Volleyball Preview: Texas Tech at Missouri
November 09, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 9, 2010
Notes | | 
Match Preview
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech prepares for its final midweek road match of the season when it travels to Missouri on Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. match at the Hearnes Center in Columbia.
THE SERIES
After winning the first eight matches of the series, Tech has lost 19 of the last 20 meetings to Missouri as the Tigers hold a 19-11 series lead. The Red Raiders, who are 4-10 all-time in Columbia, Mo., have not won a road match at Missouri since Oct. 23, 1999.
THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders could not control a powerful Nebraska squad in a 3-0 loss last Saturday that dropped Tech to 3-21 overall and 1-14 in Big 12 play. Tech is under the direction of interim head coach Beth Falls, who was named to the position on Oct. 25.
Preseason All-Big 12 selection Amanda Dowdy has powered the Tech offense with 4.02 kills per set and 4.49 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 4.35 kills per set in conference play is third in the league. She ranks 36th in the nation in kills per set.
Karlyn Meyers is currently ninth in the conference with a 8.99 assists per set average. Miara Cave and Aubree Piper are Tech's next offensive options besides Dowdy as the duo is averaging 1.80 and 1.71 kills per set each. On the defensive end, libero Jackie Vincent has been a consistent option for the Red Raiders, posting 264 digs on the year, while middle blocker Barbara Conceicao leads the squad with 1.04 blocks per set, 10th-highest in the conference. Dowdy has added 189 digs of her own.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
Winners of six of its last seven matches, Missouri enters Wednesday night 17-8 overall and 9-6 in Big 12 play after defeating 12th-ranked Iowa State, 3-1, last weekend in Ames. The Tigers rebounded from a first-set loss to take the next three sets. Missouri is receiving votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 poll.
Paola Ampudia, the current Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, leads the Tigers with 4.17 kills per set, while Julianna Klein and Brittney Brimmage are adding 2.81 and 2.56 k/s each. Brimmage is Missouri's most-accurate attacker with a .325 hitting percentage. Freshman Molly Kreklow has made her name known at the setter position, averaging a Big 12-leading 11.66 assists per set en route to being named the conference's newcomer of the week four times thus far. Missouri is under the direction of sixth-year head coach Wayne Kreklow, who is 107-70 during that span.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Raiders face in-state rival Texas this Saturday at the United Spirit Arena before taking a week off prior to traveling to Colorado on Nov. 20.
RECAPPING THE LAST MATCH
Tech held 5th-ranked Nebraska to its lowest hitting percentage against the Red Raiders since 1999, but the effort was not enough to stop the Huskers from taking a 3-0 victory Saturday at the United Spirit Arena.
LAST TIME VERSUS MIZZOU
LUBBOCK, Texas (Sept. 15) - Missouri survived a close first set and withstood Amanda Dowdy's match-leading 16 kills to top Texas Tech, 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-21), Wednesday in both teams' Big 12 opener at the United Spirit Arena.
Backed by Dowdy's powerful right arm, Tech (2-8; 0-1) remained a threat throughout each set leading throughout parts of the first and third frames, but Missouri (9-2; 1-0) was able to capitalize at the right moments to end several of Tech's rallies and prevent any comeback attempt.
In her first collegiate start at setter, Brandy Huskey posted her first career double-double as the freshman posted 32 assists to go along with a season-high 11 digs. Jackie Vincent and Tory Vaughan added 14 and 11 digs, respectively, to pace a Tech defense that played more error-free than its previous outing at the Rams Volleyball Classic.
Miara Cave and Barbara Conceicao both posted seven kills each for the Tech attack, while Aubree Piper added six of her own. Conceicao also recorded a match-high five blocks from her middle blocker position.
Julianna Klein led the Missouri offense with 15 kills, while Paola Ampudia added 13 kills as the duo finished with 28 kills combined off 57 attacks. The Tigers ended the match with a .315 attacking percentage.
TECH DEFENSE SHINES AGAINST HUSKERS
Even in a 3-0 loss, the Red Raiders were able to accomplish one feat no other Tech team has done since 1999 - hold Nebraska to a .240 hitting percentage. The Huskers' most-previous low against Tech was a .169 percentage on Sept. 24, 1999.
RETURNING HOME
Sophomore Aleah Hayes will be returning to her home state of Missouri for Wednesday's match as her hometown of Ozark, Mo. is around 180 miles from Missouri's main campus in Columbia.
VOLLEYBALL HOSTS ALUMNI WEEKEND
Around 35 former Red Raider volleyball players were reunited last weekend for the Alumni Weekend event hosted by the volleyball program. The group gathered for a banquet on Friday night in the west stadium building of Jones AT&T Stadium and was also introduced during the intermission of Saturday's match against Nebraska. Former student-athletes from the program's beginning in the 1960s to those from last season were among the alumni in attendance.
MEYERS MOVING UP THE CHARTS
In the midst of one of her best seasons since arriving on campus, Karlyn Meyers is closing in on eighth on the school's all-time assists leaderboard. Entering Wednesday, Meyers has recorded 1,654 assists in a little over two seasons, 22 assists shy of tying Rochelle Kaa'iai (1988-92) for eighth overall.
DOWDY A STAPLE IN THE RECORD BOOK
After two and a half seasons at one of Tech's primary offensive targets, junior Amanda Dowdy continues to enshrine herself in the Tech record book. After entering the top 10 last weekend for career attempts, Dowdy is close to entering the top 10 category for career kills, trailing Jennifer Cohn by only 10 entering Wednesday's match.
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.) - 947
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. Amanda Dowdy (2008-Pres.) - 2,610
PIPER FINDING HER GROOVE
Aubree Piper may be finding her groove midway through her freshman season. The Amarillo native has posted 79 kills in Big 12 play, but in the process, has been one of Tech's most accurate hitter, posting a .400 hitting percentage against Kansas (Oct. 2) and a .312 percentage at Iowa State. She added a career-high 13 kills against Colorado. The freshman is currently third on the team with 1.71 kills per set.
CAVE PICKS UP PLAY AGAINST BIG 12
Since Big 12 play began last week, Miara Cave has picked up her game as the sophomore has posted in double-figures twice with 11 kills against Kansas State and 12 against Baylor, matching her season high set earlier in the year against UTSA. The sophomore is averaging 2.02 kills per set in conference.
