Texas Tech volleyball earned straight-set wins over Lamar and UC Riverside to sweep its opening day of the Red Raider Classic Friday at Untied Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders improved to 7-1 on the season and 3-0 at home with a pair of 3-0 victories. They close the Red Raider Classic tomorrow at 1 p.m., with The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (3-6), which split its Friday matches.

Tech held Lamar to a season-low .056 clip in its first match and went on to win 25-15, 25-16, 25-17. In the nightcap, Tech blasted a season-best hitting percentage of .365 to top UC Riverside 25-16, 25-19, 25-26.

Sophomore Chandler Atwood had another strong day. Entering the day as the team’s leading killer, she placed eight against Lamar and a match-high 12 against UC Riverside for her sixth double-digit kill performance of the season. The Allen, Texas, native connected on a season-high .370 clip against the Highlanders, and is now one double-digit match away from matching her season total from 2016.

Texas Tech as a whole displayed a balanced attack in both matches. Along with Atwood’s eight kills against the Cardinals, sophomore Emily Hill matched her with eight, while juniors Missy Owens and Katy Keenan had seven each. The Red Raiders were balanced and efficient against the Highlanders with Tech’s five leading attackers hitting over .300 for the night.

(Courtesy: Texas Tech Sports Communications Department)

Owens dished out 23 dimes against Lamar and 33 against UC Riverside while also finishing with a combined 13 kills and 16 digs. Defensively, libero Tita Akiu settled for 26 digs between the two matches.

At the net, Hill recorded a career-high against Lamar with two solo blocks. She and freshman Allison White provided four total blocks each as Tech went for seven in the contest.

Texas Tech matched its season high with eight aces against UC Riverside behind two apiece from Hill, Owens and freshman Emerson Solano. 

For the latest news and updates about Texas Tech volleyball, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @TexasTechVB and stay tuned to www.TexasTech.com.

TECH NOTES

  • Tech improves to 7-1 on the season for its best start since 2014.
  • Head Coach Tony Graystone improves to 457-182 all-time and 17-22 at Tech
  • The last five wins for Tech have all been sweeps
  • The Red Raiders are now 3-0 at home this season and have won three matches in a row