Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Iowa
Red Raiders prepared for final non-confernce matches
September 16, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
Tech heads to Iowa for Kwik Star Klassic
LUBBOCK, Texas โ Texas Tech will head to Iowa City for its final non-conference matches of the season this weekend. The Red Raiders are set to compete in the Kwik Star Klassic starting with Iowa at 10 a.m. on Friday followed by a 6 p.m. match against West Florida later that day and then ending the tournament against Central Arkansas at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Tech only has history with Central Arkansas, going 1-1 against them, but haven't played them since October of 2012. The Hawkeyes and Argonauts will be the first two teams that Tech has faced this season with an over .500 record as the Red Raiders will test themselves this weekend.
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Texas Tech's Sara Bowcutt and Elia Dinsmore have already shown flashes of brilliance in their short careers. The freshmen duo rankings first and third on the team in points, respectively. They both recorded their first career double-double against St. Thomas in the second match of the season and Bowcutt became the first Red Raider this season to record 20 kills in a match when she did so in Tech's win over St. Mary's (9/3) and recorded two more in wins over UTRGV (9/10) and Prairie View A&M (9/10).
Sophomores Kenna McKenzie and Shelby Ignash are taking the step forward that everyone hoped they would after finishing their freshmen campaigns so strongly last year. Ignash recorded a career-high eight blocks against St. Mary's and then tied her career-high for kills in back-to-back matches with nine against Sacramento State (9/4) and Nevada (9/5).
Cochran and Taylor Cook have split time at setter. Cochran leads the group with 259 assists while also having 51 digs and 14 blocks while Cook has 102 assists with 30 digs and eight blocks. The veteran and the newcomer have both had good outings as of recent.
Tatum Johnson has come into her own recently. Against Nevada she recorded a career-high 10 kills and tied her career high for blocks with four. She followed that up with another career performance against Tarleton, going for 16 kills while hitting over .600.
Interim head coach Alisa Blair enters her fourth season at Texas Tech, while interim associate head coach Mikayla Ell enters her second season on the coaching staff and third season overall, as she served as the director of volleyball operations for a season before that. New assistant coach Norene Iosia joins the Red Raiders after three seasons at Nevada as an assistant coach. She played at Hawaii, where she earned Big West Player of the Year honors and was an AVCA All-American honorable mention in 2019 before playing professionally overseas.
