Jayhawks Fall to Red Raiders in Lubbock, 3-1
Sept. 27, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas –
Three Jayhawks notched double-digit kills as Kansas volleyball lost a four-game match to Texas Tech, 26-30, 25-30, 30-22 and 25-30, Wednesday night at United Spirit Arena. With the loss, the Jayhawks moved to 8-6 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 Conference play while the Red Raiders (8-6, 1-4) earned their first league win of the season.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Senior Jana Correa led the Jayhawks with 21 kills (.375 hitting efficiency) and 15 digs on the night. Sophomore Savannah Noyes added 13 kills and junior Emily Brown had 10 and seven digs in the effort. Freshman Brittany Williams rounded out the top KU hitters with nine kills and had a team-best five blocks.
Senior Dani Wittman contributed a season-high 12 digs while freshman Melissa Grieb, who started her first match at libero, added nine and senior Jamie Mathewson had seven. Rookie setter Katie Martincich dished a match-high 48 assists and Wittman led the serving effort with three aces. KU set a new season high with 10 blocks through four games.
Correa led KU in Game One with six kills on nine attempts for a .444 hitting efficiency and Brown was errorless in 11 attempts for five kills (.455). The teams exchanged leads to a 17-17 tie but Tech scored three unanswered points and took the offensive momentum. The Jayhawks used two timeouts and came within one, 21-20, but the Red Raiders’ .357 attack percentage and minimal errors won out.
Despite solid hitting from Correa (nine kills) again in the second stanza, the Jayhawks continued to struggle with serve reception and blocking. A Tech block and Brown hitting error gave the Red Raiders a 23-17 lead, its largest of the game. KU could not recover from a late five-point deficit and Tech improved its hitting to .389 in the stanza to take a 2-0 lead into the break.
KU jumped to a 5-0 start in Game Three with Wittman behind the serving line and used the momentum to take a 15-10 advantage. Tech clawed back to within one, 19-18, but the Jayhawks remained strong at the net and passed well, ending the game with five unanswered points. Williams and Noyes each totaled four kills and Brown concluded the stanza with a service ace.
The Red Raiders built on a 4-0 run to take a 17-9 lead in Game Four. Tech’s hitting remained balanced and challenged the Jayhawks from every spot at the net. KU posted six unanswered points to come within six, 22-16, but could not come closer than three late in the game.
The Jayhawks are 3-1 in four-game matches this season, but 0-2 when down two games to none in a match.
KU returns home to the friendly confines of the <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>HorejsiFamilyAthleticsCenter Saturday to host IowaState. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
-KU-
