Kate Harris and Brittany Ridenour are Baylor's primary setters with Harris averaging 5.61 assists per set compared to Ridenour's 5.21 assists per frame. Caitlyn Trice is second in the Big 12 with 5.19 digs per set. Jim Barnes is in his seventh season in Waco, compiling a 116-106 record in that span.
RECAPPING THE LAST MATCH
Texas Tech rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit to win the third set against Iowa State on Wednesday, but the 16th-ranked Cyclones retook the match's momentum to finish off the Red Raiders in the fourth, winning 3-1. Amanda Dowdy and Karlyn Meyers both posted double-doubles, while senior Barbara Conceicao put a nice finishing touch on her career inside the United Spirit Arena with a season-high 10 blocks. Fellow senior Jackie Vincent added 20 digs on the back row, one dig shy of her career high.
LAST TIME VERSUS BAYLOR
LUBBOCK, Texas (Oct. 6) - Despite an early first-set lead, Texas Tech was unable to control an accurate Baylor offense as the Bears defeated the Red Raiders, 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-18), Wednesday evening in the United Spirit Arena.
Amanda Dowdy led Tech with 10 kills and eight digs before leaving the match towards the end of the third set with an ankle injury. Dowdy was in the midst of possibly her best match of the season as she had only two errors off 33 attempts for a season-high .242 hitting percentage.
Aubree Piper also added nine kills for Tech, while setters Karlyn Meyers and Brandy Huskey finished the match with 15 and 11 assists each. Tech finished the match with a .079 hitting percentage.
On the defensive front, Jackie Vincent notched a match-high 15 digs, while Candice Neill added a career-high 11 digs of her own. Tory Vaughan also recorded eight digs for a Tech back row that did not commit many errors throughout the match.
Baylor, who finished with a .307 hitting percentage, was led offensively by Ashlie Christenson and Elizabeth Graham who posted 11 and nine kills, respectively.
The win gives Baylor (8-7; 1-3) its first Big 12 victory of the season as the Bears entered the match reeling from three-consecutive conference losses to teams ranked among the nation's top 10. Tech drops to 2-12 on the year and 0-4 in conference.
"SEEBO" SHINES ON SENIOR NIGHT
Barbara "Seebo" Conceicao wrapped her career inside the United Spirit Arena with a memorable performance against No. 16 Iowa State. The senior from Rio de Janiero, Brazil was a consistent obstacle on the net, recording a season-high 10 blocks in the match while adding five kills.
VINCENT ADDS ANOTHER 20 DIG NIGHT
Like Barbara Conceicao, fellow senior Jackie Vincent posted a memorable final performance inside the USA with 20 digs against Iowa State. Vincent finished with at least 20 digs for the second-straight match as the Dallas native dug a career-high 21 balls at Colorado.
RED RAIDERS IMPROVING DOWN THE STRECH
Tech has won at least a set in five of its last six matches with four of those matches coming against opponents either ranked in the top 25 nationally or receiving votes. The Red Raiders have won seven sets during the span compared to the 12 sets won during the first 22 matches.
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 passed Zenon with her 13 kills against Iowa State, leaving her 12 kills shy of tying Lisa Clark (1987-90) for fifth on the school's all-time chart. Dowdy's numbers this year have also moved her into the top 10 in single season kills and attempts.
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 1.88 kills per set average. Cave could not extend her streak against Iowa State, finishing with nine kills against the Cyclones.
