by Trinity Boudreaux
The Texas Tech volleyball team went on the road this weekend to participate in the SMU Doubletree Invitational Friday through Sunday in Dallas at Moody Coliseum. Tech had matches against SMU, LSU and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Texas Tech volleyball was 6-3 prior to the tournament coming off of a two-game losing streak.
Sophomore Brynn Williams still leads the team in kills with 162 on the season, but super senior Caitlin Dugan led over the weekend with 48 kills.
Game 1: SMU
Going against the SMU Mustangs, hopes were high for the Red Raiders.SMU had a higher hitting percentages and more assists per set going into the match-up; however Tech had more aces, sets, and blocks per set.so it could have been anyone’s win to gain.
The matchup history between Tech and SMU was on Texas Tech’s side: an overall 10-2 record against the Mustangs and a current four-match winning streak.
The Mustangs had the home court advantage, and they rode it to a five-set rollercoaster win 25-11, 22-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10. The Red Raiders tried to get a third set to take the match, but the last two sets were in favor of the Mustangs.
In set one, the Red Raiders were immediately under pressure. The Mustangs got a 12-4 advantage as SMU held Texas Tech to only 11 points in set one.
During set two, Texas Tech finally got a quick lead of 4-1 with a few kills and an ace by setter Katelyn Cochran. SMU kept getting it tied, but Texas Tech stayed ahead to win set two 25-22.
The third set was like the end of set two, back and forth between the two teams, including an 8-8 tie.. Tech then grabbed another lead at 17-12, but SMU would fight back and take the lead 21-20.The Red Raiders stepped up to take the final five points with Cochran’s 2nd ace of the night being the set-winner.
Texas Tech, now in the lead 2-1, needed just one more set to take the game and took a 3-2 lead to start the 4th set off. Tech had a 9-8 lead, but the Mustangs went off on a nine-point winning streak for a 17-9 advantage on their way to a 25-20 fourth set to go into a fifth.
SMU quickly got near the win starting with a 5-2 lead. Although the Red Raiders got within a point again, the Mustangs came out on top winning the match with a fifth set of 15-10.
Tech had a total of 55 kills, seven blocks and 22 errors while SMU had 64 kills, 12 blocks and 20 errors.
Dugan led the Red Raiders in kills with a career high of 24 kills with 67 attacks and Brynn Williams saved the back row racking up 20 digs. Katelyn Cochran, freshman setter, added to her stats 41 assists, nine digs and two aces.
Game 2: LSU
The matchup history between Texas Tech and LSU was not on Tech’s side as the Tigers held an 8-5 record over the Red Raiders, and it went to 9-5 Saturday.
Tech lost to LSU with a 25-19, 25-16, 25-17 sweep Saturday afternoon. It was the first time Tech got swept this season.
Hopes were high for the Red Raiders from the start with a 5-2 lead that turned into an 8-5 lead. However, the Tigers woke up and went on a five-point streak, taking the lead 10-8 and staying ahead to come out on top for set one 25-19.
Sets two and three were more of the same. Although Tech had an early second-set lead, LSU got points when it mattered, including off Tech errors as they finished the sweep 25-16 in the second and 25-17 in the third..
Tech scored with 29 kills, one ace, and 10 LSU errors. LSU managed 46 kills, two aces and 19 Texas Tech errors.
The leader in the kills department was Caitlin Dugan again with 10, and Brynn Williams led again for digs with 11.
Game 3: A&M-Corpus Christi
Going into the final game Sunday against A&M-Corpus Christi hungry for a win, the stats were not in Texas Tech’s corner besides blocks per set.
Texas Tech has never lost to A&M-Corpus Christi, the school current Tech head coach Tony Graystone took to their first NCAA Tournament in 2015. It’s the second straight year Tech has played the Islanders.
In set one tied at 5-5, A&M-Corpus Christi had a 6-1 run to gain an 11-6 lead. Another tie of 12-all came from an ace from setter Reese Rhodes. A&M-Corpus Christi was up 24-20, but the Scarlet and Black came back to tie it again at 24 apiece. Both teams went back and forth until the Islanders gained the set win 28-26.
Set two started off just like the first: back-and-forth between the two teams until Tech gained a 7-5 lead from freshman Kate Hansen’s solo block. The Islanders went on a 4-0 run until a service error gave Tech the serve back. Tech went on a 4-1 run later after tying the game, and in a game of runs, Tech took the second set 25-22.
Tech won the third set with amazing offense 25-14, and in set four, they were looking for a win. However, A&M-Corpus Christi Started off with a 6-3 lead, and they kept the lead all the way until Tech tied the game at 17-all. The Red Raiders finally grabbed the lead at 19-18, and the Islanders continued to push, but the Red Raiders got a win on the weekend 25-22 in the fourth set.
In the end, Texas Tech had 57 kills, 13 blocks, two aces and scored 25 points from the Islanders errors. Tech allowed the Islanders 58 kills, 6 blocks, two aces and gave 14 points in error.
Dugan led the team in kills with 14 again, and she also led the team in blocks along with freshman Reagan Engler with five each.
What’s Next
Texas Tech volleyball will start Big 12 conference play Friday and Saturday as they host the Kansas Jayhawks at the United Supermarkets Arena.
(Featured image from Texas Tech Athletics)
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