LUBBOCK, Texas – Four Red Raiders posted double-digit kills as Texas Tech volleyball earned its seventh straight win with a 3-1 victory over West Virginia Saturday in its Big 12 home opener at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Red Raiders (13-3, 2-0), winners of 17 of their last 21 dating back to last season, improve to 2-0 in league play for the first time since 2000.
Tech dominated the first and fourth frames and split the middle two to capture the match, 25-16, 23-25, 25-23, 25-16.
Entering Saturday with the Big 12’s best opponent hitting percentage, Tech got it done defensively once again as the Mountaineers hit just .147 for the match, owning the net with 10 team blocks to WVU’s five.
Freshman Brooke Kanas followed her breakout performance at No. 19 Baylor by leading the team in kills for the second straight match with 14 at a .370 clip. Emily Hill added 12 kills while Chandler Atwood and Katy Keenan chipped in 10 each.
Senior Missy Owens was the catalyst behind the offense, dishing out a season-high 51 assists and helping Tech hit .336 for the match. It marked the third best clip for Tech this season and its best in a Big 12 match since 2002.
Libero Emerson Solano recorded a 20-dig match for the fourth time this season. Freshman Katy Northcut added 16 digs and an ace.
West Virginia (7-7, 0-2) was led by 21 kills from Katelyn Evans and 22 digs from Alexa Hasting.
The Red Raiders controlled the opening set, outhitting the Mountaineers .367 to -.059 and out-blocking them 4-0. A kill from Keenan started a 9-2 Red Raider run that gave them a 15-9 lead. Tech led by as many as 10 in the frame at 21-11 before a WVU error ended it at 25-16.
The next two sets went down to the wire. West Virginia scored the final three points of the second set to win it 25-23, while Tech got back-to-back kills from Kanas and Hill to take the third set 25-23.
In the fourth set, Tech hit an impressive .567 behind a balanced attack. Owens dropped 15 dimes as six Red Raiders tallied between two and four kills, respectively. Tech jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead and expanded they margin to six at 11-5. A kill from White made it 19-11, and Tech cruised from there.
Courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics Communications Department