Texas Tech soccer will play their Senior Day game Friday at the John Walker Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. against the Kansas Jayhawks.
The Red Raiders have 10 pts and a 3-3-1 record, while the Jayhawks have six points with a 2-5 record.
Radio coverage will be on 88.1 FM or KTXT The Raider 88.1 on the TuneIn app.
Senior Day
Six seniors will be recognized before Friday’s game: goalkeeper Sydney Malmstrom, defender Brittany Martin, midfielder Jen Rose, midfielder Jordie Harr, defender Cassie Hiatt and forward Kirsten Davis.
Tech head coach Tom Stone said the senior class was one that the team leaned on during the events of 2020, from the campus shutdown to COVID-19 restrictions and the 5-6-2 season in 2020 where the Red Raiders had many players out for a multitude of reasons.
Senior defender Cassie Hiatt said this year has been really important for the seniors, especially those who are super seniors.
“I know for Kirsten and Jordie, this has been huge for them, especially after last year,” Hiatt said, “but I think just being able to actually play, not being limited to eight games, not being quarantined for anything. It’s just fun to be with your team for the season, enjoy all the smaller moments, and being able to bond off the field and not being restricted to who you’re around.”
RPI Woes
Texas Tech is No. 91 in the NCAA Women’s Soccer RPI out of 342 Division I soccer teams.
Only three Big 12 teams are in the top 50 of RPI, but one of them is TCU, who is ninth in RPI and will play the Red Raiders on October 28.
Stone said the Red Raiders beat some teams that have underperformed this season, and that has not helped Tech’s RPI.
He said that multiple teams have dealt with that situation this year, and it will force the NCAA selection committee to compare major teams that have a lower RPI to mid-major teams with a higher RPI.
“It’s made for a very interesting RPI setup,” Stone said, “but what’s going to end up doing is it’s going to really put the pressure on the NCAA selection committee, the final committee, to look across the board.”
Stone said the Red Raiders have games ahead of them to increase their RPI before the NCAA tournament.
“There’s an opportunity for the math to correct itself,” Stone said, “if we do our job.”
Kansas on Friday
Kansas only has two Big 12 wins, but they were over Baylor and West Virginia, two teams Tech lost to.
Stone said he hopes to stop the Jayhawks from having a great performance, and they will do the same to Texas Tech.
“Sometimes they’ve looked like world beaters, and sometimes they haven’t,” Stone said, “and when they’ve looked like world beaters, they beat Baylor and West Virginia in the same weekend.”
Senior Leadership
Stone said leadership has been the key quality of this senior class.
He said their differences have been important because “they’re not all preaching the same message.”
Thirteen Red Raiders, including Davis, Harr, Hiatt, Martin and Rose, were named Wednesday afternoon to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
Stone said the group is very intelligent and disciplined, and Texas Tech fans should be happy with what the group of seniors represents.
“Red Raider Nation is going to be super happy that these are young women out there kicking you-know-what and taking names with a double T,” Stone said, “because they’re tremendous examples of what we want to claim, ‘There goes a Red Raider,’ and these six all have that.”
Hiatt said she is excited to see what the future holds for her senior class.
“I think this is the most connected team I’ve ever been a part of since being here…” Hiatt said, “we’re so excited to be in this together and see where life takes us after this.”
Quick Hits
- Kansas is No. 78 in RPI, while Texas Tech is No. 91.
- In conference play, Texas Tech’s three wins and one tie have come against teams Kansas has lost to (wins v. Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa State, tie v. Oklahoma State).
- In conference play, Kansas’ two wins have come against teams Texas Tech has lost to (wins v. Baylor and West Virginia).
- Davis leads the Big 12 in shots on goal per game (2.4), goals per game (.867), and points (2.07).
- Those numbers put her in the top 10 in Division I women’s soccer in each of those categories.
- Freshman defender Macy Blackburn leads the Big 12 in assists (9).
- Junior goalkeeper Madison White leads the Big 12 in goals against average (.851).
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